Gunite Yearling Kicks Off Year at Keeneland January

The first yearlings by Gunite are set to hit the sales ring this week when 12 sell during the two-session Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale to follow up the crop’s success as weanlings.

The Gr.1 winner’s third through the ring is Hip 65, a Hunter Valley Farm-offered colt out of the winning Into Mischief mare Breaking Beauty.

Bred by Camas Park Stud, the colt is a half-brother to three winners from four to race out of Breaking Beauty. The best of those is Tiz The Law’s Gr.3 winner and Gr.2 placed Tiz Dashing with the mare also seeing two of her other runners win last year as well to join him in the winner’s circle. Breaking Beauty is out of the Gr.2 winner and Gr.1 placed Que Belle, whose eight winners include Gr.3 winners Osidy and Quetsche.

A half-sister to Gr.1 winner Dunbar Road is the dam of Hip 691 offered by Indian Creek.

The filly’s Curlin dam Fascinate has produced one winner from three to race with the other two both placed. The mare is also the dam of Jack Christopher’s $245,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearlings Sale graduate Atomic Red. Keithshire Farm bred this February-born filly, whose family also includes Gr.1 winner Secret Status and champion Maria Candela among others.

Lane’s End offers Hip 808 on behalf of Blue Heaven Farm during the second day of the sale.

The colt is out of the multiple stakes winner and Gr.3 placed Maple Forest, who has proven to be a strong broodmare. The Forestry mare’s four winners from five to race include the stakes winning Heartwood, who won eight times and was also placed in multiple graded stakes. Her other winners also include multiple stakes placed Luzmimi Princess and Justify’s winning Coldstream. Each of the dams on this page have produced stakes horses with three of them producing stakes winners.

The final by Gunite to go through the ring is Hip 984, offered by breeder Mulholland Springs.

The colt is out of the stakes placed Stormandaprayer, who also won three times. That Songandaprayer mare has produced eight winners from eight to race with the group led by stakes winner Classicstateofmind and multiple stakes placed Harlands Thunder. The colt’s second dam is the Gr.1 winning Stormy Pick, who produced two stakes performers herself with one of Stormandaprayer’s half-sisters the dam of three stakes winners with two going on to produce stakes performers.

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale takes place on January 12 and 13 with each session starting at 10a.m. ET