Animal Kingdom's first select yearling from his first Northern Hemisphere crop was sold on Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale to Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $145,000.
Consigned by Gainesway Farm as hip 33, the bay filly is out of Set’n On Ready, a Stakes-placed daughter of More Than Ready. Brian Graves of Gainesway said, “She is a well-balanced filly, very correct, with a nice walk."
Also at the July Sale was hip 133, a bay filly by Animal Kingdom out of Banyan Street, by Gone West, which was an RNA at $120,000. Consignor Gerry Dilger of Dromoland Farm commented, "The Animal Kingdom out of Banyan Street is a very nice, big, rangy filly. She has plenty of size, strength and scope and good bone. She is a very straight forward filly, I like her a lot."
Banyan Street, who hails from a crowded Blacktype family, is a half-sister to G2 winner and multiple G1-placed Midway Road, Stakes winner and G1-placed Tuzia (dam of multiple G2 winner Buddy’s Saint), and Stakes winners Tanja and Shanghied.
The Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner also has three yearlings from his first North American crop entered in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale in New York next month.
The first is hip 32 from the Gainesway Farm consignment, a filly out of multiple Graded Stakes winner Four Gifts. The gray or roan filly brought $150,000 as a short yearling at the Keeneland January sale earlier this year.
Next is hip 38, a dark bay or brown filly out of G3 Debutante Stakes winner Garden District, consigned by James M. Herbener, Jr., Agent. Garden District is by Dixie Union and is a half-sister to Medal Count, G3 winner and G1-placed in the Blue Grass Stakes.
The final Animal Kingdom yearling at Saratoga is hip 43, a bay colt from the consignment of Michael and Julia O’Quinn, Agent. The colt is out of Golden Mean, a winning daughter of Mt. Livermore who is a full sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Peaks And Valleys, and a half-sister to Stakes winner Alternate, dam of G2 winner Alternation.
Animal Kingdom covered a total of 148 mares in his first book, the best book of mares of any in his sire crop by CPI, which included G1 winners Honey Ryder and Shadow Cast, plus the dams of English Channel, Ice Box, Watsdachances, Shared Account, Mushka, Emcee, Eight Belles and Tiz Wonderful.
And there’s no doubt sons and daughters of Animal Kingdom will fill the pages of the sales catalogs next year as well given that once again, with his 2015 book, he was represented by the best book of mares of any in his sire crop, covering a total of 137 in all.
