Bishops Bay, Keeneland Photo
LEXINGTON, KY – Pedro Lanz, agent for KAS Stables, purchased multiple Grade 3 winner Bishops Bay, a 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo, for $1.3 million to post the highest price of Wednesday’s Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale. The amount for Bishops Bay, who 10 days ago won the Forty Niner (G3) at Belmont at The Big A, is a record for the sale, which Keeneland began in 2022 after including horses of racing age in the November Breeding Stock Sale.
Today, Keeneland sold 108 horses through the ring for $10,455,000, an increase of 21.39% from last year’s gross of $8,613,000 for 105 horses sold through the ring. The average of $96,806 increased 18.01% from $82,029 in 2024. The median declined 20% from $50,000 to $40,000.
“This was a strong finish to a remarkable sales season,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Setting a record for top price in this format is very satisfying and reflects an ongoing demand for quality, race-ready horses as we move into a new season. The momentum we’ve seen throughout the year carried right through to the end, and we are grateful to all the buyers and sellers whose participation and confidence make success like this possible.”
Consigned by ELiTE, agent, which sold six horses for $200,000 or more, Bishops Bay also captured the Salvator Mile (G3) and the Westchester (G3) this year and has posted five wins in seven starts with earnings of $468,600 in 2025. In his career, Bishops Bay has won eight races in 12 starts and has earned $702,800.
Lanz called Bishops Bay, a half-brother to Grade 2 winner and Preakness (G1) third-place finisher Catching Freedom, “a very honest horse” and said he will remain with trainer Brad Cox. Bishops Bay could make his next start in the Dec. 6 Cigar Mile (G2) at Aqueduct, Lanz said, while a possible future race is the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January. A long-range goal is the Saudi Cup (G1) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia in February.
Lanz said Bishops Bay has been on his radar “all year” and expected the horse to bring a high price.
“That’s what usually happens when we have the Middle East fighting for the same horse,” Lanz said. “He was, for me, the best horse – two turns, long-distance horse. We (had) to be ready.”
“We were thrilled with the price,” ELiTE co-founder and partner Liz Crow said. “When we had him here these last couple days, he just never put a foot wrong and showed himself beautifully. He’s a gorgeous horse, so I think he’ll make a nice stallion when he’s done running. I hope he goes on and does some great things in Saudi and really shows (up) everybody over there in those big races.”
Bishops Bay also is a half-brother to stakes-placed winner Strava, who sold for $825,000 at the 2021 November Breeding Stock Sale to top a segment dedicated to horses of racing age that Keeneland held the final day of the auction.
The sale of Bishops Bay made Lanz the auction’s top buyer and helped ELiTE, agent, to through-the-ring sales of $5,370,000 for 41 horses to lead consignors.
“We take this day seriously. It’s kind of our Super Bowl of the year,” ELiTE’s Liz Crow said. “We ty to recruit as many horses as we can so we have a good volume for people, so that we have the $20,000 horse all the way up to the million-dollar horse. We were really happy with the way things went. It was just a great day for our team. A ton of work goes behind the scenes to get that 44 sold (including three post sales) today.”
In other sales, RRR Racing paid $900,000 for Grade 2 winner World Record, a 4-year-old son of Gun Runner consigned by ELiTE, agent. The colt, whose dam is Marwa (GB), by Exceed And Excel, is from the family of Group 1 winner Penelopa along with Grade 2 winners Miss Isella and Sir Cherokee.
Winner and Grace 3-placed Crevalle d’Oro, who was supplemented to the auction, sold for $500,000 to Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock, agent for Michael and Jules Iavarone and TCC Stable. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, she is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Sonoma d’Oro and is a half-sister to stakes winner Valuation Metric.
Chad Schumer, agent for KGS, went to $475,000 for Burning Glory, a 3-year-old winner and Grade 3-placed colt by Into Mischief from the family of recent Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Scylla. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Juddmonte, he is out of the winning stakes-placed mare Hail, by Tapit, and also from the family of champion Close Hatches as well as Grade 2 winner, Belmont (G1) runner-up and sire Tacitus.
ELiTE, agent, consigned two colts sold for $350,000 apiece
Crudo, a 3-year-old stakes-winning son of Justify who was second in Aqueduct’s Dwyer (L) four days ago, sold for the amount to NAJD Stud. Out of the Deputy Minister mare Blossomed, he is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Sippican Harbor and a full brother to Japanese stakes winner Awesome Result. Crudo, who won Pimlico’s Spendthrift Farm Sir Barton Stakes in May, also is from the family of Group 1 winner Peter Davies and 2025 Grade 2 winner Royal Spa.
Oracle Bloodstock, agent, went to $350,000 for Cultivate, a 3-year-old gelding by Practical Joke who has begun his career with two wins this year at Saratoga and Belmont at the Big A. Out of Life’s a Gamble, by Malibu Moon, he is from the family of Grade 1 winner Noted and Quoted.
