Champion Midnight Bisou, who is in foal to Tapit, sold for $5.5 million to Katsumi Yoshida of Japan to lead the Book 1 opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. During the session, Keeneland sold 136 lots for $66,980,000, for an average of $492,500 and a median of $290,000.
Ten lots sold for $1 million or more. “We’re seeing a focus on quality,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “And there’s a broadness in the marketplace. The top 15 horses that went through the ring were bought by 11 different buyers. It’s always good to see a mix of domestic and international buyers.
Six horses brought more than $2 million plus.” Midnight Bisou, a 7yo daughter of Midnight Lute out of Grade Three winner Diva Delite, by Repent, won 13 races and earned $7.47 million and had been supplemented to the auction.
JAPANESE RETURN
“We’ll take her back to Japan most likely, I’m kind of speechless,” translator Shingo Hashimoto said on behalf of Yoshida. “Yoshida said the first time he saw her was in Saudi when she was running for the Saudi Cup. He already knew of her race record, and she was really gorgeous.
It was very lucky for us to purchase her. We were very excited when we saw her in the catalogue. We are very satisfied. We are very happy with the result.” Yoshida was the leading buyer with three purchases for $9.7 million. He also acquired French Group One winner Dreamloper, a 5yo mare by Lope De Vega who ran in this year’ Breeders’ Cup Mile, for $2.7 million and Grade Two winner Jouster, a 4yo daughter of Noble Mission, for $1.5 million.
