THE BROCK TALK

Brock Sheridan Editor-in-Chief Florida Equine Communications JOHN D. FILER PHOTO Florida Economy On Stage at Kentucky Auction

At a time when good economic news comes in small doses, Florida thoroughbred breeders and consignors are spurring local economic indicators in a far more positive direction.

The Florida thoroughbred industry has a $2.7 billion annual economic impact in the Sunshine State and the first five sessions of the 12-session Keeneland September Yearling Sale illustrate how some of those dollars are generated by Florida thoroughbred horsemen and enthusiasts.

In the opening five sessions (Sept. 12-17) of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale conducted in Lextington, Ky., through Sept. 24, Florida-bred yearlings have generated sales of nearly $5 million in the world’s most competitive and prestigious thoroughbred marketplace.

During that span, 14 Florida-bred yearlings out of the 956 total horses sold outpaced the overall average by nearly 6%, $318,571 compared to $300,981.

In the prestigious opening two days, Book 1, sessions, two Florida-bred colts generated final bids of $775,000, topping their Sunshine State peers.

The first was a colt by first crop sire Omaha Beach out of the multiple graded stakes-producing mare Achalaya, by the Florida-bred stallion Bellamy Road that was bred by Loren Nichols. Sold as Hip 123 from the Gainesway consignment, the dark bay or brown colt was purchased by Peter Brant of New York City in the name of his White Birch Farm.

The next day, Mike Repole of Whitestone, N.Y., partnered with Robert and Lawana Low of Springfield, Mo., to outlast all other bidders to acquire Hip 370. The Florida-bred colt by Into Mischief out of the stakes-winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Osare that was consigned by Denali Stud as an agent for John and Leslie Malone’s Ocala-based Bridlewood Farm, who also bred the handsome bay colt.

While Florida-bred yearlings certainly represented the Sunshine State with aplomb, several consignors based in Marion County stole the spotlight. Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck of Morriston, who market world class thoroughbreds in the name of their Summerfield consignment, led the way.

A yearling out of the Summerfield consignment for Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet topped day three of the sale with a $1.4 million price tag on a final bid from Larry Best of Boston in the name of his OXO Equine. While Banke has her Stonestreet breeding and racing operations based in Kentucky, her Stonestreet Training and Rehabilitation Center—a 220-acre, state of the art facility managed by Ian Brennan—is located in Marion County in Summerfield, Fla.

The son of Into Mischief out of multiple Grade 1-placed stakes-winner Dawn the Destroyer, by Speightstown was just one of three on the day consigned by Summerfield and among 10 sold by the