BRIDLEWOOD FAMILY SELLS WELL AT ON DAY ONE OF JANUARY SALE

Mares from the family of champions David Junior and Paradise Creek and Grade 1 winners Forbidden Apple and Wild Event both sold for $300,000 or more during the opening session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale on Monday in Lexington.

North Of Eden (Ire), by Northfields, is the common denominator. A half sister to champion and influential sire Theatrical (Ire), North Of Eden produced Storminthegarden and Paradise River. Storminthegarden sold to Whisper Hill Farm for $335,000, while Eden’s Storm, who is out of Paradise River, sold to Helen Andrews’ Twin Hopes Farm for $300,000. Both mares are by Stormy Atlantic with Storminthegarden in foal to Tiznow and Eden’s Storm in foal to Tapit.

“This is a real family with high-class horses,” said Craig Bandoroff, who along with his wife, Holly, consigned both mares, as agent for Bridlewood Farm. “When people want quality and you’re able to bring it to them, they’re willing to pay.”

Also a part of the consignment was Storminthegarden’s second foal, a yearling colt by Tapit acquired by Whisper Hill for $195,000, which was the second-highest price paid for a yearling during the first session.

“We were looking for a mare of quality of substance and liked the [yearling] foal she produced, and we’re hoping for similar production success with her,” said Mandy Pope of Florida-based Whispering Hill. “Tapit should help add some size to her.”

Pope said that her operation breeds both to race and to sell and that she would decide the plan for each of Storminthegarden’s foals on a per-year basis. She said that Whispering Hill has about eight or nine two-year-olds that it plans to race this year.

Andrews, 78, said that she was attracted to Eden’s Storm for the same reasons Pope was interested in Storminthegarden. She said she plans to keep Eden’s Storm in her broodmare band and probably sell the foals out of her as yearlings.

“Her looks, what she’s carrying—everything about her attracted me to her,” Andrews said. “Her family is beautiful. This is my first time being in this family, and I’m really excited about it.”

Eden’s Storm’s full sister sold for $185,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale.—Ed DeRosa