Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock struck early in Book 4 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Nov. 10 for I’m Pretty Strong – a winning daughter of Street Cry offered as a racing or broodmare prospect.
“She’s been purchased for clients in Australia,” Rounsefell said of the $220,000 purchase. “We think that the residual value as a broodmare prospect is good. She’s very exciting.”
Bred in Pennsylvania by Sagamore Farm, the stakes-placed filly has won two of her seven career starts, with earnings of $60,994. Consigned as Hip 2099 by Upson Downs Farm, she is out of the Pleasantly Perfect mare Shared Account, a grade 1 winner on the turf who took the 2010 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) for trainer Graham Motion. Shared Account sold earlier in the sale to Sam-Son Farm in foal to Mastery for $550,000.
“Street Cry is a proven stallion all over the world, particularly in Australia,” Rounsefell said. “And she’s out of a turf mare.”
While I’m Pretty Strong was purchased predominantly as a broodmare prospect for Rounsefell’s clients, the bloodstock agent said the 3-year-old filly could continue to race should she show progress in Australia.
On the track this filly has shown a lot of ability in seven starts to date,” he said. “We think physically she’s still quite immature and we think she’ll really develop, but we’ve got time until the breeding season next year so we’ll put her in training.”
Earlier in the sale Rounsefell purchased Hip 385—the More Than Ready mare Ginger N Rye, also consigned by Upson Downs—for $350,000. Bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm out of the Mr. Greely mare La Milanesa, the 6-year-old is a black-type stakes winner from the family of grade 1 winner Hometown Queen.
With several Australian buyers on the scene during this year’s renewal of the marathon sale, Rounsefell said the strength of the market around the world and breeders’ desire to infuse established bloodlines with new pedigrees has inspired them to make a trip to the Northern Hemisphere.
“I think if you look at the statistics, American mares have done well in Australia,” Rounsefell said. “They’ve overachieved percentage-wise. There is a small number of them in Australia and they’ve really done well. They produce top quality horses and any stallions at stud in Australia are out of American mares.
“I think the gene pool in Australia is getting very condensed down the Danehill line. There are Australian buyers here trying to expand their bloodlines and also bring in the American speed and continue that down rather than do it the European way. There’s a lot here. The market has been very strong in Australia too, so I think people are trying to replenish their broodmare bands and this is the best place to do it.”
