by Jessica Martini & Christina BossinakisLEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded its Book 2 section with a day of brisk trade Thursday and the two-session book concluded with figures just shy of the auction's record-setting 2025 edition.A total of 411 horses sold through the ring during Book 2, for a gross of $78,018,000. The average of $189,825 dipped 1.5% from last year's figure of $192,804 and the median of $150,000 was down 6.25% from a year ago.During last year's Book 2 section of the November sale, 474 horses sold through the ring for a gross of $91,389,000, an average of $192,804 and a median of $160,000.“I think it was interesting talking to the buyers,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “They found very strong competition. On the flip side, the sellers said when you had something that hit the mark, it was great. And if you didn't, it was tougher. So I think that's been indicative of a little bit of what we saw [Wednesday], but it just felt like a more energized day [on Thursday], whether it was the weather or whatever, but it certainly had a little more consistency to it and it just had a better energy.”The 2026 Book 2 saw 172 weanlings sell through the ring for a total of $27,149,000. The weanling average for the book was $157,843 and the median was $137,500. Those figures were down from the lofty heights of last year's November weanling market when 200 weanlings sold through the ring for a total of $34,496,000, an average of $172,480, and a median of $150,000.From 421 catalogued lots, just 295 horses went through the ring Thursday and 94 failed to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 31.86%. That figure was 24.37% a year ago.“There was a little selectivity in the market,” said Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Cormac Breathnach. “I think when we compare it to last year, the mare market is very steady and very good. Last year's sale was great, but in the weanling market, some of them are hitting the mark and some of them aren't. And so between scratches and the RNA rate, I think that's reflected in the weanling market as much as anything.”After a 2025 weanling market that sometimes felt frenetic, the 2026 results may be course-correcting slightly, but are still stronger then 2024 levels, according to Breathnach.“I looked back to 2024 and our weanling market is better than it was then,” Breathnach said. “It's just not quite as good as it was last year at this point in sales. There was good energy and there were a lot of really good bidding wars that happened through the day. And again, that just indicates people are in some cases landing on the same horse. And so there's some really big wins and there's some people that say, 'Let's fight another day.'”Breathnach added, “I feel like the buying side has a ton of energy and a ton of depth and base to it. But again, when there's a little bit more selection and on the same horses, it's not maybe spreading into lower reaches quite like it did last year at times. But I think we have plenty of people here that are going to be here till the end and landing on the right horses with the quality that's going to be through the next week.”Consignor Adrian Regan of Hunter Valley Farm called the November market “fair.”“I would say it's a fair market,” he said. “That's the way I would put it. Are we getting spoiled? Probably not. But for the last three years we were getting spoiled here and I think it's a fair market.”Nine horses sold for $500,000 or over during Thursday's session, compared to seven at the corresponding session a year ago. Leading the way was the 5-year-old broodmare Royal Slipper (Uncle Mo), who sold for $900,000 to Repole Stable. In foal to Fierceness, the mare was consigned by Denali Stud.The Keeneland November sale continues through Wednesday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.Repole Lands Uncle Mo's Royal Slipper for $900KRepole Stable was back at Keeneland on Thursday garnering Royal Slipper, a daughter of the late Uncle Mo, for $900,000. With agent Alex Solis II conducting the bidding, Hip 1021 is in foal to MGISW Fierceness. She was consigned by Denali Stud, agent.Royal Slipper in the ring | KeenelandReturning to a family that has served it so well, Mike Repole also campaigned first season sire Fierceness, who stands at Ashford Stud, in addition to Coolmore's late sire, Uncle Mo.Further supporting the young sire, Repole also secured Crown Queen (Smart Strike), in foal to the 5-year-old, for $95,000 on Wednesday.“It isn't a coincidence that we're buying mares in full to Fierceness. Obviously, we want to support him being a home bred and going into his first year,” explained Repole's Danielle Bricker. “This mare is also by Uncle Mo and he holds such a sentimental value to the stable. He also a proven broodmare sire. So why not just add more to the collection? We would love to focus on Fierceness and just help support our stallions every way we can.”Out of SP Laffina (Arch), Royal Slipper is a full-sister to multiple Grade I winner Bast.Second dam St Lucinda (St. Jovite) is responsible for GSW and GISP Mananan McLir (Royal Academy) and Charming n Lovable (Horse Chestnut {SAf}), dam of GISW Fault (Blame).“She was just really beautiful physically,” said Bricker. “Obviously, she's produced [a Grade I stakes] winner and we just think it can be a good reinvestment and good for either commercial or racing, depending on which way we go with her. The Uncle Mo side of her really shows and we're excited to add her to our broodmare band.”Repole paid $650,000 for Wednesday's second co-topping Shandy (Arrogate) (Hip 601).On Thursday, Repole Stable also secured Hedonism (Curlin) (Hip 877)–in foal to Girvin–for $360,000. @CBossTDNAshview's Lyster Extends to $710K for Constitution's Madame SecretaryProving unrelenting, Ashview Farm's Gray Lyster bid to $710,000 for Madame Secretary (Constitution) (Hip 932).Consigned by Eaton Sales, the 4-year-old filly is believed in foal to first season sire Sierra Leone.Madame Secretary | Keeneland“It exceeded our expectations, but we thought she'd bring plenty of money,” said Eaton's Pam Deegan.Out of MSP Nina Fever (Borrego), the dark bay mare is a half-sister to GISW Nickname (Scat Daddy), the dam of Group 3 scorer Ides of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).“My great buddy Gatewood Bell had [dam] Nina Fever a long time ago, and I've been watching the family for a long time,” said Lyster. “This is a beautiful, beautiful daughter [of Nina Fever], and we like Constitution. We also love Sierra Leone.”He added, “She's for a client. She'll come back to Ashview Farm.”Madame Secretary, who was bred by Newstead Corp., was a $900,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale.“She was a beautiful filly with great depth of pedigree in foal to a freshman sire, Sierra Leone,” said Deegan. “She had a full package and she was really popular.”A yearling half-sister by Justify sold for $700,000 at this venue in September.“For the really, really pretty ones, you have to stretch,” added Lyster when asked about the current market. “Everybody knows that, and she's probably no different. If they're big and pretty, they cost a lot of money. It's no different if they're a foal, if they're a yearling in September, if they're on a digital sale, or if they're right here in the November sale at the beginning or the end. If they're big and pretty, they're going to bring a little bit more than the page suggests.” @CBossTDNHartley/DeRenzo Stretch to $700k for Life Is Good ColtRandy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo were already well familiar with the family of hip 942 before they bid $700,000 to put the colt by Life Is Good in their pinhooking portfolio Thursday at Keeneland.Dean DeRenzo and Randy Hartley | Keeneland“That's our family,” Randy Hartley said after signing the ticket on the weanling, who was consigned by Padraig Campion's Blandford Stud.Out of Mezinka (Bodemeister), the colt is a half-brother to graded-placed Harlocap (Justify), who sold for $400,000 from the Hartley/DeRenzo consignment at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. The Ocala horsemen also sold the weanling's 2-year-old full-sister Top Selection for $750,000 at this year's OBS April sale.“We had Harlocap, we have the 2-year-old filly that we sold for $750,000 and she's doing great,” DeRenzo said. “It's a deep family and he's a beautiful colt. We're happy to get him.”Of the fast-starting stud career of Life Is Good, DeRenzo added, “He was my pick as a freshman sire and with Grade I winners in his first crop, he's really going to go the right way. He was an amazing racehorse all the way through.”Hartley said one of the operation's major clients, Tom Durant, was happy to hear they had acquired the weanling.“Tom wanted the colt,” Hartley said. “He just called to ask if we'd gotten him.”The weanling was bred by the partnership of Garrenross Unlimited Company and Grouseridge. The unraced Mezinka, a half-sister to Pioneerof the Nile (Empire Maker), was purchased for $140,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November sale.The Irish-based Garrenross sent three weanlings by Life Is Good through the ring Thursday. In addition to hip 942, and in partnership with Paget Bloodstock, Garrenross sold a colt by the WinStar stallion (hip 762) for $340,000 from the Hunter Valley consignment and a filly by the stallion (hip 723) for $300,000 from the Blandford Stud consignment. @JessMartiniTDNGreen Lantern Adds $700k Lithe SpiritThe Masson family's Green Lantern Stables made its fourth–and most expensive–purchase of the Keeneland November sale Thursday, going to $700,000 to acquire the 5-year-old broodmare prospect Lithe Spirit (Speightstown) (hip 921) from the Gainesway consignment.Patrick Masson (right) with Brian Graves | Keeneland“We own her half-sister, Spooky Road,” Patrick Masson said of the 5-year-old's appeal. “We've had a number of foals out of her and they are very nice foals. It's a dirt page underneath her, Arabian Knight underneath. It fits with what we want to do and we're very happy we got her.”Lithe Spirit, a $485,000 OBS April juvenile purchase, was a three-time stakes winner and runner-up in this year's G3 Jacques Cartier Stakes and GIII Whimsical Stakes.Green Lantern purchased the mare's half-sister Spooky Road (Quality Road), in foal to Munnings, for $225,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November sale. Her Munnings colt sold for $300,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. @JessMartiniTDNVekoma's Calmate Brings $650K at Keeneland on ThursdayEarly in Thursday Book 2 session, Calmate (Vekoma), offered as Hip 771, realized a $650,000 final bid from Jody Huckabay, agent.Calmate | KeenelandIn foal to hot sire Nyquist, the chestnut was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, acting on behalf of a pinhook partnership.“She was a beautiful quality mare,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “The price was more than we thought she'd bring, but we're just glad it worked out for all the partners.”Sold by Machmer Hall for $100,000 at Keeneland September in 2023, the 4-year-old was subsequently re-sold by Grassroots for $120,000 at OBS Spring the following year. Offered by Elite at Keeneland November in 2025, she was picked up by Natalma for $190,000.Calmate is out of Study Hard (Malibu Moon), a full-sister to MGSW and GISP Sweet August Moon.Having already received a boost to her page, Calmate is a half-sister to Litmus Test (Nyquist), winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity and third in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Litmus Test brought $875,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in 2024.“We bought her here last year with the intention of bringing her back,” explained Regan. “She is a half to Litmus Test. And of course, straight after the sale, we looked like geniuses. When Litmus test went on and won [a stakes race] after the [purchase], it all looked fantastic. And we decided to take a punt and go with Nyquist, who obviously is one of the best stallions in America, if not the world at the moment.”Hunter Valley also sold Long Neck Paula (Uncle Mo) (Hip 128), in foal to Practical Joke, to Claiborne Farm for $700,000 in Book 1.“Up at the top end, if you tick all the proverbial boxes, it's limitless. Underneath, it's not as good as it was last year, but we're coming off record years,” explained Regan. “It just can't keep going up and up and up. I still think the market is pretty good…I just think maybe it's coming back a little bit, but again, we're coming off a number of record years. So I think there may be a little bit of a stabilizing. If you go in there and try and buy a foal or a mare that you like, there's always plenty of competition.” @CBossTDNBrogdens Cash In on Egyptian BrideCarrie Brogden of Machmer Hall admitted she was impressed when she saw T O Elvis (Volatile) in the quarantine barn before the Japanese-based runner won the GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Derby undercard in May. But it wasn't until later that evening that she realized the colt was a half-sister to Egyptian Bride (Pioneerof the Nile) (hip 827), a broodmare Machmer Hall had purchased for $65,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.Egyptian Bride | KeenelandAfter reading the plan was for T O Elvis to return for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, Brogden decided to enter Egyptian Bride, in foal to Chancer McPatrick, at the Keeneland November sale. The plan worked to perfection when, days after T O Elvis stormed to an eye-popping victory in the Sprint, his half-sister sold for $400,000 to the Japanese-based J.S. Company Thursday.“The plan was to sell foals out of her,” Brogden confirmed. “She was in this sale just because of T O Elvis.”Machmer Hall had already had success with Egyptian Bride before Thursday's result. The operation sold her filly by Twirling Candy for $325,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale in August.“She was a big fancy-walking filly,” Brogden said of the yearling.Watching the Breeders' Cup Sprint from the paddock Saturday, Brogden thought it initially didn't look good for T O Elvis.“I was in the paddock at the Breeders' Cup talking during the race and I look at the screen and it's at the top of the stretch and he was 11th,” Brogden recalled. “But all of a sudden, he started gobbling up ground and I thought he might get second. And then he blows by Englishman–who is an amazing horse himself. I could not believe it.”Egyptian Bride has a weanling filly by Arabian Knight.“She's gorgeous and you'll see her next year as a yearling,” Brogden said of the filly.Of Thursday's result, Brogden said, “We were happy and the Japanese [buying] group was happy. And it made it a lot more fun to watch the race.” @JessMartiniTDNThe post $900K Royal Slipper Tops Keeneland November Book 2 Finale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.