Better Than Honour Sells For Record Price of $14.5 Million

by Patricia Woo | Nov 12 2008

On Nov. 2, at Fasig-Tipton's Thoroughbred mixed sale in Lexington, Ky., two premier female horses were sold for millions of dollars each: Better Than Honour and Stardom Bound.
 
Twelve-year-old Better Than Honour was the last horse in the sale ring and immediately sparked a bidding war between her co-owners which ended in a new world record sale price of $14.5M. The highly prized broodmare is best known as the dam of back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, as well as Japanese-based 2008 Peter Pan Stakes winner Casino Drive.
 
Jon Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm was in competition with Michael Moreno of Southern Equine, which owned 70 percent of the broodmare. Sikura's final bid of $10M equaled the previous world record. "I went to $10M because I thought she was deserving of the world record," he said. But his bid could not hold up against Moreno's staggering $14.5M, which ultimately succeeded in winning Southern Equine exclusive ownership of Better Than Honour.
 
Despite Better Than Honour's lack of reproductive success in recent years, Moreno was enthusiastic about her future. "She's the best mare in the world," he said. "We're in this thing for the long term, and you can't build a long-term operation without blue hen mares. She's it. She's a Picasso. You can't sell a mare like this."

Members of IEAH Stables were also on the lookout for a horse to build their operation's future upon and set their sights on Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Stardom Bound. She brought in the second highest sale price of the day, $5.7M.
 
Previous owner Charlie Cono has been in the process of dissolving his Thoroughbred holdings, and putting the 2-year-old champion up for sale was bittersweet. "She'll never be worth more than she is now," he said. "She has her whole future ahead of her. I feel lucky to have been part of it."

Stardom Bound, who is out of My White Corvette by Tapit, will begin her 2009 campaign in Southern California, according to Michael Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables. She will be trained by Richard Dutrow, Jr., who also trained Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown; her regular jockey, Mike Smith, will retain the mount. Her first race could be as early as Jan. 5 in the Gr. 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita, a track on which she has been victorious in Grade 1 races twice before. Her ultimate goal will be the Kentucky Oaks - but should Stardom Bound train up well, Iavarone will also consider the Kentucky Derby. "If she belongs there, we'll consider it," said Iavarone.
 
Stardom Bound is definitely a filly to watch next year. Along with her Breeders' Cup win, she collected trophies in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes and the Oak Leaf Stakes against Grade 1 company. With her ability to come from behind to win and a powerful finishing kick, she will be delighting both bettors and horse racing fans alike in 2009.
 
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