Funny Sunny leads Day 9 at Keeneland November Sale

Sharp Humor filly Funny Sunny sold to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm for $380,000 on Day 9 at the Keeneland November Sale.  Tuesday’s session at Keeneland featured horses of racing age and stallion prospects being sold by WinStar, Darley, Shadwell and Zayat Stables.

Funny Sunny is out of the Relaunch mare Sunny Laugh and she won on debut at Hoosier Park last month.  The filly will be sent to trainer Bob Hess Jr. and could make her next start at Gulfstream Park.

Funny Sunny was consigned by WinStar Racing who originally bought her for $60,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Calder 2YO Sale.  “She was very impressive in her debut,” WinStar President Elliott Walden said.  “The runner-up Red Hot Maria came back and won at Churchill Downs.”

WinStar sells a group of horses of racing age every year. Walden said this year’s sale had nothing to do with WinStar owner Kenny Troutt’s recent buy-out of partner Bill Casner.

“We have 40 yearlings ready to come in,” Walden said . “We clean inventory and try to raise some money.  We have it in our budget to sell between $1.5 million to $2 million at the end of every year.  It’s all part of our bigger plan.”

Pope is based in Florida and she also thought Funny Sunny showed considerable raw talent in the debut.  “She got hung wide around the turn, had no clue what she was doing, and then just took off and passed them,” Pope said.  “We’re able to get into the market in a bigger way right now because prices are down.”

Group 1 Belmont Stakes winner Da’Tara sold to Foye Genetics for $180,000.  He denied Big Brown the 2008 Triple Crown with a $40 upset in New York.

Da’Tara (5h Tiznow – Torchera by Pirate’s Bounty) is from a winning sister to G1 Hollywood Vanity Hcp winner Private Persuasion.  Second dam Kaylem Ho (Salem) was a G1 winner of the Calder Miramar Hcp.