Lizzie Merryman zooms up to a big week * The Racing Biz

Lizzie Merryman had a pretty good week.

On Saturday, August 9, her 6-year-old HomeBred Witty won the second time this year, taking the mentioned of Clief Stakes through a neck, who pushed his income for only $ 900,000 too shy and a lifelong record of 33: 11-11-1.

Merryman not only bred witty, but she also trains him and has him in collaboration with Marc Detampel. So that is a fairly good payment day for the Pennsylvania-Bred, plus it was Witty’s eighth posts, and that’s all pretty cool.

But it wasn’t even close to the coolest thing that happened to her last week. That happened early on Monday evening, August 4, when Hip 29 went through the ring at the phasig-still Saratoga sale and sold for $ 1.4 million.

The Yearling Colt is from Justify and from Merryman’s Congratulations Mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, making him a half-brother for Breeders’ Cup winner Caravel, by Mizzen Mast and Graded Stakes Pocted Witty (Great Notion).

Merryman generally breeds to race, but after the success of Caravel and Witty she made a strategic decision to breed in a commercial stallion, with a view to auctions. It’s nice when a plan goes as it should.

“I had proven the mare with caravel and witty, and I thought I would try for marketability,” she said. “The foal is beautiful, a beautiful mover, really athletic and correct, with a great attitude.”

The foal was purchased by Qatar Racing, the same entity that campaigned after buying her for $ 500,000 through agent Fergus Galvin on the 2021 phasig-tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale.

Galvin’s Hunter Valley Farm Dreeged Caravel when she was an RNA of $ 2.4 million at the Keeneland November SALE of Breeding shares 2023, and it also sent the $ 1.4 million Colt in Saratoga.

“We had seen him as a foal and he was a knockout,” said Galvin. “He is just a cool horse to prepare. Everything came very easily for him. Lizzie did it great to raise him, and we just had to put the finishing touches.”

Neither Galvin nor Merryman were particularly surprised by the price brought by the foal, given its quality and the roaring market in the sale, described differently as ‘crazy’, ‘crazy’ and ‘makes no sense’. Twenty -five horses brought $ 1 million or more.

“It has always been a dream of mine to sell a yearling for a million dollars,” Merryman said. “Zeezee was supposed to be my cute, small, race-to-race mare. I would do the best work I could with the babies and raise them well and try to bring them to the races.

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“But caravel and witty have just changed the whole way in which I can breed it. It opens opportunities like this.”

In addition to sending the yearling, Galvin also acts as the American racing manager of Qatar Racing.

“I knew that Sheikh Fahad was interested,” said Galvin, referring to Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, chairman of Qatar Racing. “But he played his cards fairly close to his chest. He did it himself, and it was a natural fit, of course with Caravel.”

In 2023, Qatar Racing Caravel sold private to the resolute racing of John Stewart. The mare was bred twice in European stallions, with a plan for her to return to the United States this year.

Galvin said that no plans have yet been determined for the Justify Yearling.

“I think the plans are initially to stay here,” he said. “But nothing has been put in stone.”

Merryman also has a big decision. Zeezee zoomzoom foal this year a nyquist -mooding, a marey ones that probably also has commercial profession.

“It’s difficult,” she said. “Because she is at Nyquist, she will be very valuable.”

To keep or sell? Fortunately, Merryman does not have to decide anything at the end of this very good week. Yet.