Azeri bought back for $4.4 million
January 13th 2009 05:58
Azeri was bought back for $4.4 million by Michael Paulson when she failed to find a new home after being offered at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Last year Michael Paulson bought back Azeri’s first foal, Vallenzeri, for $7.7 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
(photo: Anne M. Eberhardt)
Apparently the underbidders came close to securing her with the reserve reportedly not ‘too far’ in excess of the $4.4 million.
John Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency (who consigned Azeri and other horses from the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust for sale) tried to purchase the mare in partnership with his father-in-law, Edward McGee, but they stopped bidding at around the $4 million mark.
It is reported that Jimmy Bell of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley America was seen nodding at a bid spotter immediately before the bid of $4.3 million was called.
John Sikura was underbidder last year on champion broodmare Rags To Riches when he stopped at $10 million and was beaten by (then) other primary owner Southern Equine’s Michael Moreno (at that time Southern Equine held 70% of Rags To Riches, and John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale held 30%). Moreno bid $14 million to secure the champion broodmare outright.
The inability for Azeri - in foal with a filly to 2004 Horse Of The Year Ghostzapper - to find a higher bid, and consequently a new home, is testament to the difficult conditions that thoroughbred breeders will encounter in the aftermath of the global financial meltdown.
“It was extremely close. I thought she was sold when I saw $4.2 million because it was very, very close to the reserve. That’s about all I can say without disclosing the reserve. When she went above $4 million, I thought, ‘We’ve got her sold.’ It just missed where we were. Unfortunately, we’ve been the victims twice now of the global financial market meltdown. But my father always said, ‘When you’ve got quality, you want to keep it,' and, obviously, she’s still the queen. If they (the buyers) saw her come up to the (sale) ring, she was on her toes; she thought she was going to race.” - Michael Paulson.
“We’re going to talk to a few people and see if we can do a deal here shortly. But if not, we’ll take her home and get that Ghostzapper foal. It was bittersweet; I was hoping to sell. But the good side is we still have her. In a good market, she would have gone for double what it (the final bid) went for today. We’ll just regroup. She (Azeri) is a good asset to have in your Thoroughbred inventory.” - Michael Paulson.
Azeri sells at Keeneland
(photo: Anne M. Eberhardt)
Apparently the underbidders came close to securing her with the reserve reportedly not ‘too far’ in excess of the $4.4 million.
John Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency (who consigned Azeri and other horses from the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust for sale) tried to purchase the mare in partnership with his father-in-law, Edward McGee, but they stopped bidding at around the $4 million mark.
It is reported that Jimmy Bell of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley America was seen nodding at a bid spotter immediately before the bid of $4.3 million was called.
John Sikura was underbidder last year on champion broodmare Rags To Riches when he stopped at $10 million and was beaten by (then) other primary owner Southern Equine’s Michael Moreno (at that time Southern Equine held 70% of Rags To Riches, and John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale held 30%). Moreno bid $14 million to secure the champion broodmare outright.
The inability for Azeri - in foal with a filly to 2004 Horse Of The Year Ghostzapper - to find a higher bid, and consequently a new home, is testament to the difficult conditions that thoroughbred breeders will encounter in the aftermath of the global financial meltdown.
“It was extremely close. I thought she was sold when I saw $4.2 million because it was very, very close to the reserve. That’s about all I can say without disclosing the reserve. When she went above $4 million, I thought, ‘We’ve got her sold.’ It just missed where we were. Unfortunately, we’ve been the victims twice now of the global financial market meltdown. But my father always said, ‘When you’ve got quality, you want to keep it,' and, obviously, she’s still the queen. If they (the buyers) saw her come up to the (sale) ring, she was on her toes; she thought she was going to race.” - Michael Paulson.
“We’re going to talk to a few people and see if we can do a deal here shortly. But if not, we’ll take her home and get that Ghostzapper foal. It was bittersweet; I was hoping to sell. But the good side is we still have her. In a good market, she would have gone for double what it (the final bid) went for today. We’ll just regroup. She (Azeri) is a good asset to have in your Thoroughbred inventory.” - Michael Paulson.
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