A renowned bloodstock agent, Donato Lanni is a familiar sight at Thoroughbred auctions, regularly inspecting and later bidding on young equine prospects.
On Nov. 14 during the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale, he also did his share of observing as five horses he co-owned sold. Among these was the Grovendale-consigned Tripolina, Hip 4231, who sold to Flatland Racing for $245,000. The 3-year-old Constitution filly out of the Street Boss mare Ballykiss recently showed in the Nov. 9 Bessarabian Stakes (G3) at Woodbine just days before she arrived at the sale. Last year at age 2 she took the Display Stakes at Woodbine.
A WinStar Farm-bred filly, she raced through this fall for the Lanni-headed X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing. Those same owners campaigned Moira, winner of the Nov. 2 Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar, and a $4.3 million sale to Bayles at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale a couple of days after the Breeders' Cup.
Tripolina had been a $70,000 yearling purchase by Lanni on behalf of X-Men Racing in 2022 during the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
"She'll make a good racehorse for whoever bought her," Lanni said Thursday from the back ring area at Keeneland.
Clay Carnes leads Flatland Racing Stable. Chris Hartman trains many Flatland Racing Stable-owned horses, some of whom are acquired via claims or from horses of racing age sales.
Lanni, a native of Montreal, Canada, who lives in Lexington, noted that the November Horses of Racing Age Sale suits some of their horses as winter approaches. X-Men Racing often races horses who prefer turf and synthetic surfaces.
Moira and Tripolina were developed at Woodbine by trainer Kevin Attard. Moira won the Queen's Plate Stakes there in 2022 and was honored as Canada's Horse of the Year that season. On the strength of her Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf victory, she is considered a leading candidate to pick up an Eclipse Award as the champion female turf horse in North America this year.
Brendan Walsh and Jonathan Thomas are two United States trainers for the partners.
"We have a lot of turf horses, so it's the end of the year," he said. "We run them in spring, summer, and fall, and winter is vacation time. So it's just time to kind of sell and reload."
Besides Tripolina, Lanni and partners through Grovendale sold Bedard (Hip 4075), a Nyquist gelding to Flurry Racing Stable for $210,000; Rosa (Hip 4009), a Street Boss filly to Hunter Valley Farm for $95,000; Enchant (Hip 4234), a daughter of English Channel, for $85,000 to Laura Barrish; and Everybreathyoutake (Hip 4119), a Quality Road filly, to Dr. Fawzi Bouresli for $30,000.
"There's a big market here," the bloodstock agent said.
Another English Channel filly, Whappen (Hip 4233), was listed as having been reacquired by Lanni Bloodstock for $40,000.
