LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Multiple graded stakes winner Roses for Debra sold for $2.4 million to lead nine seven-figure mares as the Keeneland November breeding stock sale opened its run on Tuesday. Keeneland reported that 143 horses sold during Tuesday's single-session Book 1 portion of the sale, which opened a nine-day run overall, for gross receipts of $62,370,000. Last year in Book 1, 120 horses sold for $54,340,000. Both sets of figures include only horses sold through the ring, not including private sales that Keeneland will later factor into official results. The higher gross was helped by healthy trade that led to a strong buyback rate. That figure was 22 percent, improved from 35 percent in this session last year. The nine mares to sell for seven figures approached the 10 that sold at that level, before private sales, in last year's comparable session. The average price on Tuesday finished at $436,154, dipping four percent from $452,833 last year. The median was $350,000, down seven percent from $375,000. "It was a very solid, vibrant marketplace," Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "The clearance rate was really strong - you'll see that in the gross. It was a really diverse buying bench. . . . I think all around it just felt like a really strong, good, healthy marketplace." :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Mandy Pope, who breeds and races as Whisper Hill Farm, prevailed in the bidding for Roses for Debra at $2.4 million. Less than an hour later, she continued to bolster her star-studded broodmare band, going to $1.8 million, tied for the second-highest price of the day, for Grade 1 producer Lady Tapit. The latter was purchased in partnership with Gainesway, where Pope boards her stock in Kentucky. Pope's purchases were a major success for a domestic buyer on a competitive bidding bench that has seen several Japanese, European, and Australian interests playing at a high level over the past few days, at Monday evening's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale across town, and Tuesday at Keeneland. Whisper Hill was the only outfit to emerge with multiple seven-figure lots on Tuesday, with the top nine prices split almost evenly between domestic and international outlets. "There was a lot of appeal from all over the world," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "A strong domestic market, but we had great participation from Australia, Japan, Europe. Everybody was here, everybody was very, very active, and I think they felt like there was something for everybody, and that's really what we try to do." Roses for Debra, a gray Pennsylvania-bred mare, led Pope's six purchases on the day overall. "She was very elegant, very well put together," Pope said. "She was very fast. It was on the grass, which is not necessarily ideal for American breeding programs, but she was so fast, and I needed some mares with speed to add to the stallions that I like to breed to." Pope said Triple Crown winner Justify or two-time Horse of the Year Curlin would be considered for the mare's first mating in 2025. "We have a couple of good options there," Pope said. "Both work on the grass and the dirt, and it's a good cross." Roses for Debra, a 5-year-old daughter of Liam's Map, won five stakes, all on turf or synthetic surfaces. Those were highlighted by graded scores in the Grade 3 Caress last year on the Saratoga turf; the Grade 3 Giant's Causeway this spring on the Keeneland course; and the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters in September, in which she set a track record on Tapeta on the eponymous track. Overall, she has a career mark of 16-9-2-2 with earnings of $821,618. Roses for Debra was consigned by Candy Meadows Sales, as agent for owners Cheyenne Stable and John O'Meara. She is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Essential Rose, also the dam of stakes winners Rose's Vision and Rosie's Alibi. "I never dreamed of an outcome like this," Cheyenne's Everett Dobson said. "I am really happy for my partner John O’Meara and for her namesake [O’Meara’s life partner Debra Fritz]. She is going to a great home. I couldn’t be happier that she was bought by Mandy. I love it when a plan comes together." Less than an hour later, Pope's plans to continue adding mares to her band came together again, as she won out in the bidding for Lady Tapit, who sold in foal to young classic sire Good Magic. The 12-year-old Tapit mare was a Grade 3-placed winner herself, and is already the dam of three winners from as many starters. Those are led by millionaire Kingsbarns, whose multiple graded stakes wins are highlighted by this year's Grade 1 Stephen Foster and last year's Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Lady Tapit, who was consigned by Paramount Sales, as agent, is out of the unraced Kingmambo mare Temperence Gift. That makes her a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and stakes producer Gozzip Girl, and to another stakes producer in Gallileo Figaro Just three horses behind Lady Tapit in the ring came multiple Grade 1 winner Anisette, with Australian-based Willingham Stud also reaching to $1.8 million to acquire her, tying for the second-highest price of the session. The 4-year-old Awtaad filly was consigned as a racing or broodmare prospect by Bluewater Sales, as agent for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Anisette, ninth in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, holds a racing record of 13-7-3-1 for earnings of $956,871. She won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Grade 1 American Oaks last year, along with the Grade 2 San Clemente, and added the Grade 1 Gamely and Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap this season. The filly is out of the Teofilo mare Tutti Frutti, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Sultanina. The highest-priced weanling of the Book 1 session was a $900,000 son of five-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief, purchased by Glen Hill Farm. The colt is from the dispersal of Ed Seltzer's Solera Farm, with Taylor Made Sales consigning the dispersal, as agent. He is the first foal out of the Grade 3-winning Malibu Moon mare Eres Tu, a half-sister to stakes winners Pangburn and Ain't Got Time, from the family of Preakness Stakes winner Tank's Prospect. "It was a lot of money, but I kind of figured that he would be," Glen Hill's Craig Bernick said. "When we came here, he was a very obvious horse. A really classy mover, pretty head. Strong colt, but looks like he’ll hopefully run around two turns." In last year's Book 1 session, seven weanlings sold for $500,000 or more. Just four crossed that threshold on Tuesday. "It was very consistent with last year," Lacy said of the weanling marketplace. "When you're getting into that rare air, there's a select group of people that can afford those at a certain range. . . . They know what they want." The Keeneland November breeding stock sale now continues with Books 2 through 5, consisting of two sessions each, running with no break through Nov. 13. The single-session November horses of racing age sale, which was broken out into its own session with separately reported figures in 2022, follows on Nov. 14. For hip-by-hip results, click here. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.