Lizzie Merryman had a pretty good week.

On Saturday, Aug. 9, her 6-year-old homebred Witty won for the second time this year, taking the listed Van Clief Stakes by a neck, pushing his earnings to just shy of $900,000 and a lifetime record of 33: 11-11-1.  

Merryman not only bred Witty, but she also trains him and owns him in partnership with Marc Detampel. So that’s a pretty good payday for the Pennsylvania-bred, plus it was Witty’s eighth stakes win, and all of that is pretty cool. 

But it wasn’t even close to the coolest thing that happened to her last week. That happened early on Monday evening, Aug. 4, when hip 29 went through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and sold for $1.4 million. 

The yearling colt is by Justify and out of Merryman’s Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, making him a half-brother to Breeders’ Cup winner Caravel, by Mizzen Mast, and graded stakes placed Witty (Great Notion).

Merryman generally breeds to race, but after the success of Caravel and Witty, she made a strategic decision to breed to a commercial stallion, with an eye towards auctions. It’s nice when a plan goes the way it’s supposed to.

“I’d proven the mare with Caravel and Witty, and I figured I would try for marketability,” she said. “The colt is lovely, a beautiful mover, really athletic and correct, with a great disposition.”

The colt was purchased by Qatar Racing, the same entity that campaigned Caravel after buying her for $500,000 through agent Fergus Galvin at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale. 

Galvin’s Hunter Valley Farm consigned Caravel when she was a $2.4 million RNA at the 2023 Keeneland November sale of breeding stock, and it also consigned the $1.4 million colt in Saratoga. 

“We’d seen him as a foal, and he was a knockout,” said Galvin. “He’s just a cool horse to prep. Everything came very easy to him. Lizzie did a great job raising him, and we just had to put the finishing touches on.” 

Neither Galvin nor Merryman was particularly surprised by the price brought by the colt, given his quality and the roaring market at the sale, described variously as “nuts,” “crazy,” and “makes no sense.” Twenty-five horses brought $1 million or more.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to sell a yearling here for a million dollars,” said Merryman. “Zeezee was supposed to be my cute, little, breed-to-race mare. I’d do the best job I could on the babies and raise them well and try to bring them to the races.

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“But Caravel and Witty just changed the whole way I can handle breeding. It opens up opportunities like this one.” 

In addition to consigning the yearling, Galvin also serves as Qatar Racing’s U.S. racing manager.

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

In 2023, Qatar Racing sold Caravel privately to John Stewart’s Resolute Racing. The mare was bred twice to European stallions, with a plan for her to return to the States this year. 

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

“I think initially the plans are for him to stay here,” he said. “But nothing is set in stone.”

Merryman has another big decision to make, too. Zeezee Zoomzoom foaled a Nyquist filly this year, a filly also likely to have commercial appeal.

“It’s tricky,” she said. “Being by Nyquist, she’ll be very valuable.” 

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