Robust trade drives average price to $611,038, median to $475,000

A colt by Curlin who is a full brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Clairiere sold for $5 million to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm to headline Tuesday’s powerhouse day of trade at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The price is the highest paid for a colt at the September Sale since Meydan City sold for $11.7 million in 2006. Sixteen yearlings brought seven figure prices today, the final session of the two-day premier Book 1 catalog, driving healthy increases in gross ($64 million), average ($611,038) and median ($475,000). 

On Tuesday, a total of 106 yearlings sold through the ring for $64,770,000, up 5.15% from the second session last year when 111 horses brought $61,595,000. The average of $611,038 increased 10.11% over last year’s $554,910. The median rose 11.76% from $425,000 to $475,000. 

Cumulatively, 204 horses have grossed $119,565,000, an increase of 2.26% from last year’s $116,925,000 when 221 horses sold. The average of $586,103 increased 10.78% from $529,072 in 2023, while the median of $475,000 is up 18.75% from $400,000.

Keeneland sold 14 million-dollar horses Monday. The 16 horses who reached that mark today – increasing the total number to 30 – are the most for the second session of the September Sale since 2007. 

“The energy in the building today was from another era. It was incredible,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “This won’t hit home for a little while. When we were looking at the figures during the day we could see it was potentially going to be as good as yesterday, and that was a high bar to try to achieve. When you look at the averages – $611,038 for the day and $586,103 for the sale so far, those are numbers we dream of. 

“It was struggle to put (Book 1) together,” Lacy continued. “We knew we had a really good crop of yearlings. Over the last few years, as the new sales team came along, we were trying to solidify this format. It’s still hard to get buy-in. People want to see facts and figures. We’ve been breaking records every year. But it still wasn’t enough. What gave us so much pride today was that the people who entrusted us with their horses got rewarded and buyers trust we are giving them the opportunities to buy the next champion.”

“When we think about the changes that Keeneland is making – the investment in the Sales Pavilion and enhancing the atmosphere and the experience for the sellers and buyers; the investments we’re making in construction of the Paddock Building, which will provide more space and more hospitality opportunities during sales and racing – we’re doing that to elevate the sport and elevate the experience for all our guests,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “(Keeneland racing and sales) just go hand in hand, you can’t separate them. Sometimes people say, ‘Are (racing and sales) different companies?’ and we say ‘No, we’re all under one umbrella.’ All this has to work together. It’s been exciting to see the reaction to the enhancements. People are coming back into the Sales Pavilion and enjoying the art of the auction. That’s what we want.”

Consigned by Indian Creek, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the $5 million colt is out of Grade 1 winner Cavorting, by Bernardini. He is also a half-brother to stakes winner La Crete and graded stakes-placed Judge Miller.

“He should be the sale topper because he’s the best horse in here,” Pope said, “and we pretty much knew everybody was going to want to be buying him so they could have that great race record that’s in his future and his (potential) in becoming a wonderful stallion. This is not a short game in any manner unless you’re just going in to flip it once or twice and get out, like day-trading. It’s a very long game. You can’t be faint of heart in this at all.”

“He was the best horse we raised this year,” Stonestreet’s Barbara Banke said. “He’s from a great family and he looks great. He eats like a pig. He sleeps. Nothing fazes him. I think he will be a great racehorse. I have high hopes for him. I was expecting him to be the sale topper. There was a lot of buzz about him.

“I can’t keep everything as my financial adviser and my team tells me ‘You need to sell to pay the bills so we can make more and do it again next year.’ ” Banke added. “I kept a few we couldn’t sell and I kept one filly just for me.”

Whisper Hill was the session’s leading buyer, spending $5.3 million for two horses.

Summerfield (Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck), agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, consigned a $1.75 million seller, a colt by Into Mischief who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner and sire Girvin along with Grade 3 winners Midnight Bourbon, Cocked and Loaded and Pirate’s Punch. He was purchased by Monique Delk.

“Shopping has been tough today, a tough day at the office,” said Delk, who signed the ticket for St. Elias Stable. “We had nice horses on the list, and they brought good money. You have to expect to pay those kinds of prices for those sorts of horses. We are all looking for classic winners. There are going to be days when we get what we want, and there are days we are going to get outrun. We’re excited to be here and love doing this. It is a long sale and there are plenty of horses, and we will get our orders filled.”

A filly by Into Mischief out of Grade 1 winner Shared Account who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Sharing sold for $1.5 million to David Lanigan, T. Durcan, agent for Mrs. Cindy Heider. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, she is from the family of Grade 2 winners Sapphire n’ Silk and Sparkle Blue along with Grade 3 winners Golden Itiz and Twenty Carat.

“She’s just a nice, well-balanced filly,” Lanigan, who signed the ticket, said. “We all liked her. We had (trainer) Brendan Walsh down to have a look at her. She was his pick of the first group that we showed him. She’s strong; she looks like she could do both turf or dirt.”

Spending $1.4 million, Bradley Thoroughbreds acquired a Curlin colt consigned by Lane’s End, agent for Blue Heaven Farm. Out of the stakes-placed winning Distorted Humor mare Virginia Key, he is from the family of Grade 1 winners Grace Adler and Bullsbay along with Grade 3 winners Our Khrysty and Pyrenees. 

“Class, sire power, comes from a very good breeder: It’s what we look for here, and you have to stretch for those,” Pete Bradley said. “This horse was all class from the moment I saw him down in the Lane’s End barn. He came up here and presented himself like a horse who has a future.”

Bradley said he bought the colt “for a new player in the game” who is a member of the partnership that owns close relative and recent Saratoga Race Course winner Briland.

Two horses each brought $1.3 million.

M.V. Magnier and White Birch Farm paid the amount for a colt by Curlin out of Grade 2 winner Thoughtfully, by Tapit. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, he is from the family of Grade 1 winners Furlough, Dancing Spree and Fantastic Find; Grade 2 winners Annual Report and Dancing All Night; and Grade 3 winner Happy Hunting. 

“It’s been a good sale,” Magnier said. “There’s plenty of good horses here. I hope we got the right horses; I feel that way. We’ve only bid on a couple horses, we’ve got a few. We’ll know this time next year if we made the right decision or not.”

“He’s a sales-topping, quality horse,” John G. Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale said about the colt. “Am very proud of the horse. He’s a great mover; a great walker. Really athletic and makes great use of himself. Hope he’s a star. Very good for the mare (Thoughtfully) to have her first foal sell that well. The tribute goes to Curlin.”

The second yearling to sell for $1.3 million was a colt by Not This Time consigned by Glennwood Farm, agent, and sold to Belladonna Racing, Cherie DeVaux, agent. He is out of Grade 2-placed winner Vivo Per Lei, by Empire Maker and from the family of Grade 1 winer First Samurai, Grade 2 winner O’Prado Again and Grade 3 winners Sky Blue Pink, My Impression and Scarlett Sky.

“He was on the top of our list, so we’re very happy to have him,” Paul Manganaro of Belladonna said. “He’s by a good proven stallion, young pedigree, and has physique. Like the saying goes, “You can’t put a saddle on a pedigree”, so the physical was what really made him. He’s always had class every time we went to look at him. He looked like he had that ‘it’ factor in him. We want big races and we want the two-turn dirt type horses, and we think he can be that.”

“We’re looking for quality,” partner Bruce Fenimore said. “We want to win the big races, so we know we have to go out and spend the money on real quality and that’s what we’re doing.”

Two horses sold for $1.2 million apiece.

A daughter of Curlin who is a half-sister to champion and sire Nyquist sold for the amount to AMO Racing USA. Consigned by Hinkle Farms, she is out of Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry, and from the family of Grade 1 winner Sahara Sky, Grade 2 winner Seeking Regina and Grade 3 winners Sabatini and Seeking the Sky.

The filly is the third million-dollar seller at the September Sale produced by Seeking Gabrielle, who was in foal to Blame when she sold to Hinkle Farms for $100,000 at Keeneland’s 2013 November Breeding Stock Sale.

“That was a great sale. We’re delighted,” Tom Hinkle said. “Seeking Gabrielle has been such a good mare for us. I hope these folks get a champion. She is such an athletic filly. She has a great mind, and she never took a bad step. She’s a powerful filly who represented her sire well. There was a lot to like about her. We have a 2-year-old filly that’s a full sister to Nyquist that we kept, and we have a weanling filly by Constitution out of Seeking Gabrielle.”

Ben McElroy signed the ticket for the filly.

“First of all, she has a great physical,” McElroy said. “She’s by a great sire. Probably as good a dirt sire there is in the U.S. Great family. She’s a real collector’s item. Everybody on the team loved the filly. Delighted to have her. I think he (Kia Joorabchian of AMO Racing) loves racing in the U.S. and is obviously trying to grow the stable.”

Mayberry Racing went to $1.2 million to obtain a colt by Constitution consigned by Runnymede Farm, agent. Out of the Street Sense mare Via Veritas, he is from the family of Grade 1 winners Magnum Moon, Harmony Lodge and Pinehurst.

“From the day he was foaled he was such a big individual,” Roman Malhouitre of Runnymede said. “A powerful horse with a lot of bone and a great mind. We knew we had the right people on him. He’s been unbelievable at the farm and at the sale he was so calm. It’s great for the team and our partners in the horse. It’s all about the breeders and it’s all about the team.”

Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, paid $1.15 million for a Not This Time colt consigned by St George Sales, agent. Out of stakes winner Believe in Charlie, by Indian Charlie, he is from the family of Grade 1 winner Nany’s Sweep.

Hinkle Farms also consigned a colt by Constitution purchased by Yuichi Fukanaga, agent, for $1.1 million. Out of Stave, a stakes-placed winning daughter of Ghostzapper, she is from the family of Grade 2 winner Buy the Barrel; Grade 3 winners Fishy Advice and Mauk Four: and ??? Tarabi.

“We’ve been around a long time,” Tom Hinkle said. “Everything we bring up here we breed and own. We’ve got a nice broodmare band and sell about 20 yearlings a year. We’ve got a great team, and everybody works hard for the same purpose. I think we have a reputation of breeding a good horse. People like to buy from the breeders.”

Windancer Farm Holdings spent $1.05 million for a Gun Runner filly who is a full sister to Grade 1 winner Cyberknife. Consigned by Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, she is out of stakes winner Awesome Flower, by Flower Alley.

Four yearlings sold for $1 million each.

Magnier and White Birch Farm purchased a colt by Not This Time out of stakes winner Stillwater Cove, by Quality Road. Consigned by Woods Edge Farm, agent, he is from the family of Grade 2 winners Interactif and Grade 3 winners Animal Spirits and Etonian.

“He is a beautiful animal,” Peter O’Callaghan of Woods Edge said. “He was a stunner the day we bought him (as a weanling for $375,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale). That was a lot of money at the time. Luckily, he grew up as expected. He’s out of a fast mare. He’s just a killer individual by an elite sire who’s having a tremendous year. It all has to add up. They (buyers) want the sire, they want the physical and the vetting. If you have that, you get paid. There can be no hole in it.”

Woods Edge Farm, agent, sold another colt for $1 million, a son of Justify purchased by CHC Inc., Maverick Racing and Siena Racing. Out of the Lawyer Ron mare Undercover Justice, he is from the family of Canadian champion Negligee and England Horse of the Year Zilzal.

“We bought him in January (at Keeneland’s Horses of All Ages Sale) for $400,000, so that’s a big return in a short period of time,” O’Callaghan said. “In our opinion, he was arguably the best foal in the January Sale. It worked out.”

“It’s tough to buy in there,” Elliott Walden of WinStar, who signed the ticket, said. “Maybe because he was a May foal, it made him a little more affordable – even though I don’t know if a million dollars is affordable, but it seems to be today on the good ones.”

Magnier also acquired a million-dollar yearling, a colt from the first crop of Maxfield who is a half-brother to champion and Grade 1 winner Up to the Mark. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, he is out of the Ghostzapper mare Belle’s Finale and from the family of Grade 1 winner Capote Belle and Grade 2 winner Catapult.

Mitsu Nakauchida, agent, acquired two seven-figure yearlings. The first was a colt by Into Mischief consigned by Candy Meadows Sales, agent. He is out of sakes winner Cariba, by Cairo Prince and from the family of 2024 Toyota Blue Grass (G1) winner Zandon.

Nakauchida’s second purchase was an Uncle Mo colt supplemented to the sale. Consigned by St George Sales, agent, he is out of the winning Unbridled’s Song mare Spring Eclipse and a half-brother to stakes winner Bet She Wins.

Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, led all consignors with sales of $11,595,000 for 22 horses.