'Folks eager to buy' as Keeneland colt hits $2.4 million
A colt by War Front from the family of Hall of Famer Rags to Riches became the most expensive Thoroughbred yearling to sell anywhere in the world to date this year when he commanded $2.4 million from Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier during Tuesday’s second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
War Front also sired the day’s top-priced filly, a half-sister to champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist, sold for $1.75 million, and a colt from the family of Irish highweights Yesterday (IRE) and Quarter Moon (IRE) for $1.2 million.
These yearlings were among the eight yearlings Keeneland sold Tuesday for $1 million or more, increasing the total number of seven-figure horses from the first two days of the September Sale to 13.
“The figures are phenomenal: eight millionaires today and five yesterday, which is equal to the number of millionaires sold during last year’s entire September Sale,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “Today’s session was competitive at the top; it was competitive in the middle; it was competitive at the bottom. When you have a 21 percent buyback rate, lots of business is getting done at every level.
“We were cautiously optimistic, but I can’t say we knew it would be as strong as it was today. That blew away our expectations,” Elliston said. “Everyone had high hopes, given the quality we have seen, observing what has transpired in other sales this summer and knowing the entire world would be coming to this sale. The buyers had their piggybanks open and it was quite a show.”
Keeneland sold 168 yearlings on Tuesday for gross sales of $65,835,000, for an average of $391,875 and a median of $300,000. Cumulatively, 306 horses have sold during the first two sessions of the September Sale for $114,455,000, for an average of $374,036 and a median of $300,000.
“I know there are high-quality horses in the next two days (of Book 1) and there are folks eager to buy, so I think we will continue to have competitive bidding,” Elliston said. “Today’s strong trade foreshadows strong sales throughout the entire auction."
Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the session-topping colt, who is out of Grade 1 winner Streaming.
“We had high expectations, but you never know,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale President John G. Sikura. “That is our best pedigree, and we are very proud of this one that we have developed over time. We retain fillies and offer these good colts. We thought he could be the sale topper but you just have to be humble and work really hard to present your horses as well as you can and hope they are well received.
“These are world-class professional buyers,” Sikura added, “and when good horses present themselves they are there to buy them.”
“We’ve been (very lucky with the family in the past),” Magnier said. “He’s a lovely horse and he has all the right credentials as well for a great racehorse. We’re going to bring him back to Ireland and hopefully he’ll end up being a good one.
“He’s by one of the best stallions in America, and he’s out of one of the best families in America,” Magnier added. “It’s a lot of money to pay for a horse but he deserved it. He’s very good-looking. Let’s hope we made the right decision.”