Keeneland sale: 3 yearlings bring $1 million-plus in 3rd session

Keeneland’s September yearling sale recorded across-the-board increases during Wednesday’s third session and posted the sale of three seven-figure horses, led by a Tapit colt and a Gun Runner filly each for $1.05 million.

Those sales boosted the total number of yearlings who have brought $1 million or more during the first three days of this year’s September sale to 34, the highest figure since 2005 with nine days remaining in the auction.

The total number of seven-figure yearlings includes a Curlin filly offered in Tuesday’s session and sold for $1.2 million via a private sale.

Wednesday marked the first day of the book 2 catalog, with 220 yearlings sold through the ring for $69,917,000, up 9.20 percent from the same session last year when 209 yearlings brought $64,024,000. The average of $317,805 was 3.74 percent above $306,335 in 2023. The median of $275,000 rose 7.84 percent from last year’s $255,000.

Cumulative sales through the first three days of the sale are $189,482,000 for 424 horses, a 4.72 percent increase from the corresponding period last year when 430 yearlings brought $180,949,000. Cumulative average price of $446,892 rose 6.20 percent from last year’s $420,812, while the median of $350,000 was 6.06 percent above $330,000 in 2023.

“We saw the same sort of momentum today, the trends, just rolling over. There was great positivity around the grounds,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “Consignors were very pleased, and buyers found it very tough in a competitive environment.

“It was very, very strong, a robust market,” Lacy said. “Today, 47 horses sold for $500,000 or more, up from 39 recorded on day 3 last year. That is consistently above the mark. You see a lot of new people getting into the game at a significant level, people who were not intending to spend as much but they were engaged and they’re still here. The market today was very domesticated, even though there were international buyers. It just shows the strength of the U.S. industry and the confidence it has going forward.”

“We have a tremendously diverse buying bench,” Keeneland senior director of sales operations Cormac Breathnach said. “When you look at the 34 seven-figure horses, very few people have bought more than one. So there are a lot of people here with significant money to spend and a real thirst and hunger for competition at the top end of the market. Others are getting pushed back. Those people obviously have other orders to fill as well, so that is what is really buoying book 2 and creating the momentum.

“The median of $275,000 for today’s session is really a very strong number,” Breathnach added. “It’s a very healthy market. The RNA rate is in step with last year’s exactly. That is what we think is underpinning it: the number of people that came here, their eagerness to participate and the fact that there is so much competition around them. Invariably they’re active into later books.”

Donato Lanni, agent for SF-Starlight-Madaket, paid $1.05 million for a colt by Tapit out of the Grade 3-winning Tale of Ekati mare Verve’s Tale. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, he is from the family of Grade 1 winners Zoftig, Zo Impressive and Zaftig.

“You never know if you’re going to get to a million or not,” Adrian Regan of Hunter Valley said. “I think there were only 70 or so Tapits in this yearling crop, so there are not many of them anymore. (The yearling) was a lovely horse who showed excellently the whole week, and it’s brilliant to do (this) for (the colt’s breeder) Mr. (Charles) Fipke. We have sold for him for years, and he has been there for us.”

Tom Ryan of SF signed the ticket for the colt.

“He is out of a very good mare, a very deep family,” Ryan said. “Beautiful piece of (pedigree) paper. And Tapit keeps on proving how good he is. He is a mainstay American star. (This colt’s) temperament was great. We’ve seen (him) several times, and you’ve seen in the ring (that) he was a gentleman.

“We are hitting plenty of targets (when buying at this sale) but have to fight for them.”

Lanni, agent for SF-Starlight-Madaket, also spent $950,000 for a colt by McKinzie from the family of Grade 1 winner Cave Rock. Out of Take Charge Angel, a winning daughter of Will Take Charge, he was consigned by Gainesway, agent.

“Physically (he) was a very straightforward horse,” Ryan said. “McKinzie was a great racehorse, and it looks like his stock is more precocious than he was. He has shown precocity with his 2-year-olds this year. We loved the (colt). There is quite a criteria for these horses to jump through from the team and our partnership group. We do quite a bit of work to qualify these horses and he qualifies in every measure.”

“He was one of the most athletic colts on the farm we’ve raised all year,” said Antony Beck of consignor Gainesway, which stands McKinzie. “He’s a really special horse. I think he is going to be an outstanding racehorse. The McKinzie (offspring) are setting the track alight right now, so I think he will add to that.

“The market is very strong,” Beck continued. “They (buyers) always want the right horse. Those are the ones that generally run. I think Keeneland has done an outstanding job bringing a really great group of athletes into book 1 and now into book 2 and beyond.”

A filly by Gun Runner from the family of Breeders’ Cup winners Structor and More Than Real sold to Douglas Scharbauer for $1.05 million. Out of the Grade 2-placed winner Always Carina, by Malibu Moon, she was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

“I saw her for the first time this afternoon,” Scharbauer said. “Donny Denton (general manager of Scharbauer’s Valor Farm) and (retired manager) Ken Carson and I looked at her and liked her very much. I was hoping I would get her for less than a million dollars, but I can see why she brought that. I’ve bought five fillies so far (at this sale.) There were a couple of colts we bid on, but they went for too much money.”

“I am very happy with her even though it took a million fifty. We do have somebody who wants to go 50-50 with us. We’ll probably do that.”

“I ain’t never seen nothing like this,” Schaurbauer added about the atmosphere in the sales pavilion. “This is first class.”

“She was just a beautiful filly,” Frank Taylor of Taylor Made said. “Had a good walk to her. Everybody was lined up on her. We knew she was going to sell well. Things lined up, and she showed well.”

Taylor Made Sales Agency was the session’s leading consignor, selling 34 yearlings for $10,055,000.

Jim and Dana Bernhard’s Pin Oak Stud went to $1 million to purchase a colt from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Charlatan out of Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky, by Midnight Lute. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, he is from the family of Grade 1 winners Hookedonthefeelin, Pussycat Doll, Aquaphobia and Jimmy Creed.

“I want to thank (breeders) Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman for their support,” John G. Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale said. “They committed a Grade 1 winner to a freshman sire (Charlatan, who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale). It all goes back to the beginning when we committed top, top mares to the horse. It’s a commitment you have to make when you stand a horse, to have a commensurate quality mare. Charlatan was a superstar and provided the ammunition. He (Charlatan) has certainly sold well in the market. The sale result is not the most important result; it’s at the race track and the table is set.”

Wednesday’s leading buyer was West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable, which spent $4.78 million for 13 horses.

The September Sale sale runs 12 sessions through Saturday, Sept. 21.