These were the hottest sires at Keeneland September

Photo: Courtesy of Keeneland

Keeneland’s September yearling sale concluded its record-breaking run to be the highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in the world. Total sales, including private sales, totaled $427,800,000. 

So who were the hottest sires at this record-breaking sale? Well, it depends how you define hottest, so let's look at the highest average sale prices but also look at the highest average sale prices vs. their 2024 stud fee. 

Looking at the entire sale, here are the top 20 sires by average sale price. Here we can see top stallions Curlin, Into Mischief, Gun Runner, Tapit and Uncle Mo leading the way.

Top 20 Sires - by average sale price

Next, let's look at the average sale prices compared to their 2024 stud fee. Here we can see second crop sires leading the way. Win Win Win, Caracaro and Vekoma offspring sold at over 10x stud fee, and Complexity offspring sold at over 9.8x stud fee. First-crop sires in high demand included Beau Liam at over 11x stud fee followed by Tacitus, Yaupon and Independence Hall all coming in at over 7x their stud fee. 
Top 20 Sires - Average vs. 2024 stud fee

Here is the full list of sires represented at the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale, sorted by total dollars sold.

 Sire2024 feeCropSold Total AverageAvg.vs. fee
Gun Runner$250,000562$32,665,000$526,855211%
Not This Time$150,000683$28,169,000$339,386226%
Curlin$250,0001444$25,495,000$579,432232%
Into Mischief$250,0001442$22,490,000$535,476214%
Charlatan$50,000179$20,120,000$254,684509%
Constitution$110,000747$16,122,000$343,021312%
Nyquist$85,000645$14,560,000$323,556381%
Maxfield$35,000158$13,439,000$231,707662%
Yaupon$25,000171$13,017,000$183,338733%
Justify$200,000438$12,970,000$341,316171%
Liam's Map$40,000767$11,932,000$178,090445%
Uncle Mo$150,0001134$11,865,000$348,971233%
Quality Road$200,0001234$10,909,000$320,853160%
Tapit$185,0001822$9,692,000$440,545238%
McKinzie$30,000256$9,196,000$164,214547%
Practical Joke$65,000551$8,735,000$171,275264%
Maclean's Music$40,0001064$8,326,000$130,094325%
Essential Quality$65,000147$8,286,000$176,298271%
Good Magic$125,000435$8,086,000$231,029185%
Munnings$75,0001244$7,555,500$171,716229%
Twirling Candy$60,0001154$7,267,500$134,583224%
Vekoma$15,000240$6,043,000$151,0751007%
Medaglia d'Oro$75,0001818$5,540,000$307,778410%
American Pharoah$50,000731$4,991,000$161,000322%
Authentic$50,000243$4,857,000$112,953226%
City of Light$35,000435$4,541,000$129,743371%
Bolt d'Oro$60,000447$4,407,000$93,766156%
Street Sense$60,0001530$4,395,000$146,500244%
Tiz the Law$20,000252$4,364,000$83,923420%
Candy Ride (ARG)$75,0001827$4,288,500$158,833212%
Omaha Beach$40,000346$3,554,000$77,261193%
Blame$25,0001234$3,238,500$95,250381%
Violence$40,000931$3,149,000$101,581254%
Complexity$12,500225$3,074,500$122,980984%
Independence Hall$10,000141$2,983,500$72,768728%
Silver State$15,000155$2,931,500$53,300355%
Upstart$30,000642$2,930,500$69,774233%
More Than Readyn/a2218$2,820,000$156,667n/a
Tacitus$10,000131$2,490,000$80,323803%
Knicks Go$15,000139$2,404,000$61,641411%
Volatile$15,000235$2,202,500$62,929420%
Hard Spun$35,0001524$2,151,000$89,625256%
Cairo Prince$15,000828$2,036,000$72,714485%
Connect$15,000543$1,981,500$46,081307%
Ghostzapper$75,0001717$1,961,000$115,353154%
Speightstown$80,0001813$1,902,000$146,308183%
Army Mule$25,000425$1,771,200$70,848283%
Oscar Performance$25,000414$1,672,000$119,429478%
Midshipman$15,0001222$1,620,500$73,659491%
Beau Liam$6,000124$1,615,000$67,2921122%
Mendelssohn$15,000436$1,478,500$41,069274%
War Front$100,0001610$1,437,000$143,700144%
No Nay Never$195,00085$1,365,000$273,000140%
Mitole$15,000326$1,305,500$50,212335%
War of Will$25,000223$1,131,000$49,174197%
Rock Your World$7,500133$1,119,500$33,924452%
Girvin$30,00047$1,102,000$157,429525%
Game Winner$20,000218$1,072,500$59,583298%
Vino Rosso$25,000328$998,000$35,643143%
Caravaggio$20,800521$991,000$47,190227%
Improbable$15,000234$980,000$28,824192%
Global Campaign$12,500217$948,000$55,765446%
Daredevil$15,000715$884,000$58,933393%
Raging Bull (FR)$10,000113$870,000$66,923669%
Frosted$10,000617$865,000$50,882509%
Audible$15,000323$827,000$35,957240%
Collected$10,000418$814,500$45,250453%
Kitten's Joyn/a1716$778,000$48,625n/a
Dialed In$15,0001016$761,700$47,606317%
Kantharos$15,0001216$690,000$43,125288%
Honor A. P.$10,000217$684,000$40,235402%
Wootton Bassett
US$222,351
112$650,000$325,000146%
Street Boss$45,0001415$646,000$43,06796%
Runhappy$10,000622$644,000$29,273293%
Union Rags$15,0001018$614,500$34,139228%
Maximus Mischief$25,000320$596,000$29,800119%
Dubawi
US$389,114
171$500,000$500,000128%
Known Agenda$7,500121$478,500$22,786304%
Lexitonian$7,500112$460,000$38,333511%
Instagrand$7,500217$452,000$26,588355%
Flattern/a198$425,000$53,125n/a
Flameaway$25,000310$380,000$38,000152%
Caracaro$6,50025$377,000$75,4001160%
Lord Kanaloa
US$83,500
11$375,000$375,000449%
Uncle Chuck$6,50018$366,500$45,813705%
Win Win Win$5,00026$357,500$59,5831192%
Thousand Words$5,000211$337,000$30,636613%
Classic Empiren/a510$315,000$31,500n/a
Modernist$10,000114$275,700$19,693197%
Karakontie
$15,00075$272,500$54,500363%
Code of Honorn/a18$256,000$32,000n/a
Jimmy Creed$10,00098$251,000$31,375314%
Kingman
US$166,568
81$250,000$250,000150%
Cupid$8,00057$240,000$34,286429%
Goldencents$10,000811$232,000$21,091211%
Mo Town$5,000412$228,500$19,042381%
Tonalist$10,00079$226,000$25,111251%
Spun to Run$10,00028$216,000$27,000270%
Maximum Security$7,500210$189,500$18,950253%
Cloud Computing$3,500410$185,000$18,500529%
Country House$7,50021$180,000$180,0002400%
Tom's d'Etat$7,50028$152,500$19,063254%
Siyouni
US$222,459
11$150,000$150,00067%
Enticed$5,00037$141,000$20,143403%
Midnight Lute$10,000143$130,000$43,333433%
Divisidero$5,00034$124,000$31,000620%
First Samurai$7,500164$120,000$30,000400%
Catalina Cruiser$10,00037$116,000$16,571166%
Take Charge Indy$10,00098$115,500$14,438144%
Catholic Boy$10,000314$107,700$7,69377%
Bee Jersey$5,00045$107,000$21,400428%
Preservationist$5,00035$98,000$19,600392%
By My Standards$5,00015$96,500$19,300386%
Echo Town$5,00024$92,000$23,000460%
Ten Sovereigns
US$19,465
33$92,000$30,667158%
Unified$3,50055$85,000$17,000486%
Tapiture$7,50074$84,000$21,000280%
Gormley$2,50051$77,000$77,0003080%
Yoshida (JPN)$7,50034$73,000$18,250243%
Mucho Macho Mann/a85$68,000$13,600n/a
West Coast$5,00043$59,000$19,667393%
Basin$5,00014$55,000$13,750275%
Good Samaritan$5,00044$53,000$13,250265%
The Factor$10,000103$52,000$17,333173%
Honest Mischief$6,50023$50,000$16,667256%
Tale of Ekati$5,000124$48,000$12,000240%
Astern (AUS)$11,25063$47,000$15,667139%
Sharp Aztecan/a42$44,000$22,000n/a
Seeking the Soul$5,00028$36,500$4,56391%
Higher Power$10,00022$36,000$18,000180%
Creative Cause$6,000102$33,000$16,500275%
Lookin At Luckyn/a122$31,000$15,500n/a
Demarchelier (GB)$7,50031$30,000$30,000400%
Gift Box$5,00024$29,500$7,375148%
Combatantn/a14$27,700$6,925n/a
Temple City$5,000123$24,500$8,167163%
Battalion Runner$2,50011$20,000$20,000800%
Ransom the Moon$5,00042$18,500$9,250185%
Honor Coden/a73$18,000$6,000n/a
Will Take Chargen/a81$16,000$16,000n/a
Outwork$10,00061$15,000$15,000150%
Get Stormyn/a101$12,000$12,000n/a
World of Trouble$5,00031$11,000$11,000220%
Heart to Heart$5,00031$10,000$10,000200%
Promises Fulfilled$5,00021$10,000$10,000200%
Rowayton$7,50021$10,000$10,000133%
Faversham$3,00012$8,500$4,250142%
Coal Front$5,00031$7,500$7,500150%
Cross Traffic$10,00081$7,000$7,00070%
Always Dreaming$5,00041$6,500$6,500130%
Paynter$5,00091$6,000$6,000120%
Tapwrit$7,50041$6,000$6,00080%
Hightail$7,500102$5,500$2,75037%
Acceleraten/a41$5,000$5,000n/a
Kobe's Back$3,00051$5,000$5,000167%
Central Banker$7,50081$5,000$5,00067%
Sea The Moon
$36,148
11$4,500$4,50012%
Core Beliefs$5,00011$4,000$4,00080%
Mark Valeski$1,50081$3,000$3,000200%
Yorkton$5,00021$3,000$3,00060%
Leofric$7,50031$3,000$3,00040%
Funtastic$5,00041$2,500$2,50050%
Mr. Money$4,00011$2,000$2,00050%

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