With $70-million in the coffers after the first two days of Book 1 (up marginally from last year), there have been 19 sires which have had five or more yearlings listed as sold. Gainesway's Tapit is still almost $3-million clear of Candy Ride on the TDN YTD General Sire List (click here); he had the most yearlings catalogued overall (47) in Book 1; he is tied with Taylor Made's deceased Unbridled's Song with the highest number sold in the first two days (19 each); and he is the leading sales sire for the first two days of Keeneland September Book 1, with an average of $573,684, accounting for a little over $10-million of the $70-million two-day gross. The median price for his 19 sold stands at $520,000, and eight Tapit yearlings sold for $700,000 or more. He's arrived.
Darley's Bernardini went into the 2012 breeding season off a hugely successful 2011 with his first 3-year-olds, including Stay Thirsty and To Honor And Serve. He stood for $150,000 in 2012 and attracted a power-packed book of mares, accounting for a good number of the best pedigrees in Book 1. His nine sold on the first two days averaged $522,222, making A.P. Indy's son Bernardini and grandson Tapit the only sires to average over $500,000 in the first half of Book 1.
Claiborne's War Front was comfortably third after the first two days, with seven sold for an average of $432,857. Four other horses averaged around the $300,000 mark: Darley's Medaglia D'Oro (9 offered, 9 sold, average $305,556); WinStar's Distorted Humor ($302,272) and Speightstown ($297,222); and Unbridled's Song ($290,789), sire of the $1.6-million first two days' saletopper. Ranking next on average was Lane's End's Candy Ride ($276,875) for his eight sold so far. Candy Ride is #2 on the 2014 General Sire List and now qualifies as Kentucky's most undervalued sire at what now sounds like his giveaway $35,000 stud fee in 2014. He had five yearlings sell on the first two days for between $300,000-$475,000. He will not be standing for $35,000 in 2015 (these yearlings were sired from his $50,000 fee in 2012).
As we have discussed over the last couple of weeks, Book 1 is very much a proven sires sale. Of the younger sires with first 2-year-olds, only Claiborne's Blame ($196,000) had as many as five sell during the first two days; among freshman sires the only one with five or more sold was Ashford's Uncle Mo. He's had six sell for an average of $181,667, including a $550,000 colt to the Coolmore team yesterday.
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