Keeneland September Yearling Sale

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 10-1, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. CATCHING FREEDOM (c, 2, Constitution--Catch My Drift {SW & GISP, $280,540}, by Pioneerof the Nile) was well-backed for this one-turn mile debut as the even-money favorite here. Situated midfield, the hooded bay colt chased the pace up set by Cash Only (Street Sense) up the backstretch, came under a ride by tipping to the outside around the far turn and showing steady progress at the eighth pole, Catching Freedom graduated by 3 3/4 lengths over the leader. The...

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:50 p.m. At Churchill Downs Sunday, drawn to the extreme outside is BLOWN COVER (Gun Runner) who will make his first start for an ownership group which includes Spendthrift Farm and Gandharvi Racing. A $650,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, the dark bay colt, bred by Machmer Hall and trained by Brad Cox, is the second offspring to make the races out of a dam who is a half-sister to GII Oaklawn H. hero Cyber Secret (Broken Vow). Also debuting here is Track Phantom (Quality...

Even the most optimistic observer would have been hard-pressed to predict that the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale would live up to its blockbuster 2022 renewal, but when the dust had settled Saturday afternoon, the auction's 12-day run produced numbers largely in line with last year's record setter. "Coming into this year, we had to have a little bit of caution just because of the economic climate and some negativity in the sport," admitted Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "I think we have to be extremely happy with...

A colt by Twirling Candy broke clear of the pack when selling for $925,000 to Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud during an otherwise steadily consistent conclusion to the Book 4 section of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Tuesday in Lexington. Through both sessions of Book 4, Keeneland sold 606 yearlings for $46,078,000. The book average of $76,036 declined 5.0% from last year, while the median dipped 8.3% to $55,000. During last year's Book 4 section, 609 yearlings sold for $48,726,500. The section's average was $80,011 and the median...

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud continued its buying spree at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, going to $925,000 to acquire a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 2555) from the Paramount Sales consignment Tuesday. Bred by Alice Bamford and Highfield Investment Group, the yearling is out of stakes-placed Hiking (First Defence). Pin Oak has now purchased 19 yearlings at the auction for a total of $8,835,000.

In this time of back-to-back yearling sales, the logistics for bloodstock agents and trainers may be one of the biggest concerns, but one thing that appears not to be a worry is the strength of the market.  From America to Europe, the yearling season has started in bullish fashion. A proper staying pedigree is required to last to the end of Keeneland's September Sale, which is now well into its second week, while at Fairyhouse, the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale is also in full swing. Plenty of breeze-up pinhookers have...

Mike Talla and West Point Thoroughbreds partnered up to acquire a colt by Not This Time (hip 879) for $1.05 million from the St George Sales consignment Thursday at Keeneland. The yearling is out of Foreign Affair (Exchange Rate), a half-sister to multiple group winner So Perfect (Scat Daddy). He will be trained by John Sadler, who stood alongside West Point's Terry Finley during the bidding. The colt was the fourth seven-figure purchase of the auction for West Point, which teamed with Chuck Sonson and Woodford to acquire the sale's...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - With the very first horse through the ring bringing $1.3 million, the second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was off to the races Tuesday and the action didn't slow down throughout the day as the second-to-last offering brought $1.25 million. In between, 13 other yearlings sold for seven figures, including a colt by Into Mischief who brought top price of $3 million from the partnership of Chuck Sonson, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford. With eight million-dollar yearlings Monday, the...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis The Keeneland September Yearling Sale opened with a packed pavilion and plenty of bidding from a diverse buying bench ultimately producing eight seven-figure sales led by a $2.3-million daughter of Into Mischief. At the end of the session, numbers were largely in line with the figures from the opening session of last year's record-breaking auction. "We were all biting our nails a little bit thinking about being measured up to last year's sale which was so phenomenal," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "But the...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which produced gangbuster results in 2022, returns for its 2023 renewal Monday in Lexington. Perennially a bellwether of the industry's sales market, the 12-day auction opens with a pair of elite Book 1 sessions beginning at 1 p.m. and, with the Keeneland barns awash with activity Sunday, both sales officials and consignors were heading into the sale with plenty of optimism. "The traffic has been incredibly positive," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "There are quite a few buyers here....

'TDN Rising Star' and $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale grad, GSW Prince of Monaco (Speightstown), headlines the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sunday, as the Southern California meet closes its gates on another summer racing season. Aiming for his 17th trophy in this race is Bob Baffert and the Hall of Famer not only has the aforementioned colt, winner last out of the GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar and who is installed as the morning-line favorite at 2-5, but he also sends Mirahmadi (Into Mischief) to the...

5th-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 6:37 p.m. Campaigned by the same ownership group as 'TDN Rising Star' Prince of Monaco (Speightstown), $1.05-million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase LAKE SUPERIOR (Quality Road) makes his first appearance on closing day at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Dam Celibataire (Broken Vow) also produced the dark bay colt's full-brother SW Stillwater Cove. Out of a female family which includes his dam's full-sister MGSW Interactif, Lake Superior will have the services of the meet's leading rider, Juan Hernandez. TJCIS PPS 2nd-MTH, $57K, Msw, 2yo,...