Keeneland September Yearling Sale

The topper of Wednesday's opening session of Book 5 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale came in the last few hips as Hip 3181, a son of Violence, summoned $220,000 from James Zahler. The bay was picked up by Bolter Bloodstock for $20,000 and consigned by Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm. A colt by Army Mule brought the second-highest price of $200,000 from Manfred and Penny Conrad, the owners of champion female sprinter Shamrock Rose (First Dude). Hip 3152 was consigned by Denali stud on behalf of Ontario breeder Yvonne...

by Jessica Martini, Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis The elite Book 1 section of the Keeneland September Sale, which began with a powerhouse session Monday, maintained its energy all the way through to the end of Tuesday's second session. After nine yearlings sold for $1 million or more Monday, a further 13 horses topped that mark during Tuesday's session, led by a $1.8-million son of Constitution. "Coming out of day one, I think that momentum was almost euphoric," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "Coming into day two,...

A second colt by Constitution bred by China Horse Club hit the seven-figure mark at Keeneland September Tuesday when Jim and Dana Bernhard's Lynnhaven Racing purchased hip 311 for $1.8 million. The bay colt is out of Grade I winner Last Full Measure (Empire Maker) and is a half-brother to GI Juddmonte Spinster S. winner Valiance (Tapit). He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. China Horse Club purchased Last Full Measure for $1.5 million at the 2014 Keeneland November sale.

After a bonanza first session, bidding resumed at Keeneland September Tuesday afternoon and a colt by Constitution, the second horse through the ring on the day, became the sale's 10th seven-figure yearling when selling for $1.3 million to Richard Knight Bloodstock. The chestnut colt, consigned by Highgate Sales, is out of graded winner Cozze Up Lady (Cozzene) and is a half-brother to Grade I winner Kimari (Munnings). He was bred by the China Horse Club, which purchased Cozze Up Lady for $300,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

LEXINGTON, KY- The 79th renewal of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale opens its 12-day run Monday with the first of two Book 1 sessions beginning at 1 p.m. Consignors started showing Book 1 yearlings Friday and an international cast of shoppers were getting second looks at those elite youngsters on a misty Sunday morning in the Bluegrass, while also getting a head start on Book 2 horses who will start selling Wednesday. "I think the activity is very good, particularly for Book 1," said Peter O'Callaghan, whose Woods Edge Farm...

Three years ago David Fennelly of Mountmellick Farm partnered with Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin of Hunter Valley Farm to purchase a trio of seven-figure mares with the intention of forming a high-end boutique commercial broodmare band. The partnership, which has already had success in the sales ring and on the racetrack, sends the first foal of its most expensive acquisition through the ring during Monday's first session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Consigned by Hunter Valley, hip 36 is a dark bay filly by Curlin out of multiple...

Following Flightline (Tapit)'s jaw-dropping victory in the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar Saturday, breeder Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm has decided to withdraw the star colt's half-brother by Curlin from next week's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The yearling, who is named Eagles Flight, had been catalogued as hip 243 with the Lane's End consignment. "I had a feeling when Flightline did what he did [in the Pacific Classic] that it was going to be pretty hard for her to part with him," said Lane's End's Bill Farish, confirming...

After a youth spent around horses, Amy Moore took a three-decade long sabbatical from the sport to focus on a career in law, but she is making up for lost time with the launch of her South Gate Farm in Millwood, Virginia. The fledgling operation has a star-in-the-making in 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), who goes postward in Monday's GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga, and will follow up the following Monday when that colt's half-brother by Uncle Mo (hip 11) goes through the sales ring during the first session of...

Keeneland has cataloged 4,147 horses for the 79th renewal of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The auction, which spans 12 sessions from Sept. 12-24. To view the online catalog, click here. Print catalogs are expected to arrive in the mail around Aug. 20. "The September Sale is a bellwether event on the annual sales calendar, and we at Keeneland are excited to once again provide a stable and successful marketplace for consignors and buyers," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "Last year's September Sale was vibrant from start to...

Here's a conundrum for you. When does your outstanding yearling become merely one that stands out? It's something the Keeneland sales team find themselves asking a great deal right now, out on the farms, during the annual process of sieving entries into the right tier of the world's biggest yearling catalog. Time after time, they run into the same, nearly superstitious nervousness among some consignors about September Book 1. The action is too tight at the top end. Let this guy be a big fish in a smaller pond. Well,...

6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 4yo/up, 7f, 3:05 p.m. Fresh off a big win in last weekend's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, Robert and Lawana Lowe are represented here by PIGOTT (Curlin), who makes his belated debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. A $1.2 million KEESEP yearling purchase, the chestnut is a half-brother to GI Hollywood Derby winner Mo Town, who showed versatility winning the GII Remsen S. on the dirt. The trainer-jockey combo of Pletcher and Luis Saez have been deadly at the meet, connecting at...

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - If Monday's first session of the Keeneland September sale was solid, Tuesday's second day of selling and final Book 1 session was very strong. Three yearlings hit the seven-figure mark during the opener, and another eight brought that amount or more on Tuesday, led by the current sale-topping $1.6-million Quality Road colt. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the well-related hip 300 was purchased by Woodford Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds. "It was a great...