Keeneland September Yearling Sale

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY--A Tapit filly out of GISW Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) topped the opening session of Keeneland's September yearling sale on a $1.25-million bid by Claiborne Farm's Bernie Sams. The bay was consigned to the auction as hip 149 by Bluewater Sales LLC, Agent XVI, on behalf of breeder China Horse Club. While stringent COVID-19 protocols put in place to allow the world's largest yearling sale to be held at all may have dulled some of the electricity typically felt in...

   A Tapit filly out of the 2015 GI Alabama S. heroine Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) caught the attention of a number of high-end buyers, and was ultimately landed Sunday by Claiborne Farm's Bernie Sams, who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client of the storied nursery. The bay was consigned to the sale by Bluewater Sales as hip 149 and offered on behalf of her breeder, China Horse Club.     "He's bought a couple mares and he bought a nice yearling filly last year," Sams said...

A Medaglia d'Oro half-sister to leading second-crop sire and MGISW Constitution (Tapit) was the first to reach the seven-figure threshold during Sunday's opening session of the Keeneland September sale when garnering a top bid of $1.1 million from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Consigned by Denali Stud, Agent LIX as hip 58, the Mar. 21 foal was bred in a partnership between Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto Corp. The powerful co-breeders paid a sale-topping $3.5 million for group-placed dam Baffled (Distorted Humor) in foal to Tapit at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton...

LEXINGTON, KY - While the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc with sales across the globe from March through August, the calendar will return to some semblance of normalcy when the Keeneland September Yearling Sale kicks off right on schedule in Lexington Sunday at noon. "So many sales companies in the Northern Hemisphere have had to rearrange some things, but we have been very fortunate that the September sale is taking place in September at Keeneland," said Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell. "We are resilient and I think we've had...

Nick Cosato, who has made a habit of hitting the winner's circle with graded stakes victors from his Slam Dunk Racing partnership, will aim for big-time success in the sales ring when he offers a colt from the first crop of champion Arrogate during the second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Sept. 14. Consigned by War Horse Place, the gray yearling (hip 280) is a half-brother to Grade I winner Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect). The hard-trying speedster Whitmore has become a fan favorite with six graded stakes wins over...

GSW Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) posted a six-furlong work at Del Mar Friday afternoon in advance of an upcoming start in the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs Sept. 4. Campaigned by Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the filly completed the task in 1:11.60, the fastest of seven moves at the distance Friday. Commencing at the five-furlong pole, she completed her first quarter in :25.00 followed by a half :47.80 before hitting the wire :59.80. She galloped out seven eighths in 1:26.20. An $800,000 2-year-old...

Lane's End's Grade I-winning millionaire sire Connect is just weeks from seeing his first yearlings enter the sales ring. The son of top sire Curlin was recognized for his commercial appeal with his weanlings last year, and the farm hopes to emulate that success again this fall. Advertised at a $20,000 stud fee for the past three years, his first weanlings averaged $65,120 with 29 of 38 sold. "Connect was well supported last fall with his first crop of weanlings averaging nearly four times his stud fee," said Allaire Ryan,...

1st-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:10 p.m. ET Stonestreet Stable's CANTATA (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for Steve Asmussen, who is winning with 20% of his runners at the current meet. Purchased for $950,000 at Keeneland last September, the bay is the second foal out of Stoweshoe, who is also responsible for Desert Peace (Curlin), who realized $1.3 million from Godolphin at the same venue one year earlier. The Doug and Felicia Branham-bred filly has been training steadily at Saratoga, including a four-furlong move two back Aug. 6 (XBTV Video)....

Keeneland announced slight format changes to its September yearling sale Friday via an email to participants from its Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston. "Many of you received session assignments for the September Sale earlier this week and received news that we've made a slight tweak to the sale schedule after finalizing entries and hip numbers," Elliston explained. "As we previously shared with you, the sale will begin on Sunday, Sept. 13, to accommodate the record number of entries to the sale for 2020." The adjusted Keeneland September...

The Keeneland September Sale, scheduled to take place one day later than the 2019 renewal, will commence Sunday, Sept. 13. With over 6,000 yearlings currently entered, the 2020 sale runs through Sept. 28. The deadline for withdrawal is Friday, June 12. The format of Books 1 and 2 will remain the same as last year, with approximately 1,330 yearlings on offer during the first week. The dark day will be Wednesday, Sept. 16. An additional 3,000 yearlings--375 per session--will be offered through eight days of selling during Week 2; Books...

9th-Oaklawn, $62,000, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($40,000), 4-24, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:08.48, ft. VOLATILE (c, 4, Violence--Melody Lady {SW}, by Unbridled's Song), a first-out winner at Ellis last July, came up 1 1/4-lengths short at Churchill Downs in September before rebounding to win by three lengths back at that venue Nov. 3. Sent off the 6-5 choice this time, the grey prompted Strike That (Biondetti) through crisp opening splits, assumed control turning for home and ran off to score by an eye-opening 7 1/2-length margin. Strike That finished 1 ½ lengths ahead...

5th-GP, $45K, Msw, 3yo, 7ff, 2:46 p.m. ET Shadwell Stables' ASHIHAM (Tapit), an $800,000 Keeneland September yearling, debuts for trainer Todd Pletcher after finishing an even fourth in his career bow for Kiaran McLaughlin going six furlongs at the Hallandale oval Feb. 29. The chestnut is out of Wine Princess (Ghostzapper), a graded stakes winning daughter of Hall of Famer Azeri (Jade Hunter). At Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs training base, the May foal worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 Apr. 18. Jockey Luis Saez, whose book is now managed by...