Curlin and Gun Runner have much in common – both were Horse of the Year honorees while trained by Steve Asmussen, are now in the Hall of Fame, and have emerged as classic sires. They were in lockstep this month as they emerged as the leading sires of the Keeneland September yearling sale.
With seven individuals selling for $1 million or more, Gun Runner, inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, finished as the leading sire by gross sales at Keeneland September, with 62 lots selling for $32,665,000. These yearlings represent the crop conceived after the classic sire’s record-setting freshman season.
“Obviously, Gun Runner doesn’t really need an introduction on how big of a stallion he is,” said bloodstock agent Jacob West, who signed on six lots by the stallion, led by a $1.1 million colt.
Gun Runner’s most expensive offering sold for $2.2 million to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. The colt was the second-highest price of the sale. He was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, which stands Gun Runner after co-campaigning him with Winchell Thoroughbreds.
“He’s a big-framed colt, with a lot of bone and foot underneath to support him,” said Chris Baker of Three Chimneys. “He is really fluid-moving and athletic like the Gun Runners are. He’s got a good mind. He’s got everything you need to be a really fast racehorse.”
Not This Time (Taylor Made), Curlin (Hill ‘n’ Dale), Into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm), and first-crop sire Charlatan (Hill ‘n’ Dale) rounded out the top five leading sires by gross. Into Mischief, the nation’s five-time reigning leading sire, had a four-year run atop this leaderboard snapped.
Curlin sired five seven-figure lots, led by a $5 million full brother to Grade 1 winner Clairiere who topped the sale when purchased by Whisper Hill. Curlin averaged $579,432 from his 44 yearlings sold to top the leaderboard in that regard. Rounding out the top five leading sires by average, among those with three or more yearlings sold, were Into Mischief, Gun Runner, Tapit (Gainesway), and Uncle Mo (Coolmore’s Ashford Stud).
“He’s, in my opinion, an elite sire,” Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura said. “He gets Grade 1 winners in multiplicity every year. He’s now a sire of sires with Good Magic. . . . He’s the best of the best, and the colt that just sold, beautiful pedigree, Curlin’s already worked [with the family]. Outstanding sire who deserves to be recognized in the sale ring, as he is.”
First-crop sires
Grade 1 winners Charlatan (Hill ‘n’ Dale), Maxfield (Darley), and Yaupon (Spendthrift) were the Keeneland September yearling sale’s top first-crop sires by gross and average, in that order on both leaderboards.
Charlatan sired 79 yearlings sold for a total of $20,120,000, not only leading his class but finishing fifth overall at the sale by gross. With a pair of seven-figure lots, he averaged $254,684, against a conception stud fee of $50,000.
Charlatan’s success has been bolstered by the outstanding mares bred to him. At Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, he had a $1.5 million half-brother to Grade 1 winner and leading young sire Complexity. At Keeneland, he sired a $1.4 million colt out of Guarana and a $1 million colt out of Midnight Lucky, both multiple Grade 1 winners.
“It all goes back to the beginning when we committed top, top mares to the horse,” Sikura said. “I think it’s a commitment you have to make when you stand a horse, to have a commensurate-quality mare.
“Charlatan was a superstar and provided the ammunition. He has certainly sold well in the market. The sale result is not the most important result – it’s at the racetrack, and the table is set.”
Maxfield also sired multiple seven-figure lots at Keeneland. A $1 million half-brother to champion Up to the Mark was a successful pinhook after being the most expensive weanling in this first-crop class last November, at $500,000. Maxfield also had a $1 million half-sister to Grade 1 winner Randomized.
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“Based on this filly and several I have seen, [Maxfield’s offspring] have great minds, and I expect good things from him,” said Kerry Cauthen of Four Star Sales, which consigned the half-sister to Randomized.
Maxfield, who stood his first season for $40,000, had 58 yearlings sell at Keeneland for $13,439,000, an average of $231,707.
Yaupon, who stood for $30,000, sired 71 yearlings for $13,071,000, an average of $183,338. His most expensive lot was a $900,000 colt purchased by St. Elias.
“He looks just like his sire,” agent Monique Delk said. “He really stamped him. So far, I love what I am seeing [of Yaupon]. They are very athletic-looking, very attractive. They are very agile and light on their feet with a beautiful walk. Just the whole package.”
Leading buyers
The Keeneland September yearling sale was competitive for bidders at the top end, with the 36 seven-figure lots of the sale purchased by 24 different buyers.
“We are hitting plenty of targets but have to fight for them,” SF Racing’s Tom Ryan said.
The “Avengers” partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables ultimately emerged from the fight as the leading buyer by gross at the sale, spending $11.33 million on 18 yearlings.
“It was one of the strongest sales I’ve ever seen at Keeneland,” said Donato Lanni, who represented the group as agent to buy three seven-figure horses. “It was great to see so many people here buying horses, and it was extremely competitive. If we wanted to buy a horse, it cost more. You had to be ready to give more than you expected.”
By numbers, Kazakhstani agent Nadir Khassanov purchased the most horses – 39 for a total of $707,000.
Mike Repole, on his own or in partnership with a variety of outfits – including Spendthrift Farm, Grandview, LNJ Foxwoods, and Albaugh Family Stables – purchased 38 horses for $16.41 million.
Leading consignors
Taylor Made Sales Agency continued building its history at Keeneland September by finishing as the yearling sale’s leading consignor by gross for the 25th time since 1988, and the 18th time in the last 21 years.
The operation sold 333 yearlings – more than twice as many as any other consignor – including two seven-figure lots, for $53,133,200.
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“It’s been crazy good,” Frank Taylor said. “This sale was really, really good. It was way better than I anticipated. It’s amazing how strong the market is, with everything that’s going on in the world. Racing is good, and there is a lot of enthusiasm. People want to buy racehorses.”
Gainesway and Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales each consigned four seven-figure horses. Gainesway finished as the runner-up by gross, with 125 sold for $39,854,000.
Gainesway’s offerings were led by a $1.5 million Into Mischief filly that it bred, out of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account, dam of Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing.
Gainesway chairman Antony Beck “bought the mare after the success of Sharing in the Breeders’ Cup,” Gainesway manager Brian Graves said. “Ordinarily, he would have kept that filly, but we have been very active in stallion acquisitions, so we decided to generate a little cash.”
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