The Keeneland September yearling sale kicks off with a two-day Book 1, with yearlings Keeneland’s inspection teams have judged to be the finest based on pedigree, conformation, and other factors. With stellar pedigrees one factor in being selected into this elite book – which represents less than 9 percent of the catalog overall – it would be impossible to highlight every sibling to or yearling out of a Grade 1 winner. However, some may get extra attention due to particularly outstanding pages, and Book 1 includes several siblings to, or yearlings out of, Hall of Famers, among other standouts. Here is a short list of those who, on paper, bring particularly strong pedigree credentials. This list accounts for outs as of the morning of Sept. 9.
Session One – Monday, Sept. 9
Hip No. 25, filly by Into Mischief – Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Farm.
Into Mischief is the nation’s five-time reigning leading sire and last year sired 12 seven-figure yearlings at Keeneland September – the most in a single Keeneland sale since the late, great Storm Cat had 12 in 2005. Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia – herself out of Grade 1 winner Dream Rush – is the dam of two-time Eclipse champion Malathaat, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and of Grade 2 winner Julia Shining. Dreaming of Julia was named Broodmare of the Year for her success, and a filly out of her would have tremendous residual value. Malathaat herself was a seven-figure Keeneland yearling as the only foal for her dam to come to sale.
Hip No. 41, filly by Into Mischief – Expo Gold, by Johannesburg. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
This is a half-sister to Eclipse champion Swiss Skydiver, whose multiple Grade 1 wins included the 2020 Preakness Stakes over Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.
Hip No. 43, filly by Dubawi – Fancy Blue, by Deep Impact. Consigned by Four Star Sales, agent.
This is the only yearling in the catalog by Dubawi, who has emerged as one of Europe’s leading sires and who has been a leading sire at the Breeders’ Cup in recent years. Fancy Blue, a Group 1 winner in France, is from the immediate family of champion and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner High Chaparral.
Hip No. 68, colt by Into Mischief – Graceful Princess, by Tapit. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
This is the first foal out of Grade 3 winner Graceful Princess, one of five winners out of the late Horse of the Year Havre de Grace. This is the outstanding family of champion Plugged Nickle, Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, and Grade 1 winners Christiecat, Fog of War, Riskaverse, and others.
Hip No. 74, colt by Gun Runner – Helena Bay, by Johannesburg. Consigned by Runnymede Farm, agent.
Horse of the Year and new Hall of Famer Gun Runner has emerged as a leading sire in his first few seasons, with 10 Grade 1 winners to his credit through Aug. 20, including Eclipse Award champion Echo Zulu. Helena Bay is the dam of Grade 1 winner Collected, and her colt sold for $2 million at this auction last year.
Hip No. 79, filly by Tapit – I’ll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
Multi-time leading sire and classic sire Tapit has never lost his touch and recently sired his 33rd career Grade/Group 1 winner in Arthur’s Ride. This is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Charge It. Their second dam is multiple Grade 1 winner and Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, with champions Take Charge Brandi and Will Take Charge and Grade 1 winners As Time Goes By, Omaha Beach, and Take Charge Indy among those appearing on the catalog page because of her. A half-brother to this filly sold for $1.7 million here last year.
Hip No. 84, colt by Not This Time – In a Jif, by Saintly Look. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent.
The versatile Not This Time has emerged as a young top 10 sire and recently sired the topper of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale. This is a full brother to his record-setting Grade 1 winner Cogburn.
Hip No. 90, filly by Tapit – Issues, by Awesome Again. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
This is a half-sibling to Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and champion Accelerate, and to stakes winners Amarish and Daddy D T.
Hip No. 98, filly by Quality Road – Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union. Consigned by Clearsky Farms, agent.
Quality Road is, again, a top 10 general sire in 2024. Multiple Grade 2 winner Justwhistledixie is a stellar broodmare, giving a filly out of her great residual value. She is the dam of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day and graded stakes winners Enforceable, Kingly, and Mohaymen.
Hip No. 103, colt by Into Mischief – Lady Eli, by Divine Park. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale, agent.
Five-time Grade 1 winner and champion Lady Eli is the dam of one winner from two starters thus far.
Hip No. 112, colt by Medaglia d’Oro – Lotta Kim, by Roar. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale, agent.
By perennial leading sire Medaglia d’Oro and out of stakes winner Lotta Kim, this is a full brother to Hall of Fame racemare Rachel Alexandra, whose Horse of the Year season included a tour de force in the Kentucky Oaks, as well as Grade 1 wins against males in the Preakness, Haskell Invitational, and Woodward Stakes. A number of members of this family will by showcased during Book 1. Rachel Alexandra’s Grade 1-winning daughter Rachel’s Valentina is the dam of a filly in Book 1, Hip No. 175. The next day, Samantha Nicole, a full sister to Rachel Alexandra, is represented by Hip No. 195, a filly.
Hip No. 120, colt by Lord Kanaloa – Madonna, by Galileo. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent.
This is the only yearling in the catalog by Japanese Horse of the Year Lord Kanaloa, sire of fellow Horse of the Year Almond Eye. European champion Maybe and Group 1 winners Continuous, Dancing Rain, and Saxon Warrior appear on this page.
Hip No. 123, filly by Into Mischief – Magical World, by Distorted Humor. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
This is a deep and commercially successful family. Magical World is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Guarana – whose own yearling sells earlier as Hip No. 70 – along with Grade 3 winner Beatbox and stakes winner Magic Dance. Magical World is out of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home, and this is the family of champions Gold Beauty, Sky Beauty, and others.
Hip No. 137, filly by Justify – Moonstone, by Dalakhani. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent.
Triple Crown winner and new Hall of Famer Justify has rapidly become a prominent sire, with champions on both sides of the Atlantic, and many of his horses presented to this global marketplace have international pages. Irish Oaks winner Moonstone is the dam of five stakes winners, led by classic-placed Group 3 winner Us Army Ranger and Group 3 winners Nelson and Words. Moonstone is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Cerulean Sky.
Hip No. 148, filly by Wootton Bassett – Nickname, by Scat Daddy. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent.
This is a pairing of successful runners on both sides of the Atlantic. Group 1 winner Wootton Bassett is rapidly becoming a commercial juggernaut in Europe. Nickname was a Grade 1-winning juvenile in New York.
Hip No. 161, filly by Curlin – Peggy Jane, by Into Mischief. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent for Stonestreet Farm.
Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin is a perennial leading sire of Grade 1 winners, with 11 career champions. This is a half-sister to five-time Grade 1 winner Gamine, who was the Eclipse Award champion female sprinter.
Session Two – Tuesday, Sept. 10
Hip No. 206, filly by Curlin – Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry. Consigned by Hinkle Farms.
Seeking Gabrielle, from the family of Grade 1 winner Sahara Sky, is the dam of four winners from five starters. Those are led by Nyquist, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and champion at 2 and a Kentucky Derby winner at 3.
Hip No. 210, filly by Into Mischief – Shared Account, by Pleasantly Perfect. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
Shared Account, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, is the dam of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing and stakes winner Riley’s Choice. This is an active family – recent stakes performer Sparkle Blue appears on the catalog page.
Hip No. 216, filly by Gun Runner – Silver Colors, by Mr. Greeley. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
This is a half-sister to Grade 1 Alabama Stakes winner Eskimo Kisses, and a half to Grade 1-placed Silver Ride. The second dam is Kentucky Derby winner and champion Winning Colors.
Hip No. 225, filly by Curlin – Songbird, by Medaglia d’Oro. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
Two-time Eclipse Award champion Songbird won eight Grade 1 races and only lost, narrowly at that, to fellow Eclipse champions in a Hall of Fame career. A full brother to this colt sold for $1 million at Keeneland September last year.
Hip No. 230, filly by Twirling Candy – Special Me, by Unbridled’s Song. Consigned by Machmer Hall Sales.
Special Me, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Our New Recruit, has produced two seven-figure yearlings at Keeneland September, including a $1.2 million colt last year. Her yearling average is nearly $500,000, and no wonder, as she is the dam of Grade 1 winners Gift Box and Gina Romantica. Gift Box is a full brother to this filly. She also is the dam of graded stakes winners Special Forces and Stonetastic. The latter’s yearling colt by Munnings is on offer later in the day as Hip No. 239.
Hip No. 235, colt by Gun Runner – Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent for WinStar Farm.
The winning mare Starship Warpspeed is the dam of six winners from as many starters, led by Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, who won multiple other Grade 1 races. A half-brother to this colt brought $2.5 million here last year.
Hip No. 240, filly by Gun Runner – Stopchargingmaria, by Tale of the Cat. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
Stopchargingmaria’s trio of Grade 1 victories were highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and she is the dam of three winners from four starters. Stopchargingmaria’s half-sister Passion Flower is the dam of recent Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks winner Scalable.
Hip No. 248, filly by Kitten’s Joy – Sweeter Still, by Rock of Gibraltar. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
This is the final crop of yearlings by champion and multiple-time leading sire Kitten’s Joy. A full brother to this filly, out of Grade 3 winner Sweeter Still, is multiple Group 1 winner Kameko, winner of the English 2000 Guineas. Sweeter Still is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Kingsbarns.
Hip No. 253, colt by Gun Runner – Take Charge Brandi, by Giant’s Causeway. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent.
Take Charge Brandi, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach, is a granddaughter of the aforementioned blue hen Take Charge Lady. Take Charge Brandi added to the family’s accomplishments by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to secure an Eclipse title. She is the dam of two winners from three starters, including stakes winner Courvoisier.
Hip No. 274, colt by Quality Road – Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale, agent.
Unicorn Girl was a hickory racemare who won 19 races from ages 3 to 8. She is the dam of Eclipse champion sprinter Jackie’s Warrior, winner of five Grade 1 races and another six graded stakes. The juvenile half-sister to that champion, White Sands, is a stakes winner this year.
Hip No. 275, filly by Into Mischief – Unique Bella, by Tapit. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent for Don Alberto.
Unique Bella earned Eclipse titles as champion older female and female sprinter with three career Grade 1 wins around both one and two turns. Her first starter is a winner. Unique Bella is out of Unrivaled Belle, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and also winner of the Grade 1 La Troienne over the great Rachel Alexandra.
Hip No. 300, colt by War Front – Wonderment, by Camelot. Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent.
Stalwart sire War Front breeds smaller books than many of today’s other leading sires and has just five yearlings in Book 1. That should create a supply-versus-demand dynamic for a horse who is popular internationally and whose mares often reflect that. This is the second foal out of French Group 1 winner Wonderment, who is from the family of Grade 1 winner Wake Forest.
Hip No. 301, filly by Tapit – Yawkey Way, by Grand Slam. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
Stakes winner Yawkey Way is the dam of six winners from as many starters, including Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run, Grade 3-placed stakes winner Informed Patriot, and stakes winner Tap It All. Informed Patriot was the seven-figure topper of the Fasig-Tipton July horses of racing age sale.
Hip No. 310, filly by Curlin – America, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Stone Farm, agent.
Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed America is the dam of Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed First Captain. A full brother to this filly was himself a seven-figure yearling. This is the outstanding extended family of Broodmare of the Year Best in Show; of her daughter Blush With Pride, a Kentucky Oaks winner; and of the latter’s multiple classic producer Better Than Honour, also a Broodmare of the Year.
Hip No. 313, filly by Curlin – Angela Renee, by Bernardini. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent for Don Alberto.
This family, littered with top-level runners, consistently produces seven-figure yearlings. Grade 1 winner Angela Renee, a full sister to Grade 1 winner To Honor and Serve, is the dam of Grade 3-placed Gilded Age. This is the immediate family of Grade 1 winner Mozu Ascot.
Hip No. 318, filly by Curlin – Authenticity, by Quiet American. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent for Stonestreet Farm.
Multiple graded stakes winner Authenticity is the dam of Grade 1 winner Charlatan and stakes winner Hanalei Moon. Charlatan’s first crop of yearlings has come to sale this year with exceptional results. He was the only first-crop yearling sire with a seven-figure lot at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga.
Hip No. 319, filly by Gun Runner – Awesome Flower, by Flower Alley. Consigned by Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Farm.
This is a full sister to Cyberknife, winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and Haskell, and whose multiple Grade 1 placings included a runner-up effort to Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Stakes winner Awesome Flower, who won 11 races from ages 2 to 6, also is the dam of stakes-placed Tapit Shoes. This is the immediate family of Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.
Hip No. 338, colt by Charlatan – Bubbler, by Distorted Humor. Consigned by Clearsky Farms.
Grade 1 winner Charlatan has been well received with his first crop, largely due to the quality of mares he attracted. Stakes winner Bubbler is one example. She is the dam of Hall of Famer Arrogate, who made a phenomenal mark in just three crops as a sire. She also is the dam of stakes winner Osare and stakes-placed Diamond Ore.
Hip No. 345, colt by Into Mischief – Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon. Consigned by Summerfield, agent for Stonestreet Farm.
The outstanding broodmare Catch the Moon is the dam of Grade 1-winning millionaire and good young sire Girvin; of classic-placed Grade 3 winner Midnight Bourbon; and of graded stakes winners Cocked and Loaded and Pirate’s Punch. The average sale price for her yearlings is nearly $500,000, with the figure rising for her most recent offerings as the page improves.
Hip No. 347, colt by Curlin – Cavorting, by Bernardini. Consigned by Indian Creek, agent for Stonestreet Farm.
Millionaire Cavorting was a Grade 1 winner around both one and two turns. She is the dam of three winners from as many starters, all stakes horses. Clairiere, a full sister to this colt, won four Grade 1 races, while another full sibling, Judge Miller, is Grade 2-placed. La Crete, a half-sister to these, was a stakes winner in her brief career.
The fun doesn’t stop with Book 1, with Book 2, on the following two days, including notable names such as half-siblings to Kentucky Oaks and two-time Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Monomoy Girl and to fellow Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress; a yearling out of yet another Oaks winner in Plum Pretty; yearlings out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winners and Eclipse champions My Miss Aurelia and She Be Wild; and more. Keeneland September’s later books are represented by 2024 Grade/Group 1 winners Vahva (Book 3), Muth (Book 4), Du Jour and Kabirkhan (Book 5), and Tuz (Book 6). Check DRF.com throughout the sale for more hips to watch and highlight horses.