LEXINGTON, Ky. – A trio of seven-figure yearlings highlighted steady competition as the Keeneland September yearling sale moved into its Book 2 portion with a Wednesday session that posted continued gains.
Keeneland reported 220 horses sold through the ring for gross receipts of $69,917,000 on Wednesday, the first of two Book 2 sessions, which followed a Book 1 that posted across-the-board gains to open the week. In last year's comparable Book 2 opener, 209 horses sold for $64,024,000. Both sets of figures represent only horses sold through the ring, not including any private sales that Keeneland will later factor into its official historic results.
A $1.05 million colt by Tapit, a $1.05 million filly by Gun Runner, and a $1 million colt by Charlatan led the session. Although last year's Book 2 opener produced five seven-figure horses, the next brackets down on the result charts expanded due to solid competition despite some price restraint. There were seven yearlings sold for prices between $750,000 and $1 million, compared to three to land in that range last year. Another 37 horses sold for prices between $500,000 and $750,000, compared to 31 last year.
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As a result, the Book 2 opener's average price rose 4 percent, to $317,805 on Wednesday against $306,335 in the comparable session last year.
The median also continued to show encouraging gains after it finished Book 1 up 19 percent. Wednesday's median figure was $275,000, up 8 percent from $255,000.
The buyback rate finished even with the comparable 2023 session, at 28 percent.
“I think we saw momentum, the trends just rolling over” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “There’s a great positivity around the grounds. … Consignors were invariably very pleased. Buyers found it tough and a very competitive marketplace. There were a lot of good horses on offer today, and I think it’ll be the same again tomorrow. Just great, even trade.”
Illustrating the trickle-down of competition after robust activity in Book 1, the $1.05 million progeny of classic sires Tapit and Gun Runner were each purchased by buyers who had also made seven-figure purchases during the first two sessions of the sale.
Donato Lanni bid as agent on the Tapit colt for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables, a group that dubs itself "the Avengers." Bob Baffert trains the group's horses.
The colt is out of the Grade 3-winning Tale of Ekati mare Verve's Tale, a full sister to Preakness Stakes runner-up Tale of Verve. Grade 1 winners Zaftig, Zo Impressive, and Zoftig appear on the page.
“He is out of a very good mare, a very deep family," SF's Tom Ryan said. "And Tapit keeps on proving how good he is. He is a mainstay American star."
The colt was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm on behalf of breeder Charles Fipke. Hunter Valley's Adrien Regan noted that the limited number of Tapit foals that will be available in the coming years by the now-23-year-old leading sire could have helped fuel the price.
"I think there were only 70 or so Tapits in this yearling crop, so there are not many of them any more," Regan said. "When we saw [this colt] first on the farm, myself and [Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin] thought he may not be big enough for Book 1. Since we saw him until he came to the sale grounds, the horse has thrived. He’s just turned into a proper horse. Maybe he should have been in Book 1, but I think he would have sold in any book."
Just a bit later came the daughter of young phenom Gun Runner, purchased by Douglas Scharbauer. The filly is the first foal out of the Grade 2-placed Malibu Moon mare Always Carina, a half-sister to Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner More Than Real also appears on the catalog page.
“I saw her for the first time this afternoon," Scharbauer said. "I was hoping I would get her for less than a million dollars, but I can see why she brought that."
The filly was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, and was consigned by Taylor Made Sales, as agent.
"Three Chimneys had quite a few horses in Book 1, and they decided to hold back some nice ones, and it worked well," Taylor Made's Frank Taylor said.
Earlier in the day, a colt from the first crop of Charlatan brought the hammer down at $1 million to become the second seven-figure lot for his young sire this week. The colt was purchased by Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud from the consignment of Hill 'n' Dale, which also co-bred him. He is out of Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky; that Midnight Lute mare is from the immediate family of additional Grade 1 winners Aquaphobia, Hookedonthefeelin, Jimmy Creed, and Pussycat Doll.
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