KEENELAND’S September Yearling Sale ended its 13-session run last Sunday with total sales of $360,004,700, the fifth highest aggregate in the sale’s history.
The headline lots were the record $8.2 million American Pharoah filly purchased by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm and the $4.1 million colt by Curlin sold to Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin.
During this year’s sale 2,855 yearlings sold compared to 2,916 in 2018. The average of $126,096 was down 2.5% from last year’s record $129,331. The median of $45,000 decreased 10% from $50,000 in 2018. A total of 22 horses sold for seven-figure sums, including seven for $2 million or more.
“This September Sale sparked a positive energy that reverberated through the sales grounds and the region,” Keeneland president and CEO Bill Thompson said. “The presence again this year of Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan, the strong representation of top domestic buyers, the high quality of the yearlings brought to market, and the great feedback we received about the format changes, barn improvements and enhanced amenities all combined to make this a special sale.”
Positives
Keeneland vice-president Bob Elliston commented: “We’ve received positive feedback from horsemen about the format change, and we are pleased with the consistently strong level of trade it generated throughout the sale.
“Buyers suggested we catalogue fewer horses up front and we responded. By making that change, we extended the quality farther into the sale and created momentum for the second week.”
Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales, added: “The new format worked very well. Book 1 was a sale within itself. It had great energy to it. There was more energy on the grounds the weekend prior to the start of the sale than I’ve seen in a long time. It had a great buzz going into it. Having fewer horses in Book 2 really set that sale up very well and helped Book 3.”
Market strength was reflected in seven-figure yearlings sold on each day of Book 2, along with a $625,000 Quality Road colt on the second day of Book 3, and a $300,000 Maclean’s Music colt in Book 5.
The $8.2 million filly, consigned by breeder Clarkland Farm, is the highest-priced yearling filly in Keeneland sales history and equals the fourth-highest price ever paid at the auction.
For the second consecutive year Sheikh Mohammed attended the sale and his Godolphin was the leading buyer. Godolphin paid $16 million for 10 horses, purchasing four of the five highest-priced yearlings. The second-leading buyer was Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate Company Limited. Shadwell paid just over $11 million for 18 yearlings.
The September Sale’s leading consignor for the fifth year in a row and the 21st time since 1988 was Taylor Made Sales Agency. They sold 290 horses for $40,660,900, including four seven-figure horses. American Pharoah was the auction’s leading sire, with 55 sons and daughters sold for $24,044,000.