THE Keeneland September Yearling Sale completed its sixth of 11 sessions last Sunday, after a ‘dark day’ when no sale was held, with cumulative sales of $278 million, exceeding total sales of $238 million recorded for last year’s entire 12-day auction.
This remarkable achievement continues the robust trade currently being enjoyed by most of the world’s leading auctions. Demand for racing prospects continued to drive strong results on Sunday, the final day of Book 3.
First-crop sire City Of Light was represented by the session’s two top-priced yearlings and three of the session’s five highest-priced sellers.
Topping the session was a colt by City Of Light from the family of recent Grade 1 TVG Del Mar Debutante winner Grace Adler who sold for $700,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias.
Consigned by Farfellow Farms, he is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Hessie’s Girl and also from the family of Grade 1 winner Bullsbay and Grade 3 winner Our Khrysty, the dam of Grace Adler.
Breeze Easy and Tom McGreevy paid $525,000 for a filly by City Of Light who is a half-sister to stakes winner Mizzen Beau. Her dam, the stakes-placed Donna Getyourgun, by Stormy Atlantic, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Clearly A Queen. A colt by Violence brought $500,000 from Maverick Racing. He is out of the winning Congrats mare Tulira’s Star and from the family of Grade 3 winner Mountain General.
BBA Ireland went to $475,000 for a colt by Gun Runner who is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Royal Mo and stakes winner Tara From the Cape. He is from the family of Grade 2 winner Irish Linnet. City Of Light also sired the colt from the family of champion Xtra Heat who sold to Wesley Ward for $460,000.
Monday’s trade
Ensemble Stables spent $450,000 for a colt from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Mo Town to record the highest price on Monday and mark another day of strong trade. Consigned by Gainesway, the colt is from the family of Grade 1 winners Minardi and Johannesburg and Grade 2 winners Stanford and Tale Of The Cat.
A colt from the first crop of Good Magic out of Grade 2 winner Heart Stealer, by Speightstown, brought $425,000 from Klaravich Stable.
Ben McElroy paid $400,000 for Vitamunn, a daughter of Munnings. Out of the winner Vitae, by Awesome Again, Vitamunn is from the family of stakes winners Bonita Meadow, Meadow Bride, Prairie King and Devil’s Halo.
John Ballantyne and NBS Stable paid $390,000 for a colt by Army Mule who is the first foal out of Tapit’s August Snow, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winners Hoppertunity and Executiveprivilege.
Gainesway also consigned a colt by Empire Maker who sold to Donato Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock, Starlight and Madaket, for $300,000. A half-brother to Grade 3 winner Trophy Chaser, he is from the family of European champion Air Force Blue.
Canada rules
Three Ontario-bred fillies from families of Canadian champions, led by a $320,000 filly from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Collected, commanded the highest prices of Tuesday’s eighth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Anderson Farms consigned the session topper, who sold to Speedway Stables. She is out of the Medaglia D’Oro mare Bezzera, a full-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Hard Not To Love.
Two closely related fillies consigned by Canada’s Sam-Son Farm brought $300,000 and $295,000. Ben McElroy purchased the $300,000 filly, a daughter of Bernardini out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Siren’s Song. She is from the family of Canadian champions Comet Shine and Irish Mission. The filly’s second dam is stakes winner Misty Mission, by Miswaki, also the second dam of the $295,000 filly, a daughter of Pioneerof The Nile, sold to CJ Thoroughbreds. She is the first foal of stakes winner Mythical Mission, by Giant’s Causeway, a full-sister to Irish Mission.
Winds down
As the sale winds to a close, with two sessions remaining, Maddie Matt Miller paid the session-topping price of $250,000 for a filly by Army Mule during Wednesday’s ninth day of the sale. Out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Henny’s Hurricane, the filly is a half-sister to stakes winner Amynta.