AFTER three sessions, and at the conclusion of Book 2 of the Keeneland November Sale, 556 horses had sold for $125,606,500, a small increase over the corresponding period in 2023 when the 564 horses grossed $123,860,000. The average of $225,911 rose 3% and the median of $170,000 was up 13% from $150,000.

All the headline acts appeared in Book 1, a one-day session on Tuesday. Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm paid $2,400,000 for Grade 2 winner Roses For Debra, a five-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map. She was one of nine seven-figure lots sold on the day, contributing to a 5% increase in gross sales. Colts by Into Mischief and Curlin sold for $900,000 and $725,000 respectively, the highest-priced weanlings sold at public auction in North America this year.

“Today felt like a continuation of the September Yearling Sale,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “The gross is up about $12 million over last year. The clearance rate is almost 80%, which is really positive in a select portion of the sale.

“Quality, as always, comes to the fore, and young mares – whether they’re off the track or with a good early cover – have a lot of appeal from all over the world. We saw a strong domestic market, but we had great participation from Australia, Japan and Europe. Everybody was here, and everybody was very, very active.”

Roses For Debra was consigned by Candy Meadows Sales and catalogued as a racing or broodmare prospect. “She was very elegant, very well put together,” Pope said. “She was very fast. I needed some mares of speed to add to the stallions that I like to breed to.” Pope mentioned Curlin and Justify as potential covering sires in 2025.

Whisper Hill and Gainesway paid $1,800,000 for Lady Tapit, the dam of Grade 1 winner Kingsbarns and in foal to Good Magic. Paramount Sales consigned the 12-year-old daughter of Tapit, who is from the family of Grade 1 winner Gozzip Girl. Awtaad’s multiple Grade 1-winning daughter Anisette was another who sold for $1,800,000, having sold as a yearling for 26,000gns. She was purchased by Willingham Stud from Bluewater Sales.

Four horses sold for $1,500,000 million apiece. Narvick International and Japan’s Grand Stud spent that amount for multiple Grade 3 winner Walkathon, a five-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy consigned by Denali Stud. She is from the family of Racing Hall of Famer Bayakoa. “You can see what I saw: beautiful filly, full of quality,” buyer Emmanuel de Seroux said. “Very good race mare, very good addition for our farm. She’ll end up in Japan, but she might be bred in Kentucky first.”

Selling to Spendthrift Farm for $1,500,000 was Grade 3 winner Hidden Connection, a five-year-old daughter of Connect, to Case Clay Thoroughbred Management was Grade 3 winner and millionaire Shotgun Hottie, a five-year-old mare by Gun Runner, and to Summer Wind Equine was Krissy’s Candy, dam of Grade 1 winner Nutella Fella and in foal to Not This Time.