WHEN the gavel fell on the last lot at Thursday’s session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the company had done a decent day of business.

During that day and evening Keeneland sold 289 yearlings $9,276,500, down about 10% on last year. This took the total for some two weeks of sales to 2,392 yearlings selling for $388,649,700, and that gross is running about 3% behind the record-breaking trade 12 months ago. The average of $162,479 is slightly up, while the median of $85,000 is equal to last year.

Pin Oak Stud on Tuesday acquired the most expensive horse sold during the eighth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale since 1999, when it paid $925,000 for a colt by Twirling Candy. The colt is the most expensive yearling sold during week two to date.

Consigned by Paramount Sales, the colt is out of the winning First Defense mare Hiking, and from the family of classic winner Logician, Group 1 winner Cityscape, and Group/Grade 2 winners Bated Breath and Equilateral.

“He was a beautiful colt,” Pat Costello of Paramount said. “Everyone on the grounds was on him. We’re thrilled for the buyer and I’m delighted for the breeder [Lady Bamford], a lovely lady. He was a special colt.”

The sale reached the halfway point on Sunday, and trade was headed by Pin Oak Stud’s $900,000 purchase of a colt by Constitution from the family of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner and sire Liam’s Map, and Grade 3 winner and sire Not This Time. The session topper, who was consigned by Knockgriffin Farm, is out of the Curlin mare Low Pressure Zone.

Amazing

“He was amazing at the sale; he showed about 150 times in the two days and was unbelievably popular,” Jim Fitzgerald of Knockgriffin Farm said. This was a spectacular pinhooking success, as the colt was purchased in January for $100,000.

Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, purchased a colt by Candy Ride, knocked down for a final bid of $700,000. Consigned by Bridie Harrison, agent for Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, the colt is out of the Street Sense mare Melody and from the family of Grade 1 winner Well Chosen.

Pin Oak Stud also acquired the day’s third-highest-priced yearling, paying $600,000 for a colt by Justify from the family of the Irish-bred Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote. Sold by Mt. Brilliant Farm, he is out of the Galileo mare Durga Devi and from the family of Nureyev.

Hiatus

Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale resumed last Saturday after a one-day hiatus, and the first session of the two-day Book 3 was led by the purchase of a colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Authentic for $875,000 by Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket.

The session topper, who was consigned by Eaton Sales, is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Street Sense mare Sweetgrass. He is from the family of champion Althea.

St. Elias, Talla Racing and Spendthrift Farm paid $775,000 for a colt from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Vekoma. Consigned by Legacy Bloodstock, agent for Spendthrift Farm, he is out of stakes winner Summer Of Fun, a daughter of Include who was third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The colt is from the family of Grade 1 winner Louis Cyphre.

Steady trade during Monday’s seventh session of the sale was headlined by a colt by Good Magic from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Pioneerof the Nile. He sold for $700,000 to Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket. The session topper, who is out of the Bernardini mare Beauty Buzz, was consigned by Gainesway. At $700,000, the colt is the highest-priced yearling to sell in the seventh session since 2015.