Book 4 Wraps With Uptick in Average

Bridlewood Farm stretched to $330,000 Wednesday to secure a filly by Blame and top the final session of Book 4 during the Keeneland September Sale. Hip 3056 is the second foal out of Seeking Gabrielle (Forestry), who is out of graded winner Seeking Regina (Seeking the Gold) from the family of Grade I winner Sahara Sky (Pleasant Tap). The filly is a half-sibling to undefeated juvenile Nyquist (Uncle Mo), who recently annexed the GI Del Mar Futurity and is scheduled to run in Saturday’s GI FrontRunner S. The filly was bred and consigned by Hinkle Farms, who purchased the filly in utero for $100,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.

Book 4 wrapped up well, with a slight uptick in average from last year’s corresponding session and a matching median. Wednesday saw 280 head sold for a gross of $10,684,100 for an average of $38,158, which was up12.3% from last year’s $33,971. The median was $25,000.

A total of 76 horses did not sell for an RNA rate of 21.3%, up from 20.2% in 2014. Paramount Sales was the session’s top consignor with 18 horses sold for a total of $905,500, while Bridlewood’s lone purchase was enough to spring them to the top of the buyer’s column.

Through nine sessions, 2,076 yearlings sold from the 2,824 offered. The gross of $270,447,300 is up from last year’s number of $268,795,000 for 2,153 horses sold over the course of 10 sessions. The average of $130,273 is up 4.3% from last year’s figure of $124,847 and the median is up 11.1% from $72,000 in 2014 to $80,000. Through nine days, 278 yearlings did not sell for a rate of 26.5%, which was up from 2014’s 23.1%.

Book 5 will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. The sale runs through Saturday.