Keeneland September

During the 11th session of the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Kazakhstan-based bloodstock agent Nadir Khassanov paid $12,000 for a colt by California Chrome--Little Emily (Castledale {Ire}). After nearly running the table in Kazakhstan and Russia, the colt that came to be called Kabirkhan took his show on the road to Dubai over the winter, where he won the G1 Al Maktoum Classic in his second start for trainer Doug Watson. Khassanov was back in Lexington on the hunt for his next diamond in the rough during Friday's opening Book 6...

With two days of selling in Book 6 yet to come, the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale became the highest-grossing sale in the history of the auction house. When the gavel fell on hip 3634 not long after 6 p.m. Thursday evening, gross receipts totaled $405,519,500 (not including post-sale transactions) for the first 10 days of trade, breaking the previous high-water mark of $405,495,700 set in 2022. The cumulative average of $174,342 represented a healthy 7.3% bump over the corresponding figure from 2023, while the median price of $95,000 was...

Unless you've been under a rock recently, you are well aware Darley's Nyquist has been the buzz horse the last few weeks. It's for good reason. Just two Grade I races for 2-year-old fillies on dirt have been contested in North America so far this year, the Aug. 31 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga and the Sept. 7 Del Mar Debutante Stakes in California. Daughters of Nyquist--Immersive and Tenma--won both. Logically, success on the track should beget success in the sales ring. No where was that more evident than at the...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Nakayama Racecourse: Saturday, September 21, 2024 9th-NKY, ¥30,400,000 ($213k), Allowance, 2yo, 1200mT ECORO SIEG (c, 2, Twirling Candy--Lily Pod, by Bernstein), whose Grade III-placed dam is also responsible for SP She's Got a Way (Tonalist), cost $95,000 at last year's...

8th-Churchill Downs, $134,000, Alw (NW2X), Opt. Clm ($125,000), 9-18, 3yo, 6f, 1:08.98, ft, 3/4 length. BILLAL (c, 3, Street Sense--Bambalina, by Bernardini), third in a June 8 Saratoga allowance that produced three next-out winners, filled the same spot, but was well-beaten behind future GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes hero Domestic Product (Practical Joke) in the July 6 GIII Dwyer Stakes. Most recently runner-up in Spa allowance company Aug. 4, Billal was nominated to this Saturday's GII Gallant Bob Stakes, but connections opted for this softer test and he was sent...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued ahead of its 2023 edition as Book 3 concluded Sunday night with a colt by Maxfield leading the way when selling for $575,000. Through the two Book 3 sessions, 526 yearlings sold through the ring for a gross of $83,880,000. The section's average was $159,468--up 4.7% from a year ago--and the median was $130,000, an increase of 13.04%. Ten horses sold for $500,000 or more, compared to 13 hitting that mark a year ago. During last year's Book 3 section, 562...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale entered Book 3 with a session dominated by colts as buyers targeted stallion prospects Saturday in Lexington. Leading the way was a son of Practical Joke who sold for $900,000 to the bid of Monique Delk, bidding on behalf of Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stable. During Saturday's session, 273 yearlings grossed $47,904,000 for an average of $175,473 and a median of $150,000. The average was up 7.09% and the median rose 15.38% from the corresponding session a year ago when 285 head...

A 25% fractional interest in the undefeated stakes-winning juvenile filly Kilwin (Twirling Candy), winner of the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs Sept. 8, will be sold at the inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale, to be held the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the paddock at Del Mar, site of the 2024 Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 1-2, the sales company said in a release on Friday morning. Kilwin, owned by BBN Racing and trained by Rusty Arnold, is scheduled to make her next start in the GI John Deere Breeders'...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, Ky - With a pair of seven-figure colts by Nyquist leading the way, trade remained strong straight through the conclusion of Book 2 during the fourth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Thursday in Lexington. "It was a great day," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy at the close of business Thursday evening. "We are very pleased. The median is up 25% for the session over last year, which is a metric that we always use. That shows that it...

by Jessica Martini and Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY -- The momentum which began with a competitive Book 1 section rolled into Book 2 with a trio of yearlings bringing seven figures and continued increases over last year during the third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington Wednesday. "We saw the same kind of momentum and trends just rolling over," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "There was a great positivity around the grounds. Consignors were invariably very pleased. And buyers found it tough and a...

Texan Douglas Scharbauer, who landed a Gun Runner filly out of Dream Dancing for $1.05 million Monday, was back in action at Keeneland Wednesday, purchasing Hip 695, a daughter by the Three Chimneys stallion, for $1.05 million. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the filly is out of GII Mother Goose runner-up Always Carina (Malibu Moon). The filly was bred by Three Chimneys Farm.  

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud acquired a colt by Charlatan (hip 509) with an internet bid of $1 million during Wednesday's third session of the Keeneland September sale. The colt, bred by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, Paul Weitman and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. He is out of multiple Grade I winner Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute). After 31 yearlings sold for seven figures during the two-session Book 1 section of the September sale, hip 509 was the first to reach...