Keeneland September

With a pandemic that's led to the loss of 200,000 lives, the loss of jobs, and overall economic instability that's affected most people except for the super wealthy that are heavily invested in the stock market, no one expected the Keeneland September yearling sale to be anything but down by gross and average versus last year. This was as predictable as saying that an egg dropped on concrete from six feet would break. So, what's the damage? Through the first 10 sessions that ended with Book 5 on Wednesday, 2,129...

A colt from the second-crop of young sire Not This Time (Hip 3839)  topped the penultimate session of Keeneland September Thursday, selling to Royal Flush Racing for $115,000. The dark bay is out of Race Hunter (Dixie Union), who is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Paid Up Subscriber (Candy Ride {Arg}). He was consigned by Trackside Farm for Tenlane Farm, who purchased the colt's dam for $180,000 with this yearling in utero. A total of 169 yearlings changed hands during Thursday's session for a gross of $2,086,800. The median...

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 Chukyo Racecourses. Sunday's action features the return to the races of Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who preps for the final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai: Saturday, September 26, 2020 4th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($127k),...

A colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Cupid (Hip 3391) topped Wednesday's trade when selling for $200,000 to bloodstock agent Larry Zap, who was acting on behalf of Michael Mellen. The topper and the day's third-highest purchase, a son of fellow first-season sire American Freedom (Hip 3196), were both sold by Shawhan Place, who was the session's leading consignor by average. "Both of them are big, strong colts, especially the Cupid," said Shawhan's Matt Koch. "He is a good walking colt. We foaled and raised him at...

A colt by Karakontie (Jpn) (Hip 2814) achieved a very rare feat in Keeneland September's Book 5 opener Tuesday, summoning a session-topping $500,000 from Marsha Naify. The Gainesway stallion had another yearling in the top five lots of the day with a full-sister to graded stakes-bound Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) (Hip 3161) bringing $220,000 from Ballyfair Bloodstock. A total of 253 yearlings brought $6,484,100 Tuesday with an average of $25,629 and a median of $15,000.Fifty-five horses failed to meet their reserves Tuesday. Throughout the first nine days of trade, 1,880...

LEXINGTON, KY - Bidding continued to be solid for the prized lots, but the market was increasingly polarized as the second and final Book 3 session concluded Saturday in Lexington. Trainer Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni purchased the day's highest-priced offering, going to $450,000 to acquire a colt from the first crop of Unified on behalf of Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman, and Karl Watson. During Saturday's session, 239 horses sold for $18,364,200. The average was $76,838 and the median was $52,000. With 110 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate...

1st-Belmont, $63,000, Msw, 9-18, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.01, ft. ZAINALARAB (f, 2, War Front--Delightful Joy {GSW, $179,200}, by Tapit), whose $1-million purchase price out of last year's Keeneland September sale was the second-highest for her hugely successful stallion, got the Belmont fall meet off on a chalky note, grinding her way past her chief market rival Exact (Competitive Edge) for a narrow victory. Allowed to sit the box-seat trip as Exact made the running in advance of the blinkered Jade Empress (Shanghai Bobby), Zainalarab was pulled off the fence in...

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--a trio of fillies--for this holiday weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: Sunday, September 20, 2020 12th-NKY, ¥14,360,000 ($137k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200mT DETROIT TESORO (f, 3, Speightstown--Bella Traviata, by Indian Charlie) comprised a record of three thirds and a second from four previous tries on...

by Jessica Martini & Brian DiDonato LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued to see strong action at the top, but an elevated buy-back rate at the first of two Book 2 sessions Wednesday in Lexington. A colt by Uncle Mo from the Gainesway consignment brought the day's highest bid when selling for $950,000 to bloodstock agent David Ingordo. In all, 185 yearlings sold for $40,861,000. The average was $220,870 and the median was $180,000. Through three sessions, 394 head have grossed $126,076,000 for an average of $319,990...

The world-renowned Keeneland September Sale has been a long time coming this year. With the coronavirus pandemic canceling and postponing much of the sales season, all eyes are on Lexington this week as Keeneland hosts its first live in-person auction since COVID-19 first hit American shores. Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland Wednesday as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss the obstacles faced by the company in conducting the sale and his early impressions of the trading. "We've...

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY--With four of the day's nine million-dollar-plus horses selling in the final dozen or so hips to be offered, the second and final session of Book 1 of the Keeneland September yearling sale finished strong. The session topper and likely sale topper was hip 435, a son of Tapit out of the GISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song) offered by Eaton Sales on behalf of Stonestreet Bred & Raised and acquired by a partnership between Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners,...

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 weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:  Sunday, September 13, 2020 5th-NKY, ¥13,400,000 ($126k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT AMERICAN PEACE (c, 2 Tapit--La Cloche, by Ghostzapper), a $325K Keeneland September acquisition, is the latest produce from his Grade III-winning dam, a $2.4m Fasig-Tipton purchase...