Keeneland Releases September Yearling Sale Catalog

Keeneland has cataloged 4,396 horses for its September Yearling Sale, which will take place over 12 sessions from Sept. 9-21. The catalog for the sale, internationally recognized as a source of Thoroughbreds who excel in the sport's most important races, is online. Online recourses will include walking videos of yearlings and links to the websites of consignors participating in the 81st edition of the auction.

Print catalogs are expected to be mailed around Aug. 16.

"This time of year energizes Keeneland and our entire industry as we prepare to showcase an outstanding collection of quality yearlings and welcome many domestic and international horsemen and horsewomen to Lexington to participate in a vibrant marketplace unlike anything in the world," Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "Having achieved some of its strongest results in recent years and with an established record of successful graduates, the September Sale is a 'must attend' event for buyers and sellers around the world."  

September Sale format

For the fourth consecutive year, the format of the September Sale will remain the same:

Week 1

Book 1—Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 9-10. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. ET. 

Each day's catalog has 176 yearlings. 

Book 2—Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 11-12. Sessions begin at 11 a.m. 

Wednesday's catalog has 380 horses, while 372 horses are cataloged Thursday. 

Dark Day—Friday, Sept. 13. No sale will be conducted.

Week 2

Book 3—Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 14-15. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. 

A total of 838 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.

Book 4—Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 16-17. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. 

A total of 839 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.

Book 5—Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 18-19. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. 

A total of 826 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.

Book 6—Friday-Saturday, Sept. 20-21. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. 

A total of 789 yearlings are cataloged over the two days.

Keeneland will livestream the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com. Online and phone bidding will be available.

Entire sale offers opportunities

Over the course of 12 dynamic days, the September Sale offers unparalleled access to a diverse catalog of exceptional prospects.

"Spanning two weeks and six books, the September Sale caters to buyers at every level, offering yearlings that fit various price points in each session," Keeneland vice president of Sales Tony Lacy said. "As the quality of entries continues to rise, so does the competition. Shopping on the grounds from Book 1 to Book 6 provides buyers the chance to find everything on their short lists and more. Last year, we were excited to see prominent buyers signing tickets not only on the first day of the sale but all the way through to the final day."

Another indication of the strong market in later books in 2023 came when the top-priced yearlings of Session 8 and Session 12 each posted record prices for their respective sessions.  

Again this year, Books 1 and 2 during the sale's first four days have cataloged more than 1,000 yearlings judged to be the sale's finest individuals based on conformation and on such pedigree factors as family sales history, distaff pedigree and sire power. This placement enables major domestic and international buyers to inspect the largest number of exceptional horses possible before the "dark day" on Friday, Sept. 13 when no sale will be held.

As usual, the September Yearling Sale will offer prospects by some of the world's most prominent stallions and female families.