Halfway Through Sale, Keeneland Surpasses Record Gross

At the end of the sixth session of Keeneland's September Yearling Sale Sept. 14, a total of 1,305 horses had changed hands for $434,982,000, including private sales, surpassing last year's record sale that grossed $428,097,000 from the 12-session sale. The average for six sessions is $333,320, with a median of $240,000.

Fixty-six yearlings have sold for $1 million or more, compared to 36 last year.

"Book 3 closed today on another high note, with packed grounds and strong competition in the ring," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "To surpass last year's record-breaking gross—with six sessions still to come and so much depth of quality remaining in the catalog—speaks volumes about the health of the market that we have seen play out here.

"But what's even more gratifying about these figures is knowing that every success in this ring directly supports the people, the horses and the initiatives that keep our sport thriving. These dollars go right back into everything we do here at Keeneland, from purses to infrastructure to aftercare and more. All of it helps fuel the future of the sport, and that's a real win for everyone." 

The sixth session saw 282 horses sell for a total of $49,451,500 with an average of $175,360 and a median of $150,000. 

"It's unbelievable, it's so many factors that I think have come together in so many ways," said bloodstock agent Jacob West about the market. "I'm just happy, in general, for the breeders. I know how hard it is to get to this point. When they raise a good horse, they deserve to get paid."

Taylor Made led the consignors for the final day of Book 3, selling 30 from their draft for $5,397,000; and Chad Summers topped the buyers with four purchases for $1,170,000. 

Not This time Colt Tops Sixth Session at $875k

Midway into the sixth session of the sale, West went to $875,000 for Hip 1762, a son of Not This Time  , on behalf of Repole Stable in partnership with St. Elias Stables.

The dark bay or brown colt was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as agent for the breeder, Summer Wind Equine.

"He's a big, good-looking horse. Well-spotted in Book 3," West said. "He's a horse that stood out to our entire teams. I think it's the same playbook, Mike (Repole) and Vinnie (Viola) are looking for two-turn classic-type horses. Not This Time has obviously proven that. (The colt) comes from a family that looks like they appreciate a little bit of ground."

From the family of Hall of Famer Zenyatta , the colt is the first foal out of the unraced Candy Ride   mare Sweetened, who herself is a full sister to 2023 Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Confidence Game . A participant in that year's Kentucky Derby (G1), Confidence Game also has a third-place finish in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and earnings of $823,962 on his résumé.

Confidence Game and Sweetened are both out of the Bernardini mare Eblouissante , a two-time winner who sold for $2.1 million at the 2013 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale before Summer Wind picked her up for $1,434,279 at the 2016 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Eblouissante is a half sister to the great Zenyatta (Street Cry) through the dam Vertigineux, who also produced three-time grade 1 winner Balance (Thunder Gulch) and stakes winner Where's Bailey (Aljabr), who produced two-time grade 2 winner She's Not Here.

"You circle Zenyatta and just move on," West said about the female side of the colt's pedigree. "(Confidence Game) was a very big buzz horse for a while there on the Derby trail. You can't really take anything away from (the Not This Time colt) physically or pedigree-wise. It just gives you confidence that he'll be a horse that will show up."

The female pedigree is built upon with the addition of Not This Time, who, as West said, needs no introduction. Through the first 1,764 hips, Not This Time led all stallions in the sale with 53 yearlings selling for $37,905,000.

Repole and Viola teamed up on a son of Not This Time in Up to the Mark  , a three-time grade 1 winner who was named champion turf male in 2023 before retiring to Lane's End Farm.

"We both had luck with the stallion," West said. "We hope that he's the next Up to the Mark, or one of those top-level horses."

This was the second horse purchased together by Repole and Viola at this year's Keeneland sale, going to $1 million in Book 1 on Hip 266, a son of Nyquist  .

Despite checking the boxes of top stallion, successful female family, and a champion racing partnership, the thing that sealed the deal for Repole and Viola was the breeder: Summer Wind Equine.

"He was raised by Bobby Spalding and the whole Summer Wind team, Mrs. (Jane) Lyons, you have a lot of confidence buying off of them," West said. "They're great people, been in the game for a long time, raise good horses. It's a good starting spot. We don't know if he can run, but when you've got the start that he's had, you have a lot of confidence.

The second highest-priced horse of the session was also a colt by Not This Time—Hip 1619, who sold for $775,000 to Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent from the consignment of Dixiana Farms.

The top-priced filly of the session was Hip 1722, a Virginia-bred filly by Spendthrift Farm's Bolt d'Oro  , who sold to Susan Naylor for $600,000. 

The September Sale continues Sept. 15 at 10:00 a.m. ET, and runs each day through Sept. 20.