Inside the Numbers: Keeneland September Sale

A yearling filly out of champion Sealy Hill heads to the ring at Keeneland. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
You’ve probably heard quite a bit a about the Keeneland September yearling sale lately and might be wondering what all the fuss is about. While Keeneland holds world-class race meets in April and October, it isn’t just a racetrack.
Keeneland also is a Thoroughbred auction house, and many top racehorses pass through the Keeneland sales ring during one of their three major sales each year. The September sale features yearling, or 1-year-old, Thoroughbreds (this year’s yearlings were born in early 2014).
Thousands of horses will be sold and millions of dollars will change hands over two weeks beginning Sept. 14. Read on for the scoop on the September sale by the numbers.
12 – The length of the sale in days. It begins on Sept. 14 and wraps up on Sept. 26, with a dark day (no horses selling) on Sept. 18.
12 – Number of times Taylor Made Sales Agency has been leading consignor at the September sale since 1998.

15 – Number of Eclipse Award champions since 2010 sold at the Keeneland September sale, including last year’s champion female sprinter Judy the Beauty and champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi.
TAKE CHARGE BRANDI WINNING THE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES

40 – The number of yearlings that brought seven-figure prices at the 2005 sale, prior to the economic downturn. Last year’s sale saw 13 yearlings fetch seven figures.
70 percent – Of the top 10 most expensive colts ever sold at the sale, seven of them were sired by Storm Cat.
78 – Graded stakes winners of 2015 that were sold at Keeneland September.
1944 – Year when yearling Thoroughbreds first were sold on the Keeneland grounds.     
4,164 – The number of yearlings cataloged for the 2015 sale.
HOW YEARLINGS ARE PREPARED FOR THE SALES RING

$99,312 – Average price of the yearlings sold at the 2014 sale.
$603,472 – Average cost to buy a Tapit yearling at the 2014 September sale.
$2.2 million – Highest price at last year’s sale. A pair of colts, by War Front and Tapit, each brought $2.2 million.
$7,880,000 – The total cost of the 22 horses purchased by John Ferguson at the 2014 sale. He has been the leading buyer 12 of the last 16 September sales.
$11.7 million – The highest-priced yearling to sell at Keeneland September, a Kingmambo colt in 2006.
$28,581,700 – Total cost of the 211 yearlings sold by Lane’s End Farm at the 2014 sale.
$279,960,500 – Total sales at the 2014 September sale. The auction topped out at more than $399 million in total receipts in 2006, prior to the economic recession.