January Yearling Market Deeper at the Top

With the overall yearling average tracking nearly even with last year's at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, you might wonder why consignors keep referring to the robust yearling market.

It's because the top end of the market is significantly stronger than a year ago.

Eight stallions had six-figure yearling averages after the first two sessions of the 2018 Keeneland January sale, among sires represented by two or more sold. The overall average for all yearlings sold to that point was $67,284.

This year, the first two sessions of the January sale generated an overall yearling average of $66,323, but the first half of the sale also produced 11 sires with six-figure yearling averages. As further evidence of this week's stronger market, five of these 11 sires had averages above $200,000, compared with a year ago when only Ashford Stud's American Pharoah  had an average higher than $200,000.

Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief , who is North America's 2018 leading sire of 2-year-olds, led the January yearling sires by average after the first two sessions with two sold for a $247,500 average. His top seller after the second session was a $375,000 colt out of the stakes-placed winner Mary Rita (by Distorted Humor ) that Ardfield Bloodstock bought from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. His other yearling was a $120,000 filly out of the Fusaichi Pegasus  daughter My Peg, who is a full sister to grade 1-placed winner Pegasus Wind and a half sister to stakes-placed stakes producer Ryejee's Dancer (Salt Lake). Bluewater Sales sold the filly to Liz Crow as agent for The Elkstone Group.

The other sires with averages above $200,000 were American Pharoah, Lane's End's Union Rags , Darley's Frosted , and Claiborne Farm's Runhappy .

Union Rags had the top-priced yearling through the second session, a $390,000 colt that Indian Creek sold as agent to Albert Racing. Bred by Kinnickinnic Stables, the colt is the first foal out of the Bernardini daughter Zondaq, who is a half sister to graded stakes winners Discreet Dancer (Discreet Cat) and Travelin Man (Trippi), plus graded-placed stakes winner Sweet N Discreet (Discreet Cat).

Among sires with two or more sold, American Pharoah and Frosted were the only other sires with a yearling to sell for $300,000 or more.

American Pharoah's top seller was a $330,000 colt that Hurstland Farm sold to Brady Bloodstock. The colt is out of graded-placed stakes winner Please Sign In (Doc's Leader), who is the dam of group 1 winner Certify (Elusive Quality) and grade 1 winner Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry). 

Taylor Made sold Frosted's highest-priced yearling, which brought $300,000 from Renee Dailey. The dark bay/brown filly is out of Cherokee Run stakes winner Indian Legend, who is a full sister to grade 3 winner and stakes producer Cherokee Queen.