A partnership of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, Gainesway, and Winchell Thoroughbreds paid $2 million for a colt by leading sire Tapit out of Grade 1 winner Tara's Tango to top Monday's second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which was marked by competitive bidding and the sale of nine yearlings for $1 million or more.
For today's final session of the two-day premier Book 1, Keeneland sold 100 yearlings for $44,535,000, for an average of $445,350 and a median of $360,000. Cumulatively, 209 horses have grossed $85,215,000, for an average of $407,727 and a median of $330,000. Fourteen yearlings sold for $1 million or more through the first two sessions and were purchased by 13 different domestic and international buyers.
Monday's session closed with four million-dollar horses sold within the last 11 hip numbers.
“It was a frantic end to the session, and we appreciate Barbara Banke for her support of Keeneland and congratulate her on having another top-priced horse,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said, referring to the breeder of the session topper. “Under the current circumstances, we are very pleased with the session. We are back to that great intensity of bidding, the going back and forth. The atmosphere and electricity returned, so that is wonderful.”
“For 30 minutes at the end of the sale we felt like there was no COVID,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said.
Eaton Sales, agent for Banke's Stonestreet Bred & Raised, consigned the session topper. By Unbridled's Song, Tara's Tango is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Visionaire and Grade 3 winners Scarlet Strike and Madison's Luna.
Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners signed the ticket for the colt.
“Partnerships are so prevalent in today's market,” Wellman said. “It is wild to think how far partnerships have come. We had a fabulous relationship with Cot Campbell of Dogwood Stable going back to when Eclipse first started. To think how the partnership model has evolved and that now we as a partnership company are partnering with moguls in the industry. It speaks volumes.
“Barbara Banke has been gracious about staying in as a partner,” he continued. “She adores this colt. Hopefully between all of us we have plenty of good mojo. All I care about is that you are interviewing our partnership after (the colt) wins a Grade 1.”
Larry Best's OXO Equine acquired a filly by Into Mischief for $1.9 million. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, she is out of the stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Taylor S, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Liam's Map and Grade 3 winner and sire Not This Time.
“Book 1 has been unbelievably strong,” said Best, who paid $1 million for an Into Mischief colt on Sunday. “It blew away my expectations. Keeneland should be very happy.”
Taylor Made was the session's leading consignor, recording sales of $6.92 million for 14 horses.
Three of Monday's seven-figure horses are by Into Mischief, sire of recent Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Authentic. Into Mischief was the leading sire by gross on Monday, with 11 yearlings selling for $8.25 million. He is also the leading sire by gross for Book 1, represented by 20 yearlings that brought $13,085,000.
Another three of day's top-priced horses are by Medaglia d'Oro.
Shadwell Estate Company Ltd. of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum paid $1.6 million for a filly by Medaglia d'Oro who is a half-sister to English and Irish stakes winner Sergei Prokofiev.
Rick Nichols, Vice President and General Manager of Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Farm in Lexington, signed the ticket.
“She is a beautiful filly – the kind you have to have,” Nichols said. “Sheikh Hamdan told me this morning to try to concentrate on getting some really nice fillies. We send all of our good fillies to England, and he keeps promising to send them back (but he doesn't). Our broodmare band is starting to get a little old, and we need to rejuvenate it a little bit. I am pretty sure she will stay (in the U.S.) because the (offspring of) Medaglia d'Oro seem to do better here.”
Anderson Farms, agent, consigned the filly, whose dam is the Tapit mare Orchard Beach. In 2017, Sergei Prokofiev sold for $1.1 million at the September Sale.
“I'm very emotional right now,” David Anderson said. “I bred the mother and I bred this filly and she's probably the most athletic filly I've ever had on the farm. We came here fairly confident that everyone would feel the same way I do, and I know that Mr. Nichols bought her for Shadwell. I want to thank Mr. (Joe) Allen for being the underbidder on the filly. There were many wonderful people that I respect that came by to see the filly and bid on her. It means a lot to a little guy from Canada.”
Robbie Medina, agent, spent $1.4 million for a Medaglia d'Oro filly who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Salty. Baccari Bloodstock, agent, consigned the filly, whose dam is the stakes-placed Dixie Union mare Theycallmeladyluck.
A colt by Curlin and a filly by American Pharoah sold for $1.2 million each.
The partnership of Repole Stable, St. Elias, Gainesway, John Oxley and Grandview spent the amount on the Curlin colt, whose dam is multiple Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky, by Midnight Lute. Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the colt, who is from the family of Grade 1 winners Hookedonthefeelin, Pussycat Doll and Jimmy Creed.
Mike Rutherford purchased the American Pharoah filly, who was consigned by Betz Thoroughbreds, agent. Out of Grade 1-placed winner Modification, by Vindication, she a half-sister to undefeated Amsterdam (G2) winner Yaupon.
Rutherford said his current racing stable consists of six offspring of American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner.
“She is beautiful, gorgeous. Best filly I have seen,” Rutherford said about his latest acquisition. “Let's hope she can run.”
Medaglia d'Oro also sired a filly that sold for $1.1 million. Indian Creek, agent, consigned the daughter of the stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare Thirteen Arrows. Out of multiple Grade 1 winner Stop Traffic, Thirteen Arrows is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Cross Traffic.
Two fillies by Into Mischief brought $1.025 million apiece.
Don Adam's Courtlandt Farm purchased the first, whose third dam is Hall of Famer Personal Ensign. Clearsky Farms, agent, consigned the filly, who is out of the winning stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Mary Rita.
“We've looked at a few Into Mischiefs,” Courtland Farm Manager Ernie Retamoza said. “Yesterday, we got outbid on the colt that brought $1 million. We're a big fan of Into Mischief. We thought (this filly) had a lot of substance and a lot of class, and she's the kind of filly we want in our race program.
“It seems like for all the better ones you have to go further than you thought you'd want to go. But that's the way the sale is going. Everybody is on the same ones it seems like.”
BSW/Crow acquired the second seven-figure Into Mischief filly, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Gift Box and Grade 2 winner Stonetastic. She is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me.
Liz Crow, who signed the ticket for an undisclosed client, said she first saw the filly at the farm before the sale.
“She has a great attitude, just the way that she carried herself and presented herself with a lot of class,” Crow recalled about that visit. “She did the same here. Every time I saw her she just was classier than the last time.”
The filly was consigned by Machmer Hall Sales, agent for Machmer Hall I.
“This means so much because I bought Special Me (at the 2009 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale for $6,000) as a broodmare prospect,” Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall said. “It has been a whole progression of seeing and raising all of her foals. She is a great mom and is easy to get in foal and raises nothing but runners. She is the little mare that could.”
BSW/Crow was the session's leading buyer, spending $2.84 million for four horses.
The September Sale takes a one-day hiatus tomorrow then resumes Wednesday with the first session of the two-day Book 2 beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
To view the full results, click here.
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