Ten yearlings brought $100,000 or more during the session while 13 hit that mark last year.

Keeneland sold a total of 289 yearlings through the ring Thursday for $9,276,500, good for an average of $32,099 and a median of $25,000. The gross was down 10.24% from last year's $10,335,000 when 308 horses sold. The average decreased 4.34% from $33,555 in 2022, while the median stayed the same.

Cumulatively, a total of 2,392 yearlings have changed hands for $388,649,700, good for an average of $162,479 and a median of $85,000. The gross is 2.82% below the same period last year when 2,488 horses sold for $399,940,000. The average price of $162,479 is slightly above $160,748, while the median of $85,000 is equal to last year.

Calumet Farm acquired five yearlings for a total of $390,000 to be the session's leading buyer. Taylor Made Sales Agency was Thursday's leading consignor with gross sales of $795,000 for 25 horses sold.

“Today has been amazing,” Taylor Made's Mark Taylor said nearing the end of Thursday's session.

“I don't know what the final numbers will bear out. But it's just been amazing–the activity. Horses got shown more than they ever have in Book 5 and they've gotten vetted more than they ever have in Book 5. And generally speaking, if they vet, they are selling very well. To me, it feels like a lot of people, a lot of energy and a lot of activity. A lot of it is driven by the pinhookers, who have been shut out along the way. I expect Book 6 to be better than usual.”

Airdrie Stud freshman sire Complexity led all sires on the day with eight yearlings sold, including a pair of six-figure sellers, for a total of $402,000 ($50,250 average). Taylor Made Stallions's fellow first-crop sire Instagrand checked in third on the day with eight yearlings bringing $369,000 ($46,125 average). Darley's Frosted split the pair with seven yearlings realizing $399,000 ($57,000 average).

Bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan's Springhouse Farm, Thursday's Bolt d'Oro session topper was consigned as Hip 3590 by Paramount Sales, Agent LXXXIII. The daughter of the unraced Tale of the Cat mare Tigress Tale is a half-sister to last summer's Coronation Cup S. heroine Empress Tigress (Classic Empire).

The aforementioned son of Frosted was produced by the Forest Wildcat mare Streaker, a half-sister to Phipps GISWs Pine Island (Arch) and Point of Entry (Dynaformer). Consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent, as Hip 3572, he was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver S. Tait.

The September Sale has two sessions remaining on Friday and Saturday, both beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

Nothing But Net…

DeJuan Smith, a ringman for Keeneland and also a show person for Taylor Made Sales, enjoyed a fantastic return on investment with a colt from the first crop of Instagrand on Thursday.

Purchased for just $15,000 earlier this year as a FTKFEB yearling, the New York-bred brought $105,000 from Don't Stop Me Now Stable at KEESEP.

Out of the winning More Than Ready mare Sistas Ready, the dark bay received a very timely update when his 2-year-old half-brother Vote No (Divisidero) captured the Pepsi Juvenile Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs last week.

He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent XXVII, as Hip 3552.

“DeJuan started pinhooking last year, had some success and did very well,” Taylor said. “This was his only one that he had this year and just did a great job raising the horse. It was a New York-bred and he got a very timely update right before the sale. It all came together and he did very well.”

Instagrand has also been represented by a $350,000 colt (Hip 1524) and a $125,000 colt (Hip 1174) so far during this Keeneland September sale. He stood for $7,500 this year.

“Instagrand has been great and a lot of people are talking about him,” Taylor said. “He's throwing really nice-looking horses. He's got a lot of momentum right now.”

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Activity at the sales barns was brisk throughout the weekend and continued to be strong on a cloudless, sunny morning in Lexington Monday.

“We are into day three of showing,” said Kerry Cauthen outside of his Four Star Sales consignment barn. “The first two days were very strong. Early on Saturday, we were covered with all-lookers and yesterday it started to separate into, 'OK, these are the ones we like,' and still we had nothing but dead steady, all-day long, great traffic.”

Shoppers at the barns Monday included the major 2-year-old pinhookers–Paul Sharp, Eddie Woods, Dave Scanlon, Ciaran Dunne, Tom McCrocklin, Steve Venosa and Raul Reyes were seen making the rounds–interspersed with a mixture of end-users and agents such as trainer Ken McPeek–perenially very active at the summer auction–Steve Young, Marette Farrell, and Tom McGreevy.

“It's always been seen as a pinhookers sales, but we have had a lot of end-users–Kenny McPeek just came through here, Marette Farrell just came through here–so there are plenty of end users,” said Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall Sales.

The Fasig-Tipton July sale has developed a strong roster of graduates, with the likes of Grade I winners Chocolate Gelato (Pratical Joke) and Faiza (Girvin) gracing this year's cover. Both of those 2021 graduates rewarded their buyers when selling for nifty profits at the 2-year-old sales last year before finding top-level success on the racetrack. The 2022 July sale also produced the $2.2-million son of Good Magic who topped this year's OBS April sale.

“This is a sale of physicals,” Brogden said. “People have been complaining about the pedigrees, but this is supposed to be a sale of physicals. We just try to bring the type that the more you look at them, the more you like them.”

Consignors are expecting to see familiar trends in the marketplace as the yearling sales season opens.

“I think we are going to continue to see the general trend that we've seen the last couple of years,” said Conrad Bandoroff of Denali Stud. “The top-quality offerings are going to bring as much or more, as they always do. Whether there is going to be any correction in the middle market, my crystal ball is not that good, but all I can say is we are showing these yearlings a lot.  The feel and the appetite for horses seems good.”

Cauthen has similar expectations.

“As always, it will depend on the individuals that they are looking at,” he said. “I think for the good individuals, it will be a very good marketplace.”

Last year's July sale, topped by a $600,000 son of Curlin, saw 189 yearlings gross $21,763,500 for an average of $115,151 and a median of $90,000. It was the auction's co-highest median, second highest average, and its highest gross since 2008.

The yearling market only seemed to get hotter from there. But while bidding was fierce throughout the yearlings sales last summer and fall, consignors at the 2-year-old sales this spring found they were selling in what seemed to be a more cautious marketplace.

“When you talk about softness in the 2-year-old market, I think there are a whole lot of different variables that go into that–were they able to buy the same quality of product that they had in the past,” Cauthen said. “I think [a weaker 2-year-old market] is, of course, always a concern, but honestly I think, based on traffic, based on attitude, I think there is quite a bit of buyers' interest at this point.”

Brogden seemed to be thinking along the same lines when she reflected on the yearling market from a year ago and the resulting juvenile market this spring.

“My personal opinion as to why the 2-year-old sales were not as strong is because the yearling sales last year were insane,” Brogden said. “I felt like a lot of the 2-year-old consignors had to compromise or overpay for what they bought. In our own consignment, I felt like 2-year-old consignors, especially in the later books in [Keeneland] September, were buying horses that really weren't the type of physicals or vetting I would have thought that a 2-year-old consignor would take a risk on. But you have to have numbers. Just because the market is strong doesn't mean you don't need product. So people were buying.”

Brogden said she would encourage buyers to be ready to be quick out of the gates as the July sale opens Tuesday.

“Last year, I felt like as we rolled on through the sales that the yearling market got stronger and stronger,” she said. “I've tried to say to people for years, look hard and spend in July. People come to the July sale and say there are 4,000 more selling in the later sales. And I say, 'Yeah, but by the time you guys get to Book 3 September, you're going to be begging me to have horses that have these physicals that we are selling in the July sale.”

Despite any downturn in the 2-year-old market, pinhookers are always going to need yearlings this time of year, Bandoroff agreed.

“The nature of our business is, regardless of whether we had a good year or a bad year, we have to go back and reload and restock our inventory,” Bandoroff said. “The buyers may be being more careful, but when they see that horse that fits the mold of what they are looking for, I still think they are going to be trying to buy them.”

Looking out over a bevy of shoppers, Joe Seitz of Brookdale Sales said the yearling market was strong enough to survive a slight correction.

“A lot of those people [pinhookers] that you just mentioned are here, so that's a good sign,” Seitz said. “If people are being a little more conservative, that's OK. I still think it will be healthy. It's been really strong for a couple of years now, so even if it were to level a little bit, I think we will be fine.”

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A common refrain from consignors heading into the one-session auction was timeliness, as the sale's place on the calendar puts it right in front of a busy summer of racing, both regionally and at boutique meets on both coasts at Saratoga and Del Mar.

“I think this sale is an extremely useful sale on the calendar because of the timing,” said Conrad Bandoroff of Denali Stud, which will offer 11 horses Monday afternoon. “It gives both buyers and sellers the option to bring in-form horses to the market and to really help to satisfy the demand for horses that have form and are running well. It is also potentially an avenue for horses that don't quite fit that mold–horses that need to be moved on and go to maybe a more regional or a softer circuit.”

The Seitz family's Brookdale Sales has been represented at every July Horses of Racing Age sale since its inaugural edition in 2013 and the consignment returns with 14 head on offer this year.

“It's a great outlet for people,” said Joe Seitz. “It is like two worlds coming together with people maybe offloading a horse that is still very raceable  and that gives people the opportunity to take advantage of this regional circuit which is so hot right now. It's a great opportunity for buying and selling.”

The horses of racing age sale can provide buyers with immediate access to success on the track.

“It's about as turnkey as you can get,” Seitz said. “When you bring a horse out here that is fit and has good form and with all the X-rays and physical information someone might need when they are trying to pick out a horse, what you're doing is presenting them something they can turn around with immediately and try to have some fun with, especially with these purses.”

Nowhere in the catalogue is that current form more noticeable than in the last offering in the catalogue, Crypto Mo (Mohaymen) (hip 645). Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the 3-year-old filly captured the GIII Iowa Oaks Saturday and comes into the auction on a three-race win streak.

“Crypto Mo is a very exciting addition to the catalogue,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “She is a ready-to-go graded stakes-winning 3-year-old filly with a lot of racing opportunities ahead of her. She has a similar profile to Stiletto Boy, who came into this sale off a win in the Iowa Derby a couple years back and is now a Grade I winner of $1.8 million.”

Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) sold for $420,000 at the 2021 July Horses of Racing Age sale and went on to capture this year's GI Santa Anita H. and has hit the board in five additional Grade I races.

John Ennis has made a habit of bringing in-form juveniles to the July Horses of Racing Age sale. The trainer topped the 2020 auction with County Final (Oxbow), who came into the auction off a runner-up effort in the GIII Bashford Manor S. and sold for $475,000. Ennis brings five juveniles into the 2023 auction and all are coming off maiden special weight victories.

“I usually bring 2-year-olds with form that are pretty commercial to the buyer,” Ennis said. “And the timing is great. Being in July, they can take them anywhere, Saratoga or Del Mar.”

Buying inexpensive yearlings and getting them success on the racetrack before re-offering them in July provides clients with the thrill of racing and potential profit in the sales ring, according to Ennis.

“It's enjoyable to the owners to get to go racing and hopefully be in the winner's circle and then come to the sale and hopefully make a profit,” Ennis said. “Everybody is looking for horses at the moment, so the timing is perfect. All of the horses have been really well-received so far and all of the right people have come to see them.”

Monday's Horses of Racing Age sale will be followed by the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings, which will be held Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m.

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“He was leggy and attractive and a good size,” said Brookdale's Joe Seitz. “He looks like he will shape out to be a really nice yearling next year. He has that look. I can see a lot of potential in him. We were very happy with that result.”

Out of stakes-winner Female Drama (Indian Charlie), the weanling is a half-brother to multiple stakes-placed Startdfromdabottom (Kantharos). His dam is a half-sister to Argentinian Group 1 winner New Real Deal (Roy).

A filly by Vekoma (hip 2205) brought the top price of Saturday's session of the Keeneland November sale when bringing a final bid of $215,000 from Frankie's Stable. Through seven sessions of the auction, 21 weanlings by the stallion have sold for an average of $93,571. Winner of the 2020 GI Carter H. and GI Met Mile, Vekoma stands at Spendthrift for a fee of $15,000.

While Seitz said he has not seen many of Vekomas first weanlings yet, he did get many positive reviews on the stallion while showing hip 2355 this week at Keeneland.

“We got a lot of compliments on the stallion and a lot of positive feedback when we were showing that colt about how well received the stallion has been,” Seitz said. “So it was a nice crescendo, it built up all week and that really helped the horse.”

The weekend's Book 4 section of the November sale saw 532 horses sell for $19,112,800. The average of $35,926 was up 3.4% from 2021, while the median remained constant at $25,000.

During last year's two-session Book 4, 582 horses sold for $20,220,000. The section average was $34,742 and the median was $25,000.

As the November sale marched into its second week, Seitz said there was still plenty of activity on the sales grounds.

“It still feels great,” he said. “The foals especially have been out constantly with lots of showing. And even the mares are getting plenty of action.”

The November sale continues through Wednesday and is followed by a horses of racing age sale Thursday. Bidding begins daily at 10 a.m.

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With two sessions remaining, a total of 2,488 yearlings (through the ring) have sold for $399,940,000, an increase of 14.63% over the same period last year when 2,428 horses sold grossed $348,885,500. Average price of $160,748 is up 11.87% from $143,693, while the median of $85,000 is 13.33% above $75,000 in 2021. RNA rate was down a tick from 20.21% to 19.32%.

Heading yesterday's action, a colt by red-hot young sire Girvin (Hip 3504), who has his first runners this year, topped the second of two Book 5 sessions of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Thursday when hammering for $290,000. Bred and consigned by Brookdale Sales, he was bought my Mick Wallace, agent for St. Elias Stables.

The Seitz family purchased Hip 3504's dam, SP Into Summer (Into Mischief), for $60,000 at last year's Keeneland January Sale with this colt in utero.

“He has developed really well,” said Brookdale's Joe Seitz. “My brother Freddy [Seitz] bought that mare down at OBS carrying this colt and brought her back home, so that is why he is a Kentucky-bred. He has been really nice all along. Girvin started to take off here with his 2-year-olds, which was nice. It was great watching him develop all summer and fill out just as those horses were running. The sire moved up to Kentucky, which gave the yearling even more profile. When we got up here, he stood out. People on the sales grounds started talking, word spread and everyone came for him.”

The horseman continued, “He was very exciting. He had a whole lot of vetting. He was shown 92 times in one day of showing. In Book 5, that is incredible. He handled it like a champ. He walked really great and covered a lot of ground. He never got tired.”

Keeneland ringman DeJuan Smith, profiled in Thursday's TDN, successfully pinhooked his $23,000 Palace Malice colt for $50,000 (Hip 3452).

For Thursday's session, 308 yearlings summoned $10,335,000 compared to the equivalent 2021 session when 303 youngsters grossed $9,194,000. Average was up from $30,343 to $33,555 and median was up from $23,000 to $25,000. RNA rate was about even at 12.75% compared to 12.17% in 2021.

“It has been non-stop at the barn,” Seitz said. “When I go up to the ring with a horse, all of the people in the back ring are all over me for information. It feels good.”

The two-day Book 6 begins Friday at 10 a.m.

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“A new wave of 100 2-year-olds recently joined their program,” explained Brookdale's Joe Seitz, consignor of the Godolphin draft of horses. “They have also retained more horses over the past few years than they normally have. At this time of year, it is ideal for them to make some decisions, because if they're not going to be top-end stakes horses, then they can be very useful for someone else. They have no problem with these horses going on to be successful racehorses for somebody else. They have very high parameters that they need to meet for their stable and this is an ideal time to thin out some numbers. These horses are very useful quality horses that some people are going to have fun with.”

And while no stranger to the July sale's HORA session, Godolphin is tweaking the product on offer for the 2021 renewal.

“They sold some last year at this sale, but those were mostly older horses,” Seitz said. “This year, they are offering 3-year-olds which is a nice addition, because these horses that have plenty of conditions left and a lot of 'blue sky' in front of them.”

Heading the group is Cave Hill (Frosted), winner of Turfway's Rushaway S. Mar. 27. A winner on all three racing surfaces, Hip 613 broke his maiden going a mile in the Indiana slop last October before adding a victory in a Tampa optional claimer on the sod in December. This season, the Brendan Walsh trainee hit the board in half of his starts, including a third in the Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream in January.

“He's been training really well,” affirmed Seitz. “He is definitely a listed caliber individual.”

A half-brother to dual Grade II scorer Skylighter (Sky Mesa), the gelding is a grandson of the Grade I-winning mare, Nastique (Naskra). He is from the first crop of Godolphin's GI Whitney winner Frosted (Tapit).

“What buyer wouldn't want to have a three-weapon arsenal,” said Seitz, explaining the allure of the gelding's ability dirt, turf and all-weather. “You can take him north, you can take him south, you can really run him just about anywhere you like.”

Hailing from the same family is Hip 648, a winning son of Ghostzapper named Ghostlighter. Out of the aforementioned Skylighter, the half-brother to graded-placed Sky Painter (Street Cry {Ire}) is the winner of two career starts, including the most recent registered going a mile at Indiana in April. In his latest start, he finished runner-up in a main track Arlington optional claimer July 4.

The page doesn't get much better than that of Tapwood, cataloged as Hip 564. By leading sire Tapit, the sophomore is out of dual Grade I-winning Better Lucky (Ghostzapper), who is a granddaughter of GI Breeders' Cup Sprint heroine Desert Stormer (Storm Cat). Stakes placed in Monmouth's Sapling S. at two, the gelding broke through for Mike Stidham a Tampa in January before hitting the board in three of his next four starts, including the most recent a second-place effort in a Delaware allowance June 24.

“He is a very good-looking son of Tapit who was second in his two latest starts,” he said. “He is a maiden winner, so he still has all his conditions and we think he's sitting on a win.”

Also sporting upside is National Road (Quality Road), a half-brother to a trio of stakes performing siblings, including German listed winner Clear Water (Hard Spun). Cataloged as Hip 526, the son of Storm Lily (Storm Cat) was second going 8 1/2 furlongs over the Churchill turf June 13 before finishing third at Ellis June 27.

“He was a 'top 15 horse' among [Godolphin's] 2-year-old class last year coming out of their leg-up farm,” offered Seitz. “The horse has a lot of ability. He's been competitive on the Kentucky circuit, so there is a lot of potential there. This could be a good opportunity for someone to have some fun with especially with all the KTDF money available right now because he's Kentucky bred. And he has all his conditions.”

Representing one of the leading stallions in the nation, Hip 598, Atone (Into Mischief), annexed a trio of races in 2020 before finishing seventh in the GIII Tampa Bay S. in February. Gelded thereafter, he finished third in his two most recent starts an Arlington optional claimer June 19.

With already a win under his belt this season, Commandeer (Street Boss) hit the board in four of five starts in 2021, including a victory for trainer Eoin Harty at Tampa in April. Hip 619, who  is out of Gozlan (Tiznow), a full-sister to dual Grade II winner and Grade I placed Tizaqueena, finished third on Arlington's all-weather last weekend.

Summarizing his overall assessment of the consignment's physical appeal as a whole, Seitz said, “These horses have been in the best of hands and have sensational pedigrees. Think of the broodmare band they are coming out of. And all of the horses really look the part, they really do. I know it sounds like a party line, but physically any one of them would knock your socks off. Each one is prettier than the next.”

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The logistics between racetracks, training centers, auctions, farms, and breeding sheds can give a person a lot of time behind the wheel, which leads to a lot of time listening to the radio.

In this edition of INQUIRY, we ask folks on the sales grounds what they're listening to while traveling from place to place with the question, “What is your favorite music for the road?”

Seth Gregory – Seth Gregory Bloodstock

“Country. I like a little bit of everything from old school guys like Hank Williams Sr. to '90s country, and some of the new stuff.”

Ron Blake – Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services

“I listen to Bachata music. It's a Latin dance originated in the Dominican Republic. I Bachata myself, it's a dance. I go to the Dominican Republic three or four times a year, and it makes me feel like I'm down there.”

Mike Recio – South Point Sales Agency

“R&B and hip hop. I like Drake, Tupac, and I've always been a Notorious B.I.G. fan from back in the day. It's good party music, it's got a good feel and beat, and that's what the kids are listening to.”

Joe McMahon – McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds

“'60s on 6 on Sirius Radio. All the great bands were in the '60s – There were the Beatles of course, and Elvis had some great songs in the '60s. Herman and the Hermits, Tommy James and the Shondells.”

Freddie Seitz – Brookdale Sales

“Wilco. I've liked them ever since I was 20 years old, and they come out with great music all the time.”

Chris Bernhard – Hidden Lake Farm

“Probably corny 1990s pop music. I usually listen to the news or something else, so I rarely listen to music, but if I had to pop a CD out of the case, it's probably something that's been sitting in there for 15 years.”

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That's the thought on the minds of folks in this edition of INQUIRY, where we ask members of the bloodstock industry to reminisce on the “tell your grandchildren” moments they've been fortunate enough to see by posing the question, “What is the greatest race you've seen in person?

Seth Gregory – Seth Gregory Bloodstock

“That one's easy. The 1996 Dubai World Cup. I was fortunate enough to go be Cigar's groom for that race. I was Bill Mott's foreman at the time, and his groom couldn't go, so I went as his groom. It was a huge blast.”

Mike Recio – South Point Sales

Jimbo Gladwell – Top Line Sales

Chris Bernhard – Hidden Lake Farm

“I would have to say the Travers that Arrogate won. I'm just in awe of the horse. We got a nice mare to Arrogate, and you just watched him show up, shipping all over the country, and it was cool to be in his presence.”

Joe McMahon – McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds

Freddie Seitz – Brookdale Farm

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