Donato Lanni | Horse Racing Free Tips

Strong Opener To October Sale

LEXINGTON, KY – The start of the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale was delayed an hour by heavy rain, but the weather seemed to be the only thing that could hold back the auction once the bidding got started Monday at Newtown Paddocks.

“We were very pleased with the opening session of the October sale,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Monday night. “I don't think there was any surprise that there was a lot of demand. We've seen strength in the yearling sales from the start to, hopefully, when we finish on Thursday. There was a lot of activity at all levels. There was spirited bidding at all levels with lots of competition and a very diverse crowd that was here buying horses with lots of representation from all over the world.”

During the session, 274 yearlings sold for $11,016,900 for an average of $40,208 and a median of $17,000. At the opening session of the 2020 auction, 248 head sold for $8,393,800 for an average of $33,846 and a median of $15,000.

Of the 396 head catalogued for Monday's session, 341 went through the ring with 67 reported not sold for a buy-back rate of just 19.6%. It was 22.2% a year ago.

“I think people feel more confident, in terms of the overall clearance rate and the percentage of horses sold who were catalogued,” Browning said. “I think there are fewer scratches, in part, because people now realize based on where the market is right now, you might still be able to sell a horse reasonably successfully without a lot of pre-sale vet activity because there is so much activity that is taking place in the back walking ring.”

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni made the day's highest bid when going to $700,000 to acquire a colt by Tapit (hip 22) from the Bedouin Bloodstock consignment early in the session. The price was the co-second highest for a colt in the sale's history.

The Fasig-Tipton October sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. daily.

Early Fireworks for Tapit Colt

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of the stallion-making partnership of SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket, helped the Fasig-Tipton October sale get off to a rousing start when making a final bid of $700,000 to secure a colt by Tapit (hip 22) from the Bedouin Bloodstock consignment.

“He just checked every box,” Lanni said of the yearling. “He has a fast look about him and he's by Tapit. He looks fast, he looks early and he looks sound. He is the kind of horse who just looks like he fits our program. When they possess everything, they end up bringing quite a bit.”

Lanni signed for 24 yearlings for a total of $10,590,000 on behalf of the partnership at last month's Keeneland September sale.

Of his continued buying spree as the yearling sales season winds down, Lanni said, “Some horses need a little more time to develop and maybe the earlier sales weren't the right place for them. I think this is a good place to sell. The sale has gotten better and better and it has a lot of momentum.”

Hip 22 is the first foal out of stakes winner March X Press (Shanghai Bobby). He was co-bred by SF Bloodstock and Henry Field Bloodstock. The co-breeders purchased March X Press, with the colt in utero, for $330,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

The bay colt had originally been targeted at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale in August.

“We were supposed to take him up to Saratoga and about two weeks before the sale he tangled with a fence,” Bedouin Bloodstock's Neal Clarke said. “So that put him out of Saratoga and then this was the next likely option for him. He went down very well here, people loved him and he sold well.”

Of the session-topping price, Clarke said, “You can't hide a good horse. If you have a nice one, they will find it. These people are professionals and they work hard and they will find them.”

Justify Colt to Fort

A colt from the first crop of Triple Crown winner Justify (hip 21) sold for $350,000 to John Fort early in Monday's first session of the October sale. The colt was bred and consigned by Blue Heaven Farm, which bred and campaigned his multiple stakes winning dam Maple Forest (Forestry).

“We haven't been in this business too long, so it's nice to see those third generation-type horses of ours succeed,” said Blue Heaven President and General Manager Adam Corndorf. “Maple Forest is a very special mare for us. She's a homebred stakes winner and won several stakes for us with Todd Pletcher. She has been a wonderful mare for us. She has had some very nice sales yearlings for us and some of them have earned blacktype.”

Hip 21 had originally been targeted at the Keeneland September sale.

“He was in the September sale at Keeneland, but he had a little paddock accident about a week before the sale,” Corndorf said. “We were lucky that we still had a sale to target after that. He just needed a couple of extra weeks and he stood out here.”

Blue Heaven founder Bonnie Baskin purchased Maple Forest's dam Maple Syrple (American Chance) for $320,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November sale. Maple Forest, who RNA'd for $200,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September sale, won three stakes and was second in the 2011 GIII Victory Ride S. She is also the dam of multiple stakes winner and graded placed Heartwood (Tapit) and stakes-placed Luzmimi Princess (Malibu Moon).

“We have a small operation, we have about 15 mares and produce about 12 horses a year,” Corndorf said. “We are hoping to just keep building. We would love to get to a point down the road where we could keep a couple of nice fillies as broodmare prospects, but for right now we are sales-focused and trying to sell everything.”

The Blue Heaven breeding operation enjoyed Grade I success earlier this year when Grace Adler (Curlin) won the GI Del Mar Debutante. The farm is also home to Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind).

“She's in foal to Medaglia d'Oro,” Corndorf said of the 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year who the operation acquired in 2018. “She is living the good life. She has a place with us forever. And we look forward to keeping some fillies out of her in the future.”

Union Rags Colt Destined for Resale

A colt by Union Rags (hip 266) is likely to return to the sales ring next spring after selling for $235,000 to the bid of pinhooker Ciaran Dunne, who signed under the name of the Redwings partnership. The yearling is out of stakes winner Purely Hot (Pure Prize) and is a half-brother to Grade I winner Eight Rings (Empire Maker). He was consigned by Taylor Made.

“He's by a proper stallion and he's a half-brother to a talented horse,” Dunne said of the yearling's appeal. “You've got to take a shot somewhere, so we took a shot there.”

Dunne was among the bidders on the Taylor Made-consigned and Three Chimneys-bred son of Gun Runner (hip 264) who RNA'd for $425,000 two hips earlier.

“The market is very strong,” Dunne said. “That's not surprising based on what happened earlier in the year. There were a lot of orders unfilled, ours included, so we knew people were going to come in here and be aggressive. It seems the ones people want bring way more than you'd anticipate.”

Dunne admitted the partnership groups which were so active at the Keeneland September sale had made his job more difficult.

“I think the different groups that are trying to make stallions seem to be playing more in our territory, in terms of physicals over pedigree, so they are a bigger pain in the ass than they normally are.”

Hip 266 was bred by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt. Bloodstock agent Hugo Merry purchased Purely Hot, with the colt in utero, for $1.2 million at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

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Bonanza Keeneland September Sale Concludes

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, launched last week with a Bluegrass band, mimosas, and a boutique Book 1 section, continued its momentum straight through to the end of its 11th session, concluding with a sales record average, median and buy-back rate. The gross, which was over $300,000,000 for three straight years before falling to $248,978,700 during the pre-vaccination pandemic in 2020, rebounded to $352,823,000 by the time the last hip went through the ring Friday evening. It was the auction's sixth highest gross in history.

“The hope was that we would return to previous levels, essentially like last year never happened,” said Keeneland director of sales operations Cormac Breathnach. “Last year was a good sale for the time we were living in, but this year is a massive return to a vibrant market.”

The sale average of $132,045 was up 30% from the 2020 figure and bettered the previous mark of $129,331 set in 2018. The median of $65,000 was up 75.68% from a year ago and broke the previous record figure of $57,000 set in 2017.

“If you look at the median, the median is just consistently very strong, which is an important indicator for the health of the market in general,” said Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy. “It's not crazy spikes where we are getting one horse selling for multiple millions and every other horse selling for below that. The median is the most important number for us as we look at the health of the industry.”

The record clearance rate of 19.01% improved on the figure of 19.2% set in 2012 and far surpassed the 2020 figure of 29.29%.

“When we see the clearance rate the way it is–we are breaking records almost on a daily basis for the number of horses sold through the ring–I think it was 325 sold through the ring Wednesday. That's just a remarkable number,” said Lacy. “The clearance rate is a very clear indicator of the strength of where we are at.”

Fueled by colt-buying partnerships, the September sale returned to its pre-pandemic levels, surpassing its total 12-session 2020 gross after just six of 11 sessions this year.

The New York-based partnership of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola, represented by bloodstock agent Jacob West, led all buyers with 43 yearlings purchased for $16,045,000 and was followed by the Southern California-based team of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, represented by Donato Lanni, which purchased 24 head for $10,590,000. Also making a big impact on the result sheets was the BSW/Crow Colts Group, which purchased 20 yearlings for $6,805,000.

West Point Thoroughbreds partnered up to purchase the auction's top three lots, teaming with Woodford Racing and Mike Talla to acquire the sale-topping $1.7-million son of City of Light; with Woodford Racing on a $1.6-million son of Quality Road; and with Talla on a $1.55-million colt by Triple Crown winner Justify.

Through various partnerships, West Point purchased 25 yearlings for $11,315,000.

Partnerships to the Fore

Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation and the Shadwell Estate Company of his late brother Sheikh Hamdan were the leading buyers at both the 2018 and 2019 auctions, but with those entities largely absent the last two years, American-based partnerships have filled the gap.

In 2019, Godolphin purchased 10 yearlings for $16 million and Shadwell purchased 18 head for $11,070,000. With Godolphin not appearing on the results sheets and Shadwell coming in as the fourth-leading buyer in 2020, the SF Bloodstock/SF/Madaket partnership led the standings a year ago with 28 bought for $11,250,000, while Repole and Viola were the auction's second-leading buyer with 15 purchased for $6,380,000.

The Repole/Viola axis came out on top in 2021, purchasing 43 yearlings for $16,045,000.

“We didn't necessarily have a plan in a sense of price ranges or numbers outside of just a certain type of horse we wanted to buy,” bloodstock agent Jacob West said. “The idea was just to buy as many two-turn Classic-distance type horses as we could. And I think that's pretty evident in the results when you go through and look at what we bought. There were a handful of horses, we bought one Karakontie colt and a couple of other ones and those were just athletes that we liked and we ran by Vinnie and Mike and they got on board with them. But the majority of the horses we bought were two-turn dirt horses, hopefully.”

Of the group's total haul from the September sale, West admitted, “I think if you held a gun to Mike and Vinnie's heads early on and asked if they were going to buy 43 horses, I don't think they would have said yes. But we never discussed a number and we never discussed a budget, to be quite honest. I know that doesn't make for good reading material, but we just went in there with the idea of trying to identify the best horses we could and secure the best horses we could.”

As partnerships among top buyers began to grow several years ago, there appeared to be some concern that the teaming up of people who had previously competed against each other in the sales pavilion would keep prices down, but as more and more partnerships form, the opposite seems to be happening.

“I think now you are seeing more and more partnerships all targeting the same thing,” West said. “And with the demand up for those horses, the prices in turn go up. And then there is a trickle down effect because that gives other people that wouldn't be targeting those horses the opportunity to buy horses that we may have passed on for whatever reason. It's kind of one of those rising tides rise all boats theory. When there are guys willing to spend more money, I think it opens up more opportunities for buyers.”

Consignor Peter O'Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm agreed the proliferation of partnerships was a plus for sellers.

“There is a lot of money pooling together in different groups and they are bidding for the good horses,” O'Callaghan said. “I think there is no question that they are helping now. There was a period where you felt like they were teaming up a bit, but I think there is a depth of partnerships now. Different money is pooling together in different groups and they are all bidding against each other. It's a new sort of competition. Long may it continue and I hope they all have success.”

Of the impact that partnerships had on the sale results, Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy said, “They are extremely important. I know that Jacob West is buying into Book 4 for the same partnership and Donato is doing the same thing. It's a recognition that people want nice horses and they are supporting every level of the market. And I think that's very encouraging. I think as you look, it's great what you find from syndicates like MyRacehorse all the way through to a partnership of two people. I think you see that the spreading of risk, but buying a large number of horses is incredibly healthy. And it allows people to have fun in a way that is probably more affordable and more viable for the long-term health of our industry. I would love to see more of it because the more people who get involved, the more fans, the more followers, that organically creates a fan base. And if we can encourage and incentivize more people to get involved that way, I think it's also an incubator for people who want to do it for themselves. I applaud it and welcome it strongly.”

A Little Less Top Heavy

There were 15 seven-figure yearlings sold at the 2021 September sale–led by a $1.7-million son of City of Light– matching the number from the 2020 sale which was topped by a $2-million colt by Tapit. In 2019, 22 yearlings sold for a million dollars or more, with seven over $2 million, including an $8.2-million filly and a $4.1-million colt.

With major buyers from years past on the sidelines, the top of the market may have been a little less top, but that may make for a healthier marketplace, according to Keeneland's director of sales operatioins Cormac Breathnach.

“We view that as a positive, to be honest,” Breathnach said of his view of the top of the market. “For some years, the middle was suffering, but the upper market, the top 1% or 2% of horses were selling well. So averages looked good, but sometimes the median suffered and the RNA rates were higher. The spread of that equity and that response to the horses the breeders are supplying us with is very strong. It's very positive for the market and for the players in the industry that are hopefully getting a good pay day here at the sales. So I think, as much as we would like to see the continued participation in the multi-million dollar level–there is nothing wrong with that at all–but it's probably more valuable to have the really healthy middle market with plenty of million-dollar horses up top.”

Consignors found plenty of strength in the middle market, which many had found soft in years past.

“I thought [the sale] would pick up steam as the books went, and it did,” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. “The middle market has been the strongest part of the market for horses all year long, and [the September Sale] just proved that there's a lot of people in the middle. There's a good stable, solid domestic market out there right now, and that's good for all of us.”

While the cumulative buy-back rate for the entire auction was a sparkling 19.01%, the Book 1 buy-back rate was 34.2%.

That figure wasn't a concern for Keeneland's Tony Lacy, who attributed it to high-end breeders who were happy to race their yearlings.

“If you look at Book 1 and 2, a lot of people were very active in there,” Lacy said. “If you speak to the vets, the vets have never been busier. I spoke to one vet who vetted almost every horse in Book 1 just for clients that he had. I think you'll find that some people who were selling were protecting their horses quite heavily and that was their right. That they are wanting to race if they don't get a certain valuation is showing the strength of the support and belief they have in their horse.

Lacy continued, “If you look at the median and averages for Book 1, it's pretty much double Book 2. So the quality was there–there were certainly a number of outs that were never on the grounds for whatever reason. I think we have to look at it in a more holistic way rather than just the final number. Because I think you'll find there is more to the story when you have buyers who are very diligent in their selection process. And it's not just a raw figure, 'Well, they didn't like them.' I think every horse got heavy traffic and was strongly considered. I think we want to try to build the market for horses in that price range. I think as you get some of those partnerships coming together, you want to build that model for a greater number of horses at that price level.”

Buy-Back Rate a Positive

The back walking ring at Keeneland remained crowded right to the end of the 11th session Friday and trade was conducted at record levels. At the close of business, the buy-back rate was just 19.01%, bettering the previous mark of 19.2% set in 2012. It was 29.29% in 2020 and 24.24% in 2019.

Records were twice set for number of horses sold through the ring during a single session: 319 in session seven followed by 325 in session nine.

“I think that the biggest positive along the lines of maybe being a surprise is the clearance rate,” Keeneland's Cormac Breathnach said Thursday. “The clearance rate is outstanding. We are running at 8% or 9% buy-backs the last two days. That's rare in any market. There are a lot of happy sellers and happy breeders out there and that's a great sign for the industry.”

He continued, “And overall, the post-sale RNA market is extremely strong. We have about 110 published RNAs to sale already, but there are others that didn't get in the published results, so we have a very strong market in the RNA to sale area as well. And that's going to continue. It's only going to grow in the next day or so.”

Economics Make Sense for End-Users

Strong purse structures across the country, plus racing's increased exposure to new players, created a September buying bench dominated by domestic end-users.

“One of the most encouraging things from the sale has been the activity of domestic end-users and for a very long time that has been something that we wanted more of,” Keeneland's Cormac Breathnach said. “With purses being up, the energy around the sport and increased exposure at a time when other sports were shut down feels like it is paying off in a tangible way here at the sales. There was a lot of new money. The sale itself has been so strong despite the lack of participation from some very wealthy supporters in years past. So that has been very encouraging. The international market is not taken lightly and it's really stepped up, but the domestic end-users market I think is what pushed a lot of the buyers back in the later books.”

The 2021 results reflected a shift in the economics of the industry, according to bloodstock agent Jacob West.

“I think the economics of horse racing have changed in the favor of horse ownership,” West said. “We have four or five tracks that are running maiden special weights for $100,000 or more. I think we are second to Australia in million-dollar races here in America. We trump everything that is overseas outside of Australia. They can't even compete with us. Their maidens are like £10,000. They are nowhere near where we are here even at some of our lower level tracks. The prize money that is on offer in the United States is very strong right now and we just have to keep that going. If we can keep that going then more people will be willing to spend.

West continued, “There is another factor, too. Though there is a reducing foal crop year after year, there is still an appetite for horse racing. And supply and demand and availability comes into play. Fewer horses but higher demand equals higher prices.”

Racing is reaping the benefits of increased exposure during the pandemic, according to consignor Peter O'Callaghan.

“Horse racing did a great job managing COVID and staying going through COVID,” O'Callaghan said. “I think we captured a lot of new fans there with the FOX coverage, which has been great, and exposing us to a much greater audience and helping bring in new people and new money. And then betting handle is through the roof everywhere. Purse money is getting better and better and it's exploding. And we are seeing the effects of all that this week.”

With plenty of added competition from end-users, pinhookers found buying at the September sale extra tough this year.

Veteran pinhooker Ciaran Dunne said his team found the competition at the September extra tough as they vied with the various powerhouse partnerships for the top-level colts, while finding value by focusing on individual over pedigree was difficult with the fillies the group tried to buy.

“The sale was unbelievably tough,” Dunne said. “Colts were virtually impossible to buy and even the fillies with physical you wanted were incredibly expensive. It seems the emphasis is all on physical now, which makes our job nigh on impossible.”

Pinhooker Joe Pickerell's Pick View purchased 10 yearlings for $972,000 during the September sale.

“From top to bottom, there was a lot of competition for horses in all price ranges and at all levels,” Pickerell said “It was a little tough in the beginning, but then we started finding spots and getting horses bought. We ended up being really pleased with how it turned out overall.”

Pickerell continued, “Between foal crop being down and the purse structure higher, end users were buying in later books compared to past years.”

The Pick View team, which shopped from Book 2 through the end of the sale, stuck to its original plan despite the increased competition.

“I think it's very important that we don't panic, stay patient and stick to our program,” Pickerell said. “We got a little frustrated early, but then we reassured ourselves to just stick to the program and stick to what we've got to buy. We ended up prevailing and got some really nice horses bought.”

Format Draws Praise

Keeneland has been tinkering with the format of its September sale for several years now, but drew positive reviews for its 2021 format which featured two-session books and a dark day following Book 2.

“The consignors and the sellers were very happy to have 1,100 horses on the grounds prior to the dark day,” said Keeneland's Cormac Breathnach. “It was really something that, combined with the new atmosphere in the pavilion and some of those changes created the energy at the start of the sale–the champagne, the various hors d' oeuvres that were being passed around–that really worked in the sense that it kicked the sale off in a very positive way and it created a lot of momentum. That momentum set the tone for Book 1 and into Book 2 and so on and it's really carried on.”

On the other side of the ledger, Breathnach said, “Every buyer commented that they were appreciative of the number, the critical mass, of horses they had to look at. And they felt like the dark day really allowed them to get ahead, so they weren't playing catch up. They had a lot of horses on the grounds, but in a way that they could get through them and evaluate them and take their notes and not miss any. From that point of view, I really think that the format is tremendously successful this year and was definitely a factor in the success of the sale.”

Consignor Peter O'Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm agreed Keeneland hit upon the right format for its mammoth September sale.

“They got this Book 1 right, a little bit by accident, because there was a promise of three days and they managed to fill it properly with two days,” said O'Callaghan. “The trick now is to maintain it–keep this Book 1 right and keep enough horses in it for a two-day format followed by the two-day format all the way through. And having moved their dark day worked out really well. If they can keep this Book 1 right, the rest of it takes care of itself. It all starts with Book 1, they just need to maintain this now and keep it.”

While Jacob West was happy overall with the format, he had one possible adjustment.

“At the end of the day, I pray to God they don't change it,” West said. “We have had so much volatility in the format with Keeneland over the last couple of years and I think they got it right this year. If I had one small change, you didn't see a decline in prices, but going into Book 2, the change from 1 p.m. start time with Book 1 into the 11 a.m. start time, we had that one day where it was just raining all day long and we were scrambling to try to catch up. I wish they would have had some sort of flexibility in that day to push the start time back an hour or two to allow people to catch up. With more horses going into Book 2, I wish we had an hour or even two. That makes a big difference. You can look at 50 horses in an hour, if you're rolling through them and you're organized and you can get to the right consignments at the right time. More time equals more research you can get done.”

Indian Creek's Shack Parrish would like to see the September sale kick off with an even more select Book 1 section.

“To me, we still need to work out the Book 1 thing,” Parrish said. “I think one day of Book 1 and being very, very select might work better than trying to place some in there that are overwhelmed by the strength of the other horses. I think it would be easy enough to do that.”

Familiar Names at the Top

Taylor Made Sales Agency was the leading consignor at the September sale for the seventh straight year. The operation sold 304 yearlings for $37,306,500.

For the second year in a row, Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief was the leading sire by gross, with 62 yearlings selling for $25,967,000.

Into Mischief was followed by a pair of first-crop sires with Triple Crown winner Justify represented by 61 yearlings sold for $22,431,000 and City of Light, who had 47 sell for $17,525,000.

Into Mischief had three yearlings sell for seven figures. City of Light was represented by a pair of million-dollar yearlings, led by the $1.7-million sale-topping colt consigned by Rosilyn Polan's Sunday Morning Farm, and that number was matched by his sire Quality Road. Claiborne's War Front also had two yearlings surpass the $1-million mark.

South Point, Herbener Teams Carry On

The Keeneland consignor ranks were hit by a pair of tragedies during the September sale, with South Point Sales Agency's Mike Recio and consignor James Herbener both passing away.

“I think there needs to be a special recognition of the teams at South Point and with Jim Herbener,” Jacob West said. “They were absolutely blind sided by tragic events. Mike [Repole] and Vinnie [Viola] bought one Arrogate colt off of South Point, hip 830. It's one of those deals where we bought the horse because we liked him, but it did mean a lot to support South Point and the team that kept the flag flying for the Recio family after his passing. I do want to make sure there is some special recognition to those teams for sure.”

Silent Name Filly Tops Keeneland Finale

A filly by Silent Name (Jpn) (hip 3807) brought the top price of Friday's final session of the Keeneland September sale when selling for $120,000 to Bill and Anne Scott. The yearling, one of two to bring six figures on the day, was bred by Adena Springs and consigned by Hidden Brook. She is out of graded stakes winner Ice Festival (Awesome Again).

In all, 244 yearlings sold at Keeneland Friday for a total of $3,937,500. The session average was $16,137 and the median was $12,000. With 256 of 453 catalogued head going through the ring, just 12 horses were reported not sold for a buy-back rate of 4.69%.

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Demand Among Buyers ‘Unrelenting’ During Keeneland September Yearling Sale’s Fifth Session

The strong pace at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued Saturday when the auction resumed following a one-day hiatus and Donato Lanni, agent, acquired a filly by Curlin for $800,000 to lead positive results.

On Saturday, the fifth session of the September Sale and the first of the two-day Book 3, 269 yearlings sold for $45,003,000, for an average of $167,297 and a median of $135,000. To date, Keeneland has sold a total of 889 yearlings through the ring for $245,422,000, for an average of $276,065 and a median of $200,000.

There were 91 yearlings listed as reserve not attained, 25.3% of the 360 lots through the ring.

“The demand for quality stock from domestic end users has continued to drive the market, and it is unrelenting,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “There is a lot of positivity around the grounds with an influx of new buyers arriving daily. The Sales Pavilion has been busy every day, and we look forward to tomorrow when we have another exciting group on offer.”

The session topper, who was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, is out of Grade 3-placed Divine Elegance, by Uncle Mo. She is from the family of Grade 1-placed stakes winner Standard Deviation and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Believe You Can.

John Williams paid $775,000 for a colt by Gun Runner consigned by Denali Stud, agent, He is out of the Indian Charlie mare Sapucai, a half-sister to Canadian champion Moonlit Promise, and from the family of Horse of the Year and sire A.P. Indy, Preakness (G1) winner Summer Squall and Grade 1 winner Court Vision.

A colt from the first crop of Grade 1 winner City of Light who is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Selcourt sold for $760,000 to Donato Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket. Consigned by Columbiana Farm, agent, he is out of Azure Spring, by Open Forum, and from the family of Grade 2 winner Fashionably Late.

Two yearlings by Gun Runner sold for $675,000 apiece.

A colt out of the Bernardini mare Secret Jewel sold for $675,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigned the half-brother to Grade 3 winner Twenty Carat from the family of Breeders' Cup winners Shared Account and Sharing along with Grade 2 winner Sapphire N' Silk.

A daughter of Gun Runner out of stakes winner Happy Mesa, by Sky Mesa, sold for $675,000 to David Lanigan, agent for Heider Family Racing. The filly, who is from the family of Grade 1 winner Perfect Alibi, was consigned by Gainesway, agent.

Gainesway led all consignors Saturday by selling 23 horses for $4,620,000.

A filly by Curlin who is the first foal of Grade 3 winner Berned, by Bernardini, sold for $575,000 to Patrice Miller, E.Q.B., agent. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, she is from the family of Grade 1 winners Harmony Lodge and Magnum Moon.

Two yearlings by Practical Joke sold for $520,000 and $500,000.

Maverick/Siena paid $520,000 for a filly by Practical Joke from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Zazu and Grade 2 winner Flashback. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, she is out of the Lookin At Lucky mare Lucky Rose.

West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias, spent $500,000 on a Practical Joke colt consigned by Nursery Place, agent. Out of the Empire Maker mare Queen of the Realm, he is from the family of champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist, Grade 1 winner Sahara Sky, Grade 2 winner Seeking Regina and Grade 3 winner Seeking the Sky.

Also bringing $500,000 was a colt from the first crop of champion Good Magic out of the Scat Daddy mare Charladora, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Laoban, who sold to Buffolo Bloodstock. Lane's End, agent, consigned the colt, who also is from the family of Grade 1 winner I'm a Chatterbox and Canadian champion Mr. Hustle.

Mike Ryan, agent, was the leading buyer, spending $3.07 million for 11 horses.

The September Sale continues Sunday and runs through Friday, Sept. 24. All sessions begin at 10 a.m. ET.

The entire September Sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.

The post Demand Among Buyers ‘Unrelenting’ During Keeneland September Yearling Sale’s Fifth Session appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Blitzkrieg Opener to Keeneland Book 3

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland September Yearling Sale lost none of its momentum during a dark day Friday, returning with an opening Book 3 section that featured strong demand from start to finish in Lexington Saturday.

During the session, 269 head sold for $45,003,000. The session average was $167,297–up 53.46% from last year's Book 3 opener which was held amidst the uncertainty of the pre-vaccination pandemic–and the median increased 58.82% to $135,000. With just 92 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate Saturday was 25.48%. It was 40.12% a year ago.

“I think the way people are landing on the same horses, people keep getting bumped and as they keep getting bumped, they still have money to spend,” said Chris Baker of Three Chimneys Farm, which sold two of Saturday's top four lots. “It's the nice ones you get rewarded for. For the buyers, there is not enough supply. So I think the money is still there for big numbers in this book. And the individuals are here, too.”

Through five sessions of the September sale, 889 yearlings have sold for $245,422,000. The average is $276,065 and the median is $200,000. The buy-back rate stands at 28.82%.

A filly by Curlin from the Eaton Sales consignment brought the day's highest price when selling for $800,000 to the bid of bloodstock agent Donato Lanni.

While Lanni continued to be active on behalf of the stallion-making partnership of SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket, he purchased this filly on behalf of owners Karl and Cathi Glassman.

“It's been really hard to buy what you want,” Lanni said. “It's so competitive. It's so, so strong. The good ones bring that and more. Book 1, 2 and 3 have been strong. It's just carried over from the 2-year-old sales.”

Three Chimneys' standout freshman sire Gun Runner was represented by three of Saturday's top five lots, with trainer Kelsey Danner purchasing the stallion's top offering of the day when going to $775,000 on behalf of John Williams. The yearling was consigned by Denali Stud on behalf of Three Chimneys.

“I think that's the record for us in Book 3,” Denali's Conrad Bandoroff said of the price. “I can't think of us ever having a better result than that. The market is strong. I think what is amazing is that this is almost entirely a domestic market. The entire sale has been. We are missing some of the foreign participation that we are used to seeing, especially on some bigger ticket items. But the strength of the domestic market has been fantastic and I think there is evidence of that today.”

Jacob West, who made eight purchases Saturday on behalf of Mike Repole and St. Elias, expects the fireworks to continue as the sale heads into its second week.

“It's going to be this way through–you could have eight books–if they are good horses they are going to bring good money,” West said. “If they are deemed good by the public, they will bring a lot of money. So it's not stopping. You're going to see high-priced horses in Book 4, you might even see something in Book 5 if the right horse is there for everybody. I think really what you are going to see now is a lot of the pinhookers getting involved. I don't think they were able to buy anything in Book 1 and 2. I know a lot of them are still here and they are probably a little frustrated that they haven't been able to get what they want. They are here to shop.”

The Keeneland September sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Curlin Filly Lights Up Keeneland

As afternoon marched into evening Saturday at Keeneland, bloodstock agent Donato Lanni outlasted Jacob West to land a filly by Curlin (hip 1455) for a session-topping $800,000 on behalf of Karl and Cathi Glassman. The yearling was consigned by Eaton Sales on behalf of her breeder, Breeze Easy.

“I really wanted this filly,” Lanni said. “We have been outbid, like everybody else in this sale. She's a well-bred filly with sire power and pedigree and she was just amazing out there. We've just been getting outbid. I am so happy they let me buy her and they didn't make me stop. We've been stopping all week and they stuck in there and got her.”

The filly is out of graded placed Divine Elegance, a daughter of multiple graded winner Classic Elegance (Carson City).

Breeze Easy purchased Divine Elegance, in foal to Tapit, for $750,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“We're very happy with that result,” Breeze Easy's Mike Hall said. “We loved the filly and we would have been happy if she hadn't sold. We are trying to build a breeding operation along with our racing operation. We feel like you have to sell some good horses to keep our operation going.”

Breeze Easy has enjoyed racetrack success with the likes of Imprimis, Four Wheel Drive, Light Night Pow Wow and Easy Time carrying the operation's colors to graded stakes success in North America and Shang Shang Shang earning Royal Ascot glory in the 2018 G2 Norfolk S.

“We go into it with the idea that we keep a few horses to race,” Hall said of the balance between selling and racing their homebreds. “We have to sell some of the better ones to build our breeding reputation. I think it was a good move for us to sell that filly. She was one of our favorite fillies. And I am very happy with that result.”

Of the filly's placement in Book 3, Hall added, “We debated between Book 2 and Book 3, but felt she could be a standout in Book 3 and that's why we did it.”

Three Chimneys Cashes in on Gun Runner Yearlings

Three Chimneys Farm and its streaking freshman sire Gun Runner had top billing during Saturday's session of the Keeneland September sale, with trainer Kelsey Danner, bidding for John Williams's J&J Stables, signing the ticket at $775,000 to secure a colt (hip 1254) from the Denali Stud consignment and bloodstock agent Jacob West going to $675,000 for a colt (hip 1266) from the Taylor Made Sales consignment. Through the Gainesway consignment, Three Chimneys also sold a filly by Gun Runner (hip 1098) for $435,000 to the bid of Steve Carr.

“I think Gun Runner is doing all of the heavy lifting, for sure,” Three Chimneys' Chris Baker said. “Obviously, his racing performance is influencing the sales. There are some very nice individuals going through today and there aren't a lot of them in the sale. There is still a very strong appetite for them based on what they are doing on the track. It's just super encouraging to see and to be a part of.”

Hip 1254 is out of the unraced Sapucai (Indian Charlie), a daughter of graded winner Smart Surprise (Smart Strike) and a half-sister to Canadian champion Moonlit Promise (Malibu Moon). Three Chimneys purchased the mare for $625,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September sale.

“We raised the colt and we loved him,” Baker said of the chestnut yearling. “We would have loved to stay in on him, but when the market speaks that loudly, you let it go. He's a very, very nice colt, but he exceeded expectations regarding commercial value.”

Hip 1266 is out of Secret Jewel (Bernardini) and is a half-brother to Twenty Carat (Into Mischief). Secret Jewel is a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf winner Shared Account, dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing (Speightstown).

“It was a fairly similiar situation,” Baker said. “They were both big, strong good-moving colts, but different types. And he exceeded our expectations as well. We hope both colts continue to exceed expectations.”

From just his first crop to hit the racetrack, Gun Runner has already sired Grade I winners Gunite and Echo Zulu, as well as two other graded stakes winners.

“These two colts and the filly we sold first in the ring today, if we had known Gun Runner was going to be doing what he is doing, they would have been in Book 2, not Book 3. They were really Book 2 horses in Book 3 with where Gun Runner is today.”

Danner Gets Her Gun Runner

Trainer Kelsey Danner, bidding on behalf of John Williams's J&J Stables, went to $775,000 to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 1254) Saturday at Keeneland.

“We expected it was going to go high,” Danner admitted. “Gun Runner is hot and this was a beautiful colt. He was good-sized, correct and athletic.”

Earlier in the session, Danner acquired a colt by Speightstown (hip 1158) on behalf of Williams for $200,000.

“We got this one and a colt by Speightstown earlier and he's done now,” Danner said.

The Florida-based J& Stables is the breeder of multiple Grade I winner and leading sprinter Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music).

“We are going for colts, route horses, that's what we are looking for,” Danner said of her shopping list for Williams. “He just wants Classic route horses. He sold some, so now he's buying some.”

Danner, the daughter of trainer Mark Danner, served stints as assistant to trainers Carl Nafzger, Ian Wilkes, Rusty Arnold and Wayne Catalano, before taking out her trainer's license in 2017. She won the Allied Forces S. at Belmont Friday with Smokin' Jay (Cairo Prince) for Crown's Way Racing LLC.

Out of Sapucai (Indian Charlie), hip 1158 was consigned by Denali Stud on behalf of his breeder, Three Chimneys Farm.

“He came into us in beautiful shape,” said Denali's Conrad Bandoroff. “The entire team at Three Chimneys did an amazing job. And he was a standout. He was a standout in our consignment and he was a standout in this book. He was incredibly popular and had all the right people on him. I am thrilled for Kelsey Danner. That's fantastic that she got him. We wish her the best of luck. That was a tremendous result.”

Columbiana Gets in on the City of Light Show

Homer Rader and Kathy Berkey sat back and watched as first-crop sire City of Light made the Keeneland September sale his personal coming out party during Books 1 and 2, all the while knowing they had a good colt of their own by the Lane's End stallion waiting for Book 3. And the yearling (hip 1393) did not disappoint, selling for $760,000 to the internet bid of the powerhouse SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket partnership.

Columbiana was selling the colt on behalf of breeder Keith Abrahams. He is out of Azure Spring (Open Forum), a mare Berkey purchased for Abrahams for $32,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November sale.

“Keith Abrahams has been a longtime client of ours,” said Rader, who has been manager of Robert Ochocki's Columbiana Farm since 1995. “We bought the mare for him and raised all of those foals. Kathy does all his matings.”

The 21-year-old Azure Spring is also the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful).

Of the yearling, Rader added, “This guy just jumped through all the hoops. He was a very special colt. Once we got him here, we knew he was special because everybody liked him.”

Berkey agreed watching how well yearlings by City of Light had been selling all week gave her plenty of optimism heading into Saturday's session.

“We were thinking anywhere from $300,000 to a million,” Berkey said of expectations for the yearling. “We've done horse sales for so long, how do you know? You just hope two people hook up and they keep going. And you have no idea for a colt like this.”

Of the colt's placement in Book 3, Berkey explained, “We have had good success in the past with Book 3. I have a theory that if you let everybody fight over the ones in Book 1 and 2, when you get to Book 3, especially the first day of Book 3, and there aren't very many left that are very nice, then they really have to fight over them because they know they are running out. That was the theory. I think a good horse will sell anywhere.”

Through five sessions of the September sale, the stallion-making SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket partnership has purchased 20 yearlings for $9,835,000. Hip 1393 was the group's second yearling purchase by City of Light. Also Saturday, Lanni signed for hip 1138 for $440,000.

“Everyone's gone made over City of Light,” Lanni said. “He was a hell of a racehorse. They all look like racehorses.”

West Stays Busy

Bloodstock agent Jacob West continued his frenetic buying pace on behalf of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola's St Elias during the fifth session of the Keeneland September sale Saturday. West went to $675,000 to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 1266) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment and $500,000 to acquire a colt by Practical Joke (hip 1232) from the Nursery Place consignment.

West has already had success buying a son of Practical Joke at the September sale. The agent purchased a colt by the Coolmore stallion on behalf of the same partnership for $575,000 at last year's auction and the youngster went on to be 'TDN Rising Star' and graded stakes winner Wit.

The agent said he saw similarities between the two colts.

“This was the first horse I saw on inspections,” West said. “I texted Mike Repole, Todd Pletcher, Vinnie Viola, and their teams and I said, 'I found the next Wit,'” West said. “If his stripe went down to his nostril, it would have been the same horse. He just reminded me so much of him when we bought him here as a yearling. The whole team loved him. Todd saw him before he left town and gave him the thumbs up, Rory Babich and Monique Delk, everybody was all on board. Mike and Vinnie were going to go home with this one no matter what. We are just excited to get him. When the horses line up and check everybody's boxes on our team, Mike and Vinnie get pretty strong on them.”

Through five sessions, West has purchased 32 yearlings on behalf of the partnership of Repole and Viola for a total of $13,775,000. He made eight of those purchases Saturday for $2,450,000.

The bay yearling, bred by the Mayer family's Nursery Place, is out of the unraced Queen of the Realm (Empire Maker), a daughter of graded winner Seeking Regina (Seeking the Gold) and a half-sister to graded winner Seeking the Sky (Storm Cat), dam of Grade I winner Sahara Sky (Plesant Tap). The mare, purchased by Nursery Place for $80,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale, has also produced stakes-placed Seeking Toussaud (Tap Day).

“He has been a very, very special, straightforward colt from day one,” said Griffin Mayer. “My biggest fear was coming in here with a second-crop sire. Gun Runner has been setting the world on fire. Practical Joke has obviously done enough and in any normal crop, he'd be the man. But I was a little hesitant about coming in here. I knew we had a really nice colt and it all lined up. He got vetted over 20 times and was very popular and he showed himself well out here and did a beautiful job. We had a really good Book 2 and I thought if it could spill over, this colt could really light it up and he did.”

Lanigan Strikes Late for Gun Runner Filly

The Gainesway consignment opened the fifth session of the Keeneland September sale with a pricey daughter of Gun Runner and, as bidding neared its apex Saturday night, the consignment featured another filly by the freshman sire with David Lanigan, bidding on behalf of Scott Heider, purchasing hip 1495 for $675,000.

“We are delighted to get her,” Lanigan said. “She has a great temperament and I thought she was the pick of the day. Obviously, it's been hard to get fillies this week and she was our number one pick today.”

The yearling, out of Happy Mesa (Sky Mesa), was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds. The Winchell family's operation purchased the mare for $300,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale. She produced a colt by Gun Runner this year.

Of the filly's final price, Lanigan said, “With the way the week has gone, I thought it would take about that much to get her.”

The filly is expected to be trained by Gun Runner's trainer Steve Asmussen, according to Lanigan.

The Heider family, which races in Europe and the U.S., has been represented by graded winners Zofelle (Ire) and Thoughtfully and, in partnership Grade I winner Speech.

“[Heider] has a lot of horses with Joseph O'Brien [in Ireland],” Lanigan said. “He has two yearlings going over there this year. And he just wanted to have a 2-year-old for America next year. So we are happy to get her.”

Practical Joke Filly Pays for Pugh

WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden struck early in Saturday's third session of the Keeneland September sale to secure a filly by Practical Joke (hip 1148) for $520,000 from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment.

“She was a big, strong filly and I loved her pedigree,” Walden, who signed in the name of WinStar's Maverick and Siena Farm, said. “There are some high-quality horses on the page, like Flashback. We are trying to get some fillies that can race and wind up in the broodmare band.”

Hip 1148 is out of the unraced Lucky Rose (Lookin at Lucky), a half-sister to Rhumb Line, dam of multiple Grade I winner Zazu (Tapit) and graded winner Flashback (Tapit).

The yearling was purchased by Peter Pugh, on behalf of Margaret Duprey's Cherry Knoll Farm, for $90,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“She was just a classy-acting filly who showed the same every time you took her out,” Pugh said of the youngster's appeal last fall. “You never know when you buy one when they are that young where they are going to go. But she was just straightforward and she is by a horse that I believed in. Practical Joke has been so popular and she grew into a very nice filly. She just seemed to have a lot of class to her.”

Pugh admitted the filly's final price came as a pleasant surprise.

“We thought she was a $300,000 to $400,000 filly, something like that,” he said. “But if you get the right people who are interested in the same horse, sometimes that's the outcome. You never expect that type of result. That's what makes them so special when they happen.”

Also Saturday, Walden purchased a filly by Speightstown (hip 1291) for Maverick and Siena for $190,000.

Saturday's competitive bidding came as no surprise to Walden.

“It's going to be tough on the good ones,” Walden said.

Gun Runner Filly Kick Starts Book 3

A filly by hot freshman sire Gun Runner (hip 1098), the first horse through the ring Saturday morning, got the first session of Book 3 off to a quick start when selling for $435,000 to the bid of veterinarian Dr. Steve Carr, bidding on behalf of Bob Delaney's Late Night Stables.

“She looks very, very athletic,” Carr said of the yearling's appeal. “She's a medium-sized filly with a beautiful walk and a great presence to her. I think that's the reason she brought so much.”

The yearling is out of stakes-placed If Not for Her (Not for Love), a half-sister to stakes winner and multiple graded placed Awesome Flower (Flower Alley). Her third dam is Well Dressed (Notebook), dam of G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.

She was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of breeder Three Chimneys Farm, which purchased If Not For Her for $360,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale.

Carr serves as racing manager for Centennial Farms, while also purchasing horses on behalf of clients related to that operation.

Of hip 1098's freshman sire, Carr said, “Gun Runner is great. We were hoping that our stallion Unified might be among the leading freshman sires, and he is, but Gun Runner has been great.”

In his own name, Delaney has campaigned stakes winner Five Star Rampage (Quality Road) and stakes-placed Lunar Gaze (Malibu Moon). He was also a partner on Centennial Farms' Corinthian (Pulpit), winner of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GI Metropolitan H..

“He usually has two or three horses a year,” Carr said of Delaney. “In New York, he uses [trainer] Jimmy Jerkens. In the Midwest, he uses [trainer] Tom Amoss. This one will probably go to Jimmy Jerkens.”

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