Keeneland September Sale | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sunday Morning Luck Strikes Again at Keeneland

Less than 48 hours after what was arguably her greatest achievements in the horse business, Rosilyn Polan was back at Keeneland with a pair of yearlings slated to go through the ring on Sunday. Earlier in the week during Book 2 of the Keeneland September Sale, her City of Light colt out of the Tapit mare Anchorage became the probable sale topper when he sold for $1.7 million to Woodford Racing, Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds.

But now it was on to Book 3 and the spirited breeder and consignor was ready for round two.

“Of course, as beyond exciting as the Anchorage colt was, now that I'm here with another consignment, that's really behind me and this is where my focus is now,” Polan said at Barn 28 as she stood alongside the stalls of her Accelerate colt and Sharp Azteca filly. They wouldn't bring quite what her first offering sold for, but the duo did fetch over $160,000 combined.

Although the owner of Sunday Morning Farm had her mind set on her final two offerings of the auction, it was clear that most other salegoers were still fixated on her farm's earlier success as a steady stream of well-wishers dropped by to extend their congratulations.

“People have been so genuinely happy for me, people I don't even know,” she said. “People ask me if I expected that [result]. Well nobody ever dreams of even getting to a million dollars. I knew people would like him, but nobody even thinks of liking him for that kind of money. The words haven't been invented yet to describe that feeling. The only thing that would have made the day more perfect would have been to have my daughter Laiken there. She is always such a good help to me and is my best cheerleader.”

The day before Polan's City of Light colt entered the sales ring, another colt by the Lane's End first-crop sire, consigned by Woods Edge Farm, brought $1.05 million.

“I had told a friend of mine, 'Oh darn, I wanted to be the most expensive City of Light at the sale,'” Polan said with a laugh of still a bit of disbelief.

But even after achieving such a monumental goal, the breeder went home that night to commemorate the achievement by catching up on barn chores.

“My celebration is all right here,” she said, pointing towards her heart. “The best thing about what I do is that I go back home and work. I have fly masks to tend to and stalls to tend to. That keeps me grounded and keeps my happy. It fills me up.”

City of Light colt out of the stakes-placed mare Anchorage fetches $1.7 million. | Keeneland

Polan had held a similar celebration ceremony last year, when her Practical Joke colt brought $575,000 at the same auction. Now of course named Wit, he brought attention to his breeder earlier this summer when he became a GIII-winning 'TDN Rising Star.'

“I can't compare the two horses or the two feelings,” she said when asked to describe the similarities between her experiences with Wit and with this yearling colt. “I will say that with both of them, I just felt so special.”

Polan did admit that with Wit, she had not realize how well he would be received until after he was on the grounds at Keeneland.

“He was just so laid back about it but when he came to the sale, every time he came out of his stall he got bigger and had more presence and was loftier.”

But this City of Light yearling was different, she said. “The Anchorage colt was always that way, whether it was at the farm or the sale, he was always coming out of his stall saying, 'Let's go.' At the sale people would comment to me, 'It's four o'clock in the afternoon and he's still marching.' But that was always his type.”

To Polan, his powerful-but-easygoing stride and eye-catching presence was reminiscent of what she saw in the colt's dam six years ago at the Keeneland November Sale.

“I was trying to buy a mare in foal to Will Take Charge,” she recalled. “I wasn't able to buy anything so I went and looked at every RNA after the sale. I looked at quite a few before I saw Anchorage, but from the second I saw her I went, 'Oh yeah, this is it.' I mean she just fills your eye and she's got so much presence. She's a big, heavy mare that looks like she would hit the ground hard, but when I brought her home and turned her out, she went off across the field and her feet never hit the ground -just like mine after that sale.”

Polan sold Anchorage's first Will Take Charge foal for $130,000 at the following November Sale. That filly, named Tijori, won on debut to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status. Bred back to the same sire, Anchorage produced a Will Take Charge colt that brought $280,000. Now named Abaan, the Todd Pletcher trainee broke his maiden earlier this month at Saratoga by over seven lengths.

“She continues to produce fabulous runners,” Polan said proudly. “At home, she's my special mare. I'm sure everyone's going to say that if I sell a million-dollar horse out of her, of course she's my special mare. But she just is. She's such a queen and she's the gift that keeps on giving.”

Polan recalls the stunned sensation she felt when Anchorage foaled her City of Light colt last February.

“I felt like the luckiest person in the world,” she said.

As the newborn stepped up on wobbly legs, she thought back to the photo of trainer Michael McCarthy sending City of Light off to Lane's End alongside his young daughter when the champion retired in 2019.

“In the picture, there he was on the van and the daughter was boo-hooing because she couldn't believe that her horse was leaving. So I got in touch with Allaire [Ryan] at Lane's End and asked if I could send her a picture of this foal because he was so special and I wanted to show this young girl that her horse was not gone. That was my first picture of the foal and from the minute he stood up, some horses give you that feeling and some don't. This one was, 'Oh my gosh, wow.'”

Polan's City of Light colt out of Anchorage thrives as a youngster at Sunday Morning Farm. | Rosilyn Polan

According to Polan, the stunning bay didn't lose an ounce of 'wow factor' from the moment he got to his feet to when he went through the ring at Keeneland.

“He was a beast on the farm and never really went through a gangly stage,” she explained. “All summer as we've been sales prepping him, he would handwalk 45 minutes up these hills and then he would go in the stall and lay down. He would sleep flat out all day long and sometimes I would have to wake him up to feed him. He just had a good attitude. There was nothing super sweet about him; he's always been a man.”

While the colt's stall now stands empty back at Sunday Morning Farm, it will soon be filled by his half-sister by Omaha Beach that was foaled in March.

“She is like the farm princess,” Polan said with a big smile. “I don't spoil them and I didn't make her that way. She was just born that way.”

Also on the farm is Wit's younger brother– this one a son of none other than City of Light.

Polan said she currently has eight mares in her broodmare band.

“I count them 40 times a day and then I forget,” she jokes, and then shares what she looks for in potential additions to her band. “It's the same thing when buying a mare as choosing what stallion to breed to: If they make my knees weak then that's the one I want. I don't get emotional about it to where I'll spend whatever it takes. With my mares I have to have a price limit and I'm just lucky that I've been able to have been so lucky.”

And luck, Polan believes, is what it all comes down to in this business.

“Everyone says they're glad to see that the small breeder can do this. Well honestly, the big breeders deserve it just as much as anybody because look at the financial responsibility that they put on the line to be who they are. I think it has more to do with luck than it has to do with hard work or intention or being out there every evening going through your fields, because we all do that. We all work hard and some of us get lucky and some of us haven't had our luck yet.”

However modest Polan's outlook on the reasoning behind these recent successes, she will keep the fond memories tucked away to ponder daily as she raises up the next crop of future runners at Sunday Morning Farm.

“I think it's what keeps us all working in the Thoroughbred business,” she said. “It's the carrot in front of the old nag, or whatever they say, and it's just amazing to think that a payoff like this can happen to anybody.”

The post Sunday Morning Luck Strikes Again at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.”

The post Blitzkrieg Opener to Keeneland Book 3 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

City of Light Book 3 Yearlings Keeping Busy at Keeneland

If City of Light was considered to be in demand after the close of Book 1 at the Keeneland September Sale, his yearlings were perhaps even more challenging to get ahold of by the end of Book 2.

First a colt by the first-crop stallion out of the graded stakes-producing mare Ghostslayer (Ghostzapper) brought $1.05 million late in the second session of the auction on Tuesday, selling as Hip 376, but then the next day another colt by the Lane's End sire, Hip 612 out of SP Anchorage (Tapit), brought down the house when he sold for $1.7 million. The purchase for Woodford Racing, Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds marked the colt as the current sale topper after the first four sessions.

Through the initial pair of Keeneland September books, 28 City of Light yearlings sold for a gross of $12,535,000 and a $447,679 average. Eight of those offering brought at least $500,000.

So far this year, 42 of the 47 City of Light yearlings to have gone through the ring have sold to average $398,690.

“The September Sale results for City of Light so far have been astounding,” Lane's End's Allaire Ryan said. “I think it's a testament to the type of physical that he throws and the quality that he puts into all of his foals. The market is really reflective of the individuals that are out there. If you have a nice individual, whether it's in Book 1 or Book 5, you're going to do well with it. That sort of quality is what is sought after, whether it's by end users or people looking to resell. City of Light has had a fantastic sale so far and we're happy to ride on that momentum throughout the second week.”

Winner of the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and 2019 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., City of Light has 19 sons and daughters slated to go through the ring this weekend for Book 3 of the catalogue with more to come in the following sessions.

Several consignors representing City of Light yearlings spoke on the quality they've seen in their offerings and the demand the youngsters have had from potential buyers since they stepped onto the sales grounds.

Hip 612, a City of Light colt out of Anchorage (Tapit), fetches $1.7 million at the Keeneland September Sale. | Keeneland

Hip 1393: City of Light colt out of Azure Spring (Open Forum)

Consigned by Columbiana Farm, Hip 1393 is a half-brother to MGSW Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful) as well as six other winners. As inspections started to slow in late afternoon on the first day the colt was available for buyers to visit, Columbiana's Kathy Berkey said the colt had already been shown 98 times that day.

“He's been very popular and we've always liked him,” Berkey said. “He's so well balanced, so athletic and such a lovely walker. Knowing the mare the way we do, we've raised all of her foals and when she gets a good one, you can tell from the beginning that it's going to be a good one. Selcourt was a superstar and this is a really nice colt too. We're thrilled to have him here and we hope he runs to his looks.”

Hip 1408: City of Light filly out of Betty Draper (Street Cry {Ire})

Hip 1408 is the second foal out of the Street Cry mare Betty Draper, a winner in France and a half-sister to stakes winners Modern (Tiznow) and City Plan (Street Sense).

Romain Malhouitre of Runnymede Farm said that the filly was foaled and raised at Runnymede before attending the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. After selling for $130,000 to Hubert Guy Bloodstock, she was sent back to their farm to prepare to go through the ring as a yearling.

“She's a lovely filly who stands over a lot of ground and she's very athletic,” Malhouitre said. “What we love the most is the way she moves. She's very fluid and efficient when she moves. She's been amazing all her life. She has plenty of bone and a good mind. She's got that look that most of the City of Light yearlings have, so we are very pleased to be able to present her to the market.”

Hip 1458: City of Light filly out of Dixie Victory (Dixie Union)

Presented by Lane's End, Hip 1458 is out of the winning Dixie Union mare Dixie Victory, a daughter of GI Prioress S. winner and stakes producer Friendly Michelle (Artax). Dixie Victory was purchased with this filly in utero for $240,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale.

“This filly is beautifully-balanced,” Allaire Ryan said. “She's a perfect package to look at. She moves well. She has a great range of motion and she's keen-looking, too, with a pretty head and eye. She's the type that I think would suit any end user or a pinhooker.”

City of Light filly out of Flatbow sells as Hip 1884. | Woodford Thoroughbreds

Hip 1884: City of Light filly out of Flatbow (Broken Vow)

Beth Bayer of Woodford Thoroughbreds is high on City of Light after a son of the young sire was a popular offering for their consignment in Book 2. Hip 1059, a colt out of SP Fashion Runaway (Old Fashioned), sold for $485,000 to Whisper Hill Farm.

“We love all our City of Light yearlings,” Bayer said. “He's stamping his horses and it seems like every one of them has a great walk, great attitude and a good body and shape. Everything about them is spot-on racehorse attitude.”

Hip 1884 sells in the sixth session of the Keeneland September Sale with Woodford Thoroughbreds. The April-foaled filly hails from the family of MGISW Classy Cathy (Private Account).

She's a very nice, precocious filly,” Bayer explained. I really like her attitude. Every time you bring her out to show her, she's always on. She wants to do her job and go forward. She stands up nicely, has a big walk and does everything perfectly for us.”

The post City of Light Book 3 Yearlings Keeping Busy at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Keeneland September Sale Kicks Off Monday

LEXINGTON, KY–The Keeneland September Yearling Sale starts its 11-day run Monday with the first of two Book 1 sessions, beginning at 1 p.m. The five-book catalogue offers a total of 4,032 yearlings by a variety of stallions, such as Triple Crown heroes American Pharoah and Justify; the red-hot Into Mischief; perennial leading sire Tapit; stalwarts like Medaglia d'Oro, War Front and Candy Ride (Arg); and top freshman sire Gun Runner.

“I think when you get this volume of horses and there are a lot of really nice horses, there is opportunity for the buyers,” said Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. “I think buyers need to realize there are opportunities to find really good horses at good prices from Book 1 all the way to the end of the sale. There is quality from start to finish, maybe even more now than in recent memory.”

The barns were buzzing with activity over the weekend as buyers made their way through Book 1 and 2 offerings. Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert and Jonathan Thomas were among the trainers seen inspecting yearlings. Of course, bloodstock agents could be seen left and right, such as Steve Young, Jacob West, Donato Lanni, Kerri Radcliffe, Justin Casse, China Horse Club's Michael Wallace and Mike Ryan. The teams from Coolmore, WinStar, Spendthrift and Summer Wind Farm were spotted on the grounds checking on their offerings as well as shopping for new stock. Pinhookers were also out in full force, such as Niall Brennan, Steve Venosa, Ciaran Dunne, Lynne Boutte, Randy Hartley and Brandon and Ali Rice.

“We are very optimistic. The traffic is very good,” said Tony Lacy, Keeneland's Vice President of Sales. “The reception of the quality of horses has been excellent. There is a good, diverse group of horses for a varied marketplace, whether it is domestic or international. It is great to see so many international participants here, even in a challenging travel year. Credit applications are coming in at a higher rate than in recent years. I think the outlook is quite promising. We always have to be cautious about what the market will be at the end of the day, but, quite honestly, at this point the indicators are very good.”

The yearling market was strong all the way through at the three previous major yearling sales this year–Fasig Tipton's July, Saratoga Select and New York-Bred sales–and sellers are confident that trend will continue at Keeneland.

“The first three sales of the year are really three domestic sales,” said Denali Stud's Conrad Bandoroff. “The domestic market has been very strong with a lot of diverse competition across the board. There has been a strong level of interest and activity in the middle market as well as the top. That will carry over. I know Keeneland has been working very hard to ensure that all of the international buyers and agents will be able to come in and be here for the sale. You have to expect we will have a strong market in September and see more of what we have seen in the first three yearling sales.”

The Keeneland team worked diligently with local and national government agencies last year to bring international buyers in for the sale despite travel restrictions and bans across the globe. The sales company brought in as many foreign buyers as possible and others relied on their U.S.-based teams or took advantage of the phone or online bidding.

Lacy said this year it was even more difficult to acquire travel waivers for European buyers. However, Japanese agents had no issue entering the U.S. as their country only requires a negative COVID-19 test for travel back and forth to America, according to Lacy.

“We've got a number of buyers here from England and Ireland and some from France,” Lacy said. “We've had to go through different procedures this year. Last year, we worked with the Department of Homeland Security and this year we had to go through the State Department. Waivers had to be processed. Unfortunately, with Afghanistan, the State Department has been overloaded and it has pushed some of our applicants further down the line. But, we have been persistent and had a lot of help from our local representatives in [Washington] D.C. We have been able to get a number of people in [to the U.S.] and some of the waivers from last year were still current, so buyers were able to travel on those as well. We would love to have gotten more people in, but under present circumstances, it has been very restrictive. It was a lot more difficult this year than last year. But, we've got a good number of people here, which is very positive.”

In 2020, Keeneland put a number of protocols in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Only buyers and sellers were allowed to attend and had to submit a recent negative COVID-19 test to be approved for a pass. Capacity inside the pavilion was limited to 40% and all attendees were required to wear face masks on the grounds. The auction house also added online and phone bidding and an additional bidding spot in the back show ring. With the rise of vaccinations, the protocols will not be quite as strict this year, but Keeneland is still doing its best to provide a safe environment for all those in attendance.

“The bidding in the back show ring was last year and we don't have it this year,” Lacy said. “We are encouraging people to go into the pavilion more. There have been less people in the pavilion over the past few years and there is plenty of room for spacing in there. It is a more comfortable environment with less chance of congregating. I think out in the back ring can certainly be a congested area at times. We also have internet and phone bidding, so there are a lot of different ways people can partake in the sale.”

The 2020 September Sale went on as scheduled despite many of the year's previous auctions being canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It ran back-to-back with the Fasig-Tipton Yearling Showcase, which was a combination of that auction house's July, Saratoga and New York-Bred Sales held across town.

After a record-setting 2019 renewal of KEESEP, the economic and travel impacts of the virus were seen at the 2020 auction, but it still held its own. A total of 2,481 yearlings grossed $248,978,700 with 15 of them bringing seven figures. The average was $100,354 and the median was $37,000. The sale was topped by a $2-million Tapit colt out of GISW Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song)

“I would certainly expect it to be more of a normal year,” said Lacy. “Again, 2019 was a very strong year, so I think it would be unfair to compare 2020 completely with 2019. But, in comparison to last year, I think it will be a more stable year in 2021, especially in Books 1 and 2. I feel there is more activity. People are learning to live with COVID in certain ways. We have tried to create a lot of spaces around the grounds where people can social distance. We have created an environment that allows people to be as safe as possible and remain as close to normal as possible.”

Keeneland has continued to adjust the sale format over the years. In 2019, Book 1 was three days and it was cut down to two for 2020. It will be two days once again for 2021, but with a new feature. Any horse that RNAs during the first session can be sent back through the ring again at the conclusion of day two's 200-horse session. A total of 399 horses are catalogued in Book 1, which will be followed by a two-day Book 2 comprised of 698 yearlings. The lone dark day of the auction follows Book 2 on Friday, Sept. 17. Book 3 picks up Sept. 18 and the sale runs straight through Sept. 24.

“We wanted a consistent format,” Lacy said. “That is one thing that everybody wants. We originally wanted a three-day Book 1 this year, but as the entries came in it became more apparent that we were better suited to having a two-day Book 1 and a two-day Book 2. So, we had to pivot. With the cooperation of the CBA and a lot of our breeders and clients, we were able to make a two-day Book 1 very viable. You want it to be representative of Book 1 horses and have good, solid quality with plenty of diversity.”

He continued, “Having been able to have almost 1,100 horses on the grounds at one time, it gives buyers the opportunity to inspect a large number of horses over four days. With the new format, they are able to get two days of showing for Book 3. You have a lot of good Book 3 horses as well, and this way they are not getting overlooked or rushed. It worked out logistically quite well and was well received by both buyers and sellers. Being able to showcase each individual in the proper manner is very important. If this format works well, it may be something we consider in the future.”

The post Keeneland September Sale Kicks Off Monday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post