keeneland september yearling sale | Horse Racing Free Tips

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.

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Violence, Street Sense See Average Prices Soar In Keeneland September’s Early Books

A stallion's performance at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale is a solid indicator of his place in the pecking order among commercial sires, but the auction's first two books indicate who is sitting at the head of the table.

Books 1 and 2 are where the elite of the breed further cement their spots on the list, but it is also an indicator of which stallions' stocks are rising in the eyes of buyers. A stallion who sees a significant jump in average sale price when the industry's deepest pockets are in the building has likely done so because their commercial reputation and racetrack performance have solidified to the point where buyers are landing on several foals and battling for them.

In those terms, the two stallions who made up the most ground in Keeneland September's elite sessions were Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Violence and Darley's Street Sense.

In both 2020 and 2021, Books 1 and 2 consisted of four combined sessions with a similar number of horses cataloged, meaning the comparison between editions is about as apples-to-apples as the Keeneland September sale tends to get.

Violence saw the greatest year-to-year jump in average, improving by $245,000.

The son of Medaglia d'Oro saw five yearlings change hands during the first two books of both sales, and moved up from $160,000 last year to $414,000 in 2021.

That figure was helped greatly on Thursday by the sale of Hip 1057, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-placed Standard Deviation from the KatieRich Farms consignment who sold to Repole Stable and St. Elias for $950,000. It was the most ever paid for a Violence yearling at public auction.

Though reaching an all-time high certainly helps an average sale price a great deal, the colt was far from an outlier in terms of serious prices. Four of the five Violence yearlings sold through the first two books hammered for $200,000 or more, also including Hip 919, who brought $550,000.

John G. Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farms said Violence's breakout year in 2020 likely helped shape opinions of the stallion heading into this year's sale. He was led last year by Grade 1 winners Volatile and No Parole.

“Violence has always been a horse that's had great commercial appeal,” Sikura said. “Last year, we were very bullish. He had two Grade 1 winners who looked like the fastest horses in the country. They were both injured and on the shelf, then Dr. Schivel won the Grade 1 (Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 31), and it got exciting again. Now, we're waiting for the new crop of 2-year-olds. It's great to see the resilient market that has confidence in the horse. He's had several fantastic results in the sale ring, and it's very rewarding. I hope he continues to climb the ladder and get more buyer confidence and great success on the racetrack.”

Violence's expensive colt late in Thursday's session put him up in the final strides over Street Sense, whose average price grew by $198,000 during the first two books.

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The 2007 Kentucky Derby winner jumped up from an average of $117,938 from 16 sold last year to $316,071 from 14 sold during the first two books of 2021.

Street Sense's Keeneland September haul was led by Hip 1022, a half-brother to Grade 1-placed Bajan from the family of champion Forever Unbridled who sold to BSW/Crow Colts Group for $1 million. Offered as property of Farfellow Farms, the colt was the first seven-figure yearling for Street Sense since 2013.

Beneath the top horse, he had four horses that sold for $300,000 or more through the first two books.

Darley's Darren Fox said Street Sense really started to hit his stride at stud after returning from his one-year stint at Darley Japan in 2013. The shape of the stallion's resume shifted dramatically in the years that followed, and Street Sense developed into a sire whose demand has risen just as dramatically. This week's performance just solidified that notion.

“His first five Grade 1 winners were fillies, and when his foals started going to the track after his Japan break, McKinzie set alight a great run of colts for him,” Fox said. “We have Maxfield, who will be a stallion for us at some point, and a colt a little under the radar in Speaker's Corner. When a horse like that puts some sons in the stallion barn, and has some other high-profile ones on the track, it certainly moves him and his progeny up into that next tier.”

Looking at some of the newer faces picking up traction this year, Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Runner, who currently leads the freshman sire race, saw the sixth-largest year-to-year gain in average, rising $108,622 to finish at $397,222. Repole and St. Elias led the way for his yearlings with Hip 574, who was secured for $975,000.

Gun Runner's closest rival, the Ashford Stud resident Practical Joke, saw a gain of $59,980 to finish at $274,091. Talia Racing bought the most expensive one of the sale's first week, going to $750,000 for Hip 1079.

Darley's Nyquist, the leading freshman sire of 2020, also continued to climb, rising $19,417 to $275,667, led by Hip 825, who sold to Dr. Ed Allred and Liebau for $700,000.

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Into Mischief, Street Sense Colts Hit Million-Dollar Mark In Keeneland’s Fourth Session

Two million-dollar colts – a son of Into Mischief from the family of Grade 1 winner Dunbar Road and a son of Street Sense from the family of champion Forever Unbridled – led Thursday's fourth day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington, Ky. The session marked the final day of a buoyant Week 1 of the auction, which generated gross sales exceeding $200 million and recorded 15 horses sold for $1 million and more.

Keeneland sold 201 yearlings Thursday for $48,801,000, an average of $242,791 and a median of $200,000. Cumulatively, 620 horses sold through the ring brought a total of $200,419,000, for an average of $323,256 and a median of $250,000.

“Excellent,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “The session started strong and finished strong. There were flat spots in the middle when it got a little quiet, but that might be because people were at the barns looking at Book 3 horses. It was a little bit of an anomaly from that standpoint, but the median and average are up. This week has been extremely strong and extremely deep. It has been a powerhouse Week 1.”

“Going forward, I am optimistic,” Lacy added. “There are a lot of people, especially pinhookers, who have not had their hands up yet. When you have buyers getting pushed into the second week that says a lot about the strength of the market. We are encouraged. We think it will incentivize breeders to invest in horses offered at the November Breeding Stock Sale. It is the optimism that the industry needs.”

The September Sale was structured so a critical mass of yearlings would be presented to buyers during four consecutive days that covered Books 1 and 2 before the auction took a one-day hiatus.

“I think a lot of people love the format.” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “It's speaking for itself in terms of the results. The format has been a part of that, and it has been rewarding. It has kept the buyers in town and kept them engaged. People are really aggressive about trying to fill orders. And there's a wave of buyers that are yet to come in or that are just getting started, so we feel really good about the seven sessions to come.”

Mike Ryan, agent, purchased Thursday's seven-figure Into Mischief colt, who was consigned by Mt. Brilliant Farm. Out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Secret Someone, by A.P. Indy, he is from the family of the aforementioned Dunbar Road as well as Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Status, Grade 1 winner Fair Maiden and multiple Grade 3 winner Alumni Hall.

Ryan, who said he bought the colt for a partnership, is familiar with the yearling's family. Ryan purchased Dunbar Road's dam, the Bernardini mare Gift List, at Keeneland's 2016 January Horses of All Ages Sale when she was carrying Dunbar Road.

“He reminded me an awful lot of Practical Joke,” Ryan said about the purchase, comparing the colt to the Grade 1-winning son of Into Mischief, “If he runs to his pedigree – top and bottom, sire and female line – he's got terrific stallion potential. He looks like a horse that hopefully would run at Saratoga next summer and strike out from there. I thought he was a special colt. He's got a lot of upside, and hopefully, he'll turn out lucky.”

“We loved his family,” Mt. Brilliant owner Greg Goodman said. “(Second dam) Private Gift is the first really expensive horse I ever bought. I have sold a lot of the family and kept a lot of the daughters. He could not be in better hands, and I am so happy about it.”

The $1 million Street Sense colt sold to BSW/Crow Colts Group, a new partnership for colts to be trained by Brad Cox. Out of the winning Aptitude mare Critikal Reason, he is a half-brother to stakes winner Bajan, and from the family of Forever Unbridled as well as Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever and Grade 1 winner Unbridled Forever.

BSW/Crow Colts Group purchased four yearlings Thursday. In addition to the Street Sense colt the others were Justice, a $450,000 son of Justify consigned by Bridie Harrison, agent for Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds; a $325,000 son of Good Magic consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, and a $250,000 son of Maclean's Music consigned by Paramount Sales, agent.

Altogether in Week 1, BSW/Crow Colts Group has purchased 17 colts for $5.98 million.

“It's a stallion-making group,” Brad Weisbord, speaking for the partnership, said. “We want to have fun along the way, but Brad Cox's goal is to make a stallion to make this whole thing make sense. We want to return some capital to the partners.”

Cox left the sale to saddle a horse at Churchill Downs. Weisbord said the trainer called after watching the Street Sense colt sell.

“He said, 'We didn't get this one.' I said, ''No, buddy, we did.' He was giddy. Everyone's excited. I know Brad was really excited to get this group off the ground. We weren't expecting to spend a million dollars; that wasn't the goal of the venture. But this was the goal horse today and the goal horse of Book 2.”

Farfellow Farms consigned the Street Sense colt.

“He just kept getting better and better,” Kip Knelman of Farfellow said about the consignor's lone offering in Week 1 and the first of seven yearlings Farfellow has consigned to the September Sale.

“Our farm manager and staff at the farm did a marvelous job,” Knelman added. “We handle our horses all the time from the time they are babies. He was a real gentleman the whole time. Our reserve was considerably lower, but we had a pretty good understanding of who was interested. It was all the right people. We felt comfortable our reserve would be met.

“We are very pleased and very blessed. This horse business can be tough so sometimes when you get a little luck like this, it brings it back so we can do it again.”

“Seeing family farms like Mt. Brilliant and Farfellow do so well makes us proud,” Lacy said. “They are very proud of the product they bring to the market. That is what breeders hope for. People can relate to those good stories this week.”

“For Tony and me, having primarily been sellers for the last 20 or so years each, it's exciting to be able to help provide that platform for people like the Knelmans and Mt. Brilliant over the course of Week 1,” Breathnach said. “They've really had a chance to excel and show their product off and get payed for it so well. It's something that we take a lot of pride in. There are a lot of happy people, and that's our main goal.”

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West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias, paid $950,000 for a colt by Violence who is a half-brother to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Standard Deviation. Consigned by KatieRich Farms, he is out of the A.P. Indy mare False Impression and from the family of Grade 1 winner Believe You Can, Grade 2 winner Classic Elegance and Grade 3 winner Chorwon.

Jacob West said trainer Todd Pletcher told him the colt reminded him of Violence. Pletcher trained Violence.

“What's selling well right now is that two-turn dirt horse, and that's what we felt he was,” West said. “He's got family behind him and an incredible physical, and now we just hope he runs as good as he looks. The number that we had thrown out prior was about half of that (the purchase price), but as the sale goes on with momentum it's no shocker.

“We've been the underbidder on plenty today. Today feels very strong. I think for both parties that were bidding on that horse there was a little bit of frustration with not getting what we wanted early in the day. I think they kind of just let their hair down and let it go. That happens in public auctions, and KatieRich benefited from that.”

West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias, was the session's leading buyer, spending $2,765,000 for seven yearlings. During Week 1 of the September Sale, the group acquired 24 horses for $11,325,000.

Into Mischief also sired a colt sold to Courtlandt Farm for $850,000. Consigned by Indian Creek, agent, the colt is from the family of Grade 1 winner Off the Tracks and Grade 2 winner Concord Point.

“We loved the colt, felt like he had a lot of stretch to him and looks like a colt that will fit our program,” Courtlandt's Ernie Retamoza said. “We are excited to have him and to get him at that number. He looks like he will go two turns and has a lot of quality.”

Indian Creek owner Shack Parrish praised the colt.

“He did everything right at the farm,” Parrish said. “He is very mild-mannered. He just keeps developing. He's beautiful now, but he will be even more beautiful this time next year.”

Retamoza said the Courtlandt team had its eye on several additional yearlings during the session.

“Everyone is on these horses that have quality,” Retamoza said. “You have to step up if you want to own them.”

Mayberry Farm paid $775,000 for a filly by Quality Road and from the family of champion Abel Tasman also consigned by Mt. Brilliant. Out of Grade 3 winner Sky Girl, by Sky Mesa, she also is from the family of Grade 1 winner Bevo, Grade 2 winners Wilburn and Beethoven and Grade 3 winners Moonlight Sonata and Moonlight d'Oro.

“I've seen a lot of good Quality Road fillies, and she reminds me of all the good ones,” David Ingordo, who signed the ticket,” said. “(She has) plenty of leg, a great shoulder, a beautiful outlook on her. Good Quality Roads tend to be big, scopey and have good bodies. She has a ton of presence.”

Selling two of the day's highest-priced yearlings was gratifying to Goodman.

“(My farm crew) are the ones who do everything,” he said. “I just go around and look. We have a great staff. Ninety percent of the guys on the farm have been there 15 to 20 years. Everything we have done over the 26 years is because we have great people.”

Talla Racing went to $750,000 for a colt by Practical Joke whose dam, Gal Factor, by The Factor, is a half-sister to 2021 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Super Stock. He was consigned by St George Sales, agent.

Leading all consignors Thursday was Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, which sold 25 yearlings for $5,648,000.

Friday marks a “dark day” at the September Sale when no session will be held. The sale will resume Saturday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. ET and continue every day through Sept. 24.

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

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Keeneland September’s Third Session Sees $1.7 Million City Of Light Colt New Sale Topper

Enthusiastic bidding for Thoroughbred racing prospects continued Wednesday during the third day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington, Ky., when yearlings by young sires lit up the bid board with colts from the first crops of multiple Grade 1 winner City of Light and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify fetching $1.7 million and $1.55 million, respectively. Young sires were represented by eight of the 10 highest prices of the session.

Woodford Racing, Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds bought the $1.7 million City of Light colt, who is the highest-priced yearling so far in the sale. Talla Racing and West Point teamed to purchase the Justify colt for $1.55 million.

A total of 13 yearlings have sold for $1 million or more during the first three days of the September Sale.

Strong demand fueled healthy results on Wednesday, the first day of the Book 2 catalog. Keeneland recorded gross sales of $60,996,000 for 211 yearlings, for an average of $289,081 and a median of $230,000. Through the first three sessions of the September Sale, a total of 419 yearlings have sold through the ring for $151,618,000, for an average of $361,857 and a median of $290,000.

Wednesday's gross sales were up by 49.3% from the comparable session in 2020, with the average up by 30.9% and median increased by 27.8%. Buybacks declined from 34.4% on day three last year to 25.4% on Wednesday.

“That was amazing – one of the best sale days we have seen in a while,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Every time you picked your head up, it was another $500,000, $600,000 yearling. There was a lot of optimism and a diverse group of buyers. We had a lot of end users and new money. It was really positive with a great vibe around the grounds. Today should lead to an exciting day tomorrow.

“We found a lot of consistency where the momentum of Book 1 flowed into Book 2 – a confluence of positive things happening all the way through,” Lacy continued. “A lot of people have not been able to buy a horse yet. There is a pent-up demand. They are not going to go home until they fill their orders.

“We call the September Sale the world's yearling sale and it really is. Everybody has been in play.”

“The highlight today was the depth of the market,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “Apart from the two million dollar-plus horses, we had 26 others that brought over half a million and they went to a broad base of buyers, particularly domestic demand in today's case. We've seen the new money that we saw in credit applications go to work today. People are excited about what they're buying and they're excited about sticking around. It's a tremendous day.”

Rosilyn Polan's Sunday Morning Farm of Woodford County, Kentucky, consigned the $1.7 million colt, who is out of the Tapit mare Anchorage.

“I have always loved this colt,” said Polan, who bred 2021 Sanford (G3) winner and Hopeful (G1) runner-up Wit and sold him for $575,000 at last year's September Sale. “I have always known he was special, and I knew that people would like him, but usually people like a horse for a certain price. Nobody can ever dream of a million dollars.

“I am so proud of my horse and my crew,” added Polan, who consigned three horses to this year's September Sale. “The mare is my favorite mare – of course anybody would say that now. (This colt) is just a fabulous horse.”

Asked how she would celebrate the achievement, Polan said, “Clean stalls, turn out yearlings, clip ears, feed, go to bed early, get up and ship (my horses) tomorrow (to Keeneland). That's the best part of it, is that it keeps you real.”

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Bill Farish of Woodford Racing said he likes City of Light “a lot. (The yearling colt) is a stunning individual, very strong, good bone colt. A rare type individual. It was a full price, but I knew we were going to have to stretch to get him.”

The colt is the first acquisition for the Woodford, Talla, West Point partnership. On Tuesday, Woodford and West Point purchased the $1.6 million session topper, a Quality Road colt who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Girvin and classic-placed Midnight Bourbon.

Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds acquired the $1.55 million Justify colt who is from the family of champion Wait a While. A half-sister to stakes winner Feeling Mischief, he is out of the stakes-winning Latent Heat mare True Feelings.

“We have a team together: (trainer) John Sadler, (agent) David Ingordo and West Point Thoroughbreds,” Mike Talla said. “We had had our eye on two or three of them and kept getting outbid. So finally, we had to make a stand somewhere. We really liked this one, so we went in for him. We'll know next year if we made a mistake or not. Let's talk next summer.”

The purchases were especially memorable to Terry Finley, West Point's Founder and President.

“After 30 years, I think about when I first came here, and I thought it was the best thing in the world when we bought a horse for $12,000,” Finley said. “And now, we get a shot to buy horses like this with great partners and great people. It's just incredible. We've worked hard to evolve, and we're just part of a team. We like to think we're good partners, and we bring on good partners. We all do our own thing, and it's a special thing. These horses are very hard to buy, and I just couldn't do it without an immense amount of support and people who are in a position to take chunks.

“You just start dreaming with these kind of horses, and just hope you get lucky.”

Stonehaven Steadings consigned the $1.55 million Justify colt and 10 hips later sold a $750,000 filly from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn out of Grade 2 winner Wasted Tears, by Najran, as agent for Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings.

B.B.E. purchased the $750,000 filly, whose 2-year-old half-brother, Corniche, won his Sept. 4 debut at Del Mar by 4¼ lengths. Her 4-year-old half-sister, Look Me Over, scored a 3½-length win in an allowance race at Ellis Park on July 25.

“Probably the most exciting thing I have experienced in this business,” Stonehaven Steadings Director of Bloodstock and Client Development Aidan O'Meara said about the sales. “We were high on them all along. There was a huge update for the filly. The (Justify) colt has been one of our top two colts all along, but he really blossomed in the last two months. He was a class act all the way through. He improved every day and you could feel the momentum building with the serious players getting involved.”

“(Right now) I am flabbergasted and shocked and overwhelmed about the whole thing. We certainly weren't expecting those kinds of results. We had aggressive reserves but they blew past them by 200 percent. You dream of a day like this with two quality horses back to back.”

A colt by Gun Runner from the family of champion Untapable sold for $975,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, the colt is out of Untapable's full sister Time to Tap, by Tapit. The family also includes Grade 1 winner and sire Paddy O'Prado, Grade 2 winner Fun House and Grade 3 winner Majestic Eagle.

“He's by Gun Runner – probably can't name a hotter stallion or a stallion that's gotten off to a hotter start than him,” Jacob West said. “And (this colt) looks a lot like his dad. The whole team loved him.

“He was kind of the 'talking horse.' We had a pretty good idea that he was going to cost a lot of money, but that was right about what we thought he would bring. We knew we were going to have to fight off some pretty serious competition, and I'm just glad we got him.”

West said the colt would go to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Gainesway was the session's leading consignor, selling 21 horses for $7.9 million. They included three of the day's 10 highest-priced yearlings.

Gainesway, agent, sold a $900,000 filly from the first crop of Mendelssohn whose dam, the Discreet Cat mare Acrobatique is a half-sister to champion Covfefe and Japanese Group 2 winner Albiano. She sold to Solis/Litt, agent.

Another notable sale for Gainesway occurred when Maverick Racing paid $800,000 for a colt by Quality Road who is the first foal of Grade 1-placed stakes winner Cherry Lodge, by Bernardini. The colt's family includes Canadian champion Curlin's Voyage, Grade 1 winner Stormello, Grade 2 winner My Best Brother and Grade 3 winner Gala Award.

Courtlandt Farm purchased a colt by Gun Runner out of Grade 2 winner Broadway's Alibi, by Vindication for $875,000. He was consigned by Lane's End, agent.

Agent Donato Lanni signed the tickets for two high-priced horses offered consecutively in the ring.

For SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket, he paid $850,000 for a colt by Curlin whose 2-year-old half-brother, My Prankster, won his career debut by 10 lengths at Saratoga on Aug. 21. Consigned by Summerfield, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the colt is out of Grade 2 winner My Wandy's Girl, by Flower Alley.

“Very well-bred horse,” Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock said. “By Curlin, a stallion we really admire, out of a mare that looks like she has a chance to be a very good mare at this point. My Prankster looks like a good colt.

“We definitely noticed the 2-year-old winning as well as he did. We admired him at last year's yearling sale. This colt looks like a very nice two-turn colt.”

For Charles and Susan Chu's Baoma Corp., Lanni paid $825,000 for the yearling that preceded the Curlin colt, a filly by Quality Road who is the first foal of stakes winner My Miss Chiff, by Into Mischief. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Town & Country Horse Farms.

“Beautiful,” Lanni said. “She was just a real quiet filly, really well-made, like a good runner.”

Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket also paid $775,000 for a colt from the first crop of champion Good Magic consigned by Woods Edge Farm, agent; $675,000 for a son of Uncle Mo consigned by Gainesway, agent, and $440,000 for a Twirling Candy colt consigned by Clearsky Farms, agent.

By spending $2.74 million for the four yearlings, Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock/Starlight/Madaket, was the session's leading buyer.

The fourth session of the September Sale, which marks the conclusion of the two-day Book 2, begins tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET. TVG2 will have live coverage of the session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.

The September Sale runs through Sept. 24.

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