Keeneland’s sales ground have been buzzing with optimism and traffic ahead of its September Yearling Sale, which begins Sept. 9 and runs through Sept. 21. If the energy generated by the strong start to the yearling sales season is any indication, the momentum is sure to carry through the sale, which features 4,407 horses cataloged.
“I think everyone in the barns has been very happy with the number of buyers that are here. I think that’s been very, very strong,” said Tony Lacy, Keeneland’s vice president of sales. “You’ve seen a lot of faces that have not been here in a number of years, and they’re back and finding a lot of quality stock. We’re hearing from the buyers that this is some of the best horses they’ve seen in Book 1 in a number of years, so that was very positive.”
Consignors have echoed Lacy’s optimism.
“Traffic has been good. We’ve looked at our show count versus last year, and it’s pretty much spot on. I feel good,” said Mark Taylor, CEO and president of Taylor Made.
“The traffic’s been the same as last year, literally I think the numbers are the same, and we had a good year last year,” echoed Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall.
Brogden commented on the high amount of yearlings cataloged by the same sires that make up a large portion of Book 1, including offspring by Curlin (32), Not This Time (28), Into Mischief (47), Gun Runner (40), and Justify and Uncle Mo both represented with 20. Offspring by those six stallions make up more than 50% of that catalog.
“I feel lucky, we have seven horses here, and all by seven different stallions,” she said.
“The buyers, they’re trying to sort out, ‘Well I’m landing on this one,’ but invariably they land on one they can’t afford,” Taylor added. “So they might pass one up early, then they get shut out and go back. I think the buy-back rate on the first day always tends to run a little higher, and then it kind of corrects, and you get post-sale stuff done.”
For the fourth year, the format of the September Sale will remain the same. There are six catalogs, each with two sale days. Book 1 will begin at 1:00 p.m. ET with 176 horses cataloged for each day; Book 2 will start at 11:00 a.m. Sept. 11; 380 horses are cataloged for the first day, with 372 to follow. Sept. 13 will be a dark day, and no sale will be conducted. Books 3-6 will begin at 10:00 a.m.
“I think the traffic’s been great, there are a great number of participants; some participants we haven’t seen in quite a while. There have been a lot of positive comments about the horses that are here and they’re interested in buying them,” said Kerry Cauthen of Four Star Sales.
Four Star Sales offers a special prospect in Hip 53, a half sister to grade 1 winner and 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale/Four Star Sales graduate Randomized . The bay filly is by first-crop yearling sire Maxfield , and out of the Elusive Quality mare French Passport .
Prospective buyers looking at yearlings ahead of the Keeneland September Sale
Last year, the first day of selling generated gross receipts of $57.7 million from 119 head, including nine sold post sale. The average was $485,042 with a median of $400,000. The RNA rate was 20.8% with 30 horses failing to meet their reserve.
Eight horses sold for $1 million or more during last year’s opening session, with an Into Mischief filly topping the day at $2.3 million from Gainesway’s consignment.
Donato Lanni was the leading buyer last year with a total of 20 horses bought, and a gross of $12,590,000. Gainesway sold 137 horses for a total of $43,573,000, and an average of $318,051 to be the leading consignor.
“I feel like it’s been solid and I think there’s good energy from the buyers here, and I expect to get off to a good start and then just build momentum and get stronger as the sale goes on,” said Taylor.
The Keeneland September Sale has produced world-class runners to the likes of Dornoch , winner of the 2024 Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2); Muth , winner of the 2024 Arkansas Derby (G1); Randomized, winner of this year’s Ogden Phipps (G1); and millionaire and multiple grade 1 winner Vahva , among many others.
“The table is set, we’ve got the right people here, and we’ve got the right horses,” said Lacy. “The environment is very positive. We look forward to a good, strong first week and hopefully that momentum flows into the second week,”
Keeneland has listed 31 outs as of Sept. 8, 145 will head to the ring Sept. 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion to kick off Book 1.
