Keeneland surpasses last year’s total sales

Keeneland surpasses last year’s total sales

After eclipsing the 2010 total on day eight, the September Sale still has five more sessions to go (Keeneland Photo) On Monday, Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale surpassed last year’s cumulative gross. With eight sessions in the books so far, and five still to go, 1,631 yearlings have sold for $198,638,200, eclipsing the $198,257,900 grossed by 3,059 horses over 14 days in 2010. As that implies, the cumulative numbers are well ahead of those posted by this point in last year’s sale. The gross is up 9.3 percent from the $181,750,100 brought in by 1,818 horses at this juncture in 2010. The $121,789 average represents a 21.8 percent increase from the $99,973 posted a year ago, and the median has jumped 25 percent, from $60,000 to $75,000. During Monday’s trade, 306 horses grossed $12,233,200, a 53 percent spike from the $7,995,400 realized by 297 yearlings at the comparable session last year. The average soared 48.5 percent, from $26,921 to $39,978, and the median climbed 38.9 percent, from $18,000 to $25,000. Mark Casse, agent, purchased a Sky Mesa filly for the day’s top price of $230,000. Touring the ring as Hip No. 2242, the April 21 chestnut was consigned by Judy Klosterman, agent for Langsem Farm Inc. “I just thought she was beautiful,” Casse said. “I thought she was one of the best fillies I’ve seen all week long. It was funny. I was out yesterday looking at horses and I really wasn’t looking at her but she went by and I said to my wife, ‘Go find out who that is.’ I was excited to get her. I really wanted her.”

The Ohio-foaled filly is a half-sister to the unbeaten juvenile Dougs Buddy
(Badge of Silver), who has won a pair of stakes this summer at Northlands Park.
A seven-length debut winner, he added the July 30 Edmonton Juvenile S. and the
August 27 Birdcatcher S. to his resume, and now sports $72,119 in earnings.

The session topper is the second registered foal from the winning Forest
Wildcat mare Floral Park. The yearling’s third dam, 1996 Flower Bowl
Invitational H. (G1) heroine Chelsey Flower (His Majesty), has produced French
Group 3 victor Kentucky Dynamite (Kingmambo), runner-up in the 2006 Prix Jean
Prat (Fr-G1).

A pair of $220,000 colts tied for second on the day’s leaderboard. The Hong
Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) paid that price for Hip 2029, a Lion Heart colt consigned by
Charlton (Mr. and Mrs. Rick Abbott), agent for Maple Leaf Farm.

“Wonderful horse,” said Cash Asmussen, who was acting as agent for the HKJC.
“Great individual on the day. We were looking for horses that have a little more
speed than in the past because we’re concentrating on sprint or mile races. He
fit the bill.

The Pennsylvania-bred chestnut is a half-brother to last year’s A Gleam H.
(G2) winner Sweet August Moon (Malibu Moon), an earner of $492,396. Sweet August
Moon’s resume also includes victories in the Rancho Bernardo H. (G3), Las Flores
H. (G3) and Honest Lady S., and a third in the January 30 Santa Monica H. (G1)
in her last start. The March 20 foal is out of the winning Silent Academy (Royal
Academy), and his second dam is multiple Grade 3 queen Silent Turn (Silent Cal).

So far, on behalf of the HKJC, Asmussen has purchased eight horses for
$987,000.

“We’ve had to have a lot of patience,” Asmussen said. “There’s a certain type
of horse we are looking for and within a certain price range that makes sense
for us to be able to resell in Hong Kong. The horses will be trained here and
then sent over to Hong Kong for resale.”

Bob Feld, agent for Sagamore Farm, later went to $220,000 to secure a Tale of
the Cat colt offered by Eaton Sales, agent, as Hip 2197. The Kentucky-bred
youngster was making his second trip to the sales ring, having brought only
$25,000 at Keeneland in January.

The March 22 chestnut is the second registered foal produced by the winning
Darling Temper (Point Given). She is in turn a half-sister to millionaire Early
Pioneer (Rahy), hero of the 2000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1). With his third dam
being Close Control (Dunce), the colt comes from the black type-rich family of
multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Excellent Meeting (General Meeting), Grade
2-winning sires Doneraile Court (Seattle Slew) and Souvenir Copy (Mr.
Prospector), and last year’s European champion juvenile filly Hooray (Invincible
Spirit), among others.

The 13-day sale continues Tuesday and runs through Saturday, with each day’s
trade opening at 10 a.m. (EDT).

For the complete catalog, results and live video of the auction, log onto
keeneland.com.