The new-look first week of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded its strong run Thursday with two more $1 million yearlings, bringing the total up to 13 through the first four days. Both of Thursday’s seven-figure lots were fillies, by sires already accustomed to the leaderboard in Tapit and Scat Daddy.
Don Alberto Corp. struck for the daughter of Tapit and 2012 Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen Believe You Can (Proud Citizen). Consigned by Brereton C. Jones/Airdrie Stud, agent, the March 17-foaled gray toured the ring as Hip No. 1038.
“First of all, she’s a Tapit,” Liliana Solari of Don Alberto said. “We had Proud Citizen at our farm in Chile. He was a wonderful horse and he sired very good fillies and colts. (This filly) had very nice lines – not too big, not too strong, but nice lines. So we want to have good horses (from) her.”
“All the smart people have told us that the filly looks exactly like all the really good Tapits,” Bret Jones of Airdrie said. “She is not a great big robust filly, but she is a well put-together filly and gives you the feeling she is going to give everything she has on the race track.”
The joint session-topper is the second registered foal from Believe You Can, and a full sibling to the mare’s first, Believe in Royalty (Tapit). A $900,000 Keeneland September yearling a year ago, Believe in Royalty finished third in his unveiling at Delaware Park for Robert C. Baker, William Mack and breeder Jones.
The dust had barely settled when the next $1 million filly, Hip 1041 offered by Gainesway, agent, was gaveled down to Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock. Out of the Grade 3-placed Ghostzapper mare Beloveda, the March 16 foal gave her late sire Scat Daddy his third straight session topper.
“This was my favorite horse in the whole sale,” said Radcliffe, who’d bought six other pricey yearlings so far. “I saw her on Sunday and I knew I wasn’t going home without her. In my eyes, she is the best horse in the sale. She is a queen and hopefully she will be in the Queen Mary Stakes ([G2] at Royal Ascot) next year.”
“(The filly) rose to the occasion here,” Gainesway’s director of sales Michael Hernon said. “She was shown over 220 times; she was just as strong at the end. And she came along really well, I’d say in the last six weeks. She attracted all the top buyers, as she deserved to do.
“We think she’s a Royal Ascot filly. There was a lot of across-the-board interest from major buyers. And you know the cream rises to the top. We think she’s a really good horse, and we’re delighted with the result.”
Tapit was responsible for Thursday’s top colt, a $900,000 half-brother to Grade 1-winning millionaire Taris (Flatter) purchased by Eric Fein. Cataloged as Hip 1125, the gray was consigned by Craig and Holly Bandoroff’s Denali Stud, agent for Stonestreet Bred and Raised. His dam, the winning Comedy (Theatrical), has also produced multiple Grade 3-placed stakes scorer Theatre Star (War Front) and West Virginia-bred stakes winner Stoweshoe, a full sister to Taris.
“We priced him anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million,” said Ian Brennan, who signed the ticket on behalf of Fein. “Good Tapit colts are bringing that kind of money. I’ve seen him for the last six, seven months and I’ve loved him. He’s done everything right.”
Hall of Famer Curlin sired the next two colts. Hip 987, a Clarkland Farm product, commanded $850,000 from trainer Ken McPeek as agent for Fern Circle. A half-brother to Grade 3-placed stakes scorer Dancinginthecircle (Divine Park) and Penn-bred stakes winners Imply (E Dubai) and Advert (Lonhro), he is out of the multiple stakes-placed Allude (Orientate) from the further family of Hall of Famer Holy Bull (Great Above).
“I know the guy that bought Curlin as a yearling; I know him pretty well,” quipped McPeek, who had himself bought Curlin for $57,000 here in 2005. “And I think that he was as much that type of horse as I’ve ever seen from the stallion. He just really stamped this colt. This colt vetted perfect, and he was a man among boys today.
“(We) expected (to pay) $600,000, $700,000, $800,000. (Fern Circle’s Paul Fireman and I were) on the phone and he said, ‘Go ahead.’ We’re real lucky to have a horse in the barn like this.”
A Curlin half-brother to Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy), last year’s Eclipse (G1) hero and the 3-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s Northern Dancer Turf (G1), brought $800,000 from Kempton/Berkelhammer, agent for Albaugh Family Stable. Those same connections campaign his promising juvenile half-brother, Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), runner-up in this summer’s Sanford (G3) and Hopeful (G1). Produced by Grade 3 victress Trensa (Giant’s Causeway), Hip 887 was yet another from the Gainesway, agent, shedrow.
“He just had beautiful balance, very clean angles. He was an athletic horse from a profile – just had so much class and presence,” Steve Castagnola, bloodstock manager for Albaugh Family Stable, said.
“I think he was a better individual than Free Drop Billy was at this time last year when we bought him. And you know you can’t say enough about Curlin. The mare’s a fantastic mare. The more we looked at him, you could just see it. Sometimes they hit you right between the eyes, and he was one of them.”
Rounding out the top six, also at $800,000, was a Pioneerof the Nile filly offered by Padraig Campion’s Blandford Stud, agent. John C. Oxley secured Hip 986, a daughter of All Mettle (Touch Gold), who is herself a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning sprinters Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper) and Dads Caps (Discreet Cat).
“She is gorgeous and I love Pioneerof the Nile,” said Oxley, whose champion colt Classic Empire is by the same sire. “She had the same look as (his son Triple Crown winner) American Pharoah. She was too attractive to pass up, so I had to stay in there and win. That was a little more than I thought she would go for and quite a bit more than I hoped she would go for.”
On day four at Keeneland, 198 yearlings grossed $47,231,000, resulting in an average of $238,540 and a median of $175,000. For the entire revamped first week, comprising the boutique session for Book 1 and an enhanced, three-day Book 2, 681 horses have realized $196,645,000. That’s far ahead of the cumulative gross through day four last year ($159,123,000 brought by 588 horses). The $288,759 average is likewise outpacing the 2016 figure by this point ($270,617), and the median has held at $200,000. Of course, last year’s sale was the old format, when day four was the first session following the dark day.
Keeneland officials have been pleased with the buyers’ response to the new schedule.
“The goals we set out before the sale have been accomplished,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operation Geoffrey Russell said. “We wanted to engage buyers early and Monday showed that with great highlights. We wanted the momentum from Monday to carry through this week. The table has been very well set for the rest of the sale based on this week.
“We have sold million-dollar horses throughout the week, which shows the strength of the market. There is a hunger for top-end horses.”
With Friday being the dark day now, the sales action resumes with Book 3 on Saturday. The sale then continues through September 23, with daily sessions at 10 a.m.
See september.keeneland.com for all of the sale resources, including live streaming of the auction.
