Keeneland officials announced Thursday that 5,189 yearlings have been
cataloged for the 2009 September Yearling Sale, scheduled for September 14-28.
Sessions will begin at 10 a.m. (EDT) daily; no sale will be conducted September
18. Keeneland will provide live coverage of the entire 14-day sale at
keeneland.com.
September Sale catalogs will be available on-line at keeneland.com
mailed the week of August 24.
Keeneland September Sale graduates continue to enjoy extraordinary racing
success, accounting for 682 stakes wins worldwide last year alone,” said
Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales. “For that reason, Keeneland
draws a global contingent of buyers that is unparalleled in our industry. Last
season, buyers, representing 48 different countries, purchased horses here.
“The September Sale is undoubtedly too where America shops for racehorses,
evidenced by the fact that its alumni dominate North American racing,” Russell
noted. “In 2008, we were represented by five Eclipse Award winners, highlighted
by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and the sensational Zenyatta. Zenyatta was
one of five September Sales graduates to win Breeders’ Cup races last year,
along with champions Stardom Bound, Midnight Lute and Forever Together, as well
as Desert Code.”
So far this year, September Sale graduates have captured 85 graded stakes,
and count among them 15 Grade 1 stakes winners — Zenyatta, Gio Ponti, Lord
Shanakill, Thorn Song, Good Ba Ba, Diamondrella (GB), Gozzip Girl, Mr. Sidney,
Quality Road, Santa Teresita, Seventh Street, Zensational, General Quarters,
Pioneerof the Nile and Stardom Bound.
Of the total 5,189 yearlings cataloged, 2,662 are colts, 2,524 are fillies
and three are geldings. Keeneland will offer yearlings by 289 different
stallions, including such established sires as A.P. Indy, Birdstone, Dalakhani,
Distorted Humor, Dynaformer, El Prado (Ire), Elusive Quality, Empire Maker,
Forestry, Galileo (Ire), Ghostzapper, Giant’s Causeway, Gone West, Indian
Charlie, Invincible Spirit, Kingmambo, Lemon Drop Kid, Malibu Moon, Medaglia
d’Oro, Mineshaft, Montjeu (Ire), Mr. Greeley, Pivotal, Pulpit, Rahy, Red Ransom,
Seeking the Gold, Smart Strike, Speightstown, Storm Cat, Street Cry (Ire), Tapit,
Tiznow, and Unbridled’s Song, among others.
Also cataloged are yearlings by such promising young sires as Afleet Alex,
Aragorn (Ire), Artie Schiller, Badge of Silver, Bernardini, Bluegrass Cat,
Eddington, First Samurai, Flower Alley, Grand Reward, Henny Hughes, Holy Roman
Emperor, Hurricane Run, Limehouse, Rock Hard Ten, Rockport Harbor, Roman Ruler,
Shamardal, Value Plus, War Front, and Wildcat Heir, among others.
Keeneland recently announced that the commission rate on horses which fail to
meet their reserve (RNAs) will be reduced from 4.5 percent to 2.5 percent for
the upcoming sales season, beginning with the September sale. It is one of
several new enhancements Keeneland will debut in September. The sales commission
for horses sold will remain 4.5 percent, which is the lowest rate in the world.
That rate was reduced from 5 percent in 2001, providing more than $25 million to
clients for reinvestment in breeding and racing operations.