Curlin filly goes for $975,000 at Keeneland

The cumulative average and median are up after 3 books (Photo courtesy of Keeneland) With John Brocklebank, agent, Utah-based Dickman’s Legacy Ranch prevailed in a lively bidding battle to land a filly by Curlin for $975,000 and record the top price on Monday during a strong seventh of 12 sessions of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale marked by across-the-board increases. The price is the highest recorded in the Book 3 portion of the September Sale since 2007, when J.J. Pletcher, agent, spent $1 million on a colt by Johannesburg out of the Quiet American mare American Jewel later named Sawtooth Mountain. Consigned by Lane’s End, agent for Stonestreet et al, the session-topping filly is out of stakes winner Epitome of a Lady, by Poteen, and from the family of Grade 3 winners Above Perfection and Hot Dixie Chick. She is among the six yearlings Dickman’s Legacy Ranch has purchased at this year’s September Sale with the intent to resell as two-year-olds.

“We’ve been buying all year — California, Washington, three or four places,”
said Vern Dickman, a successful businessman from Heber City, Utah, who said he
entered the Thoroughbred business less than a year ago and was attending his
first Keeneland sale. “We’re just going around trying to find the best horses.
This is the best one we’ve seen, so I wanted to have her.”

“She was just an exceptional horse,” said Brocklebank, also from Utah. “When
we first saw her, we fell in love with her. It’s kind of fun to buy those kind.”

With its lone purchase, Dickman’s Legacy Ranch was the session’s leading
buyer.

“That was quite a sale,” Bill Farish of Lane’s End said. “She was a very,
very nice filly. I think she broke the record for most scopes. She was very
popular. It’s amazing how much depth the sale has this late.”

Lane’s End, agent, was the session’s leading consignor, selling 30 yearlings
for $3,711,000.

On Monday, the final day of the Book 3 portion of the sale, 270 yearlings
sold for $21,034,500, up 13.3 percent from the corresponding session last year
when 298 horses brought $18,562,000. The average of $77,906 rose 25.1 percent
from $62,289 in 2014. The median of $55,000 was 10 percent above last year’s
$50,000.

“It was a very good day,” Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell said.
“The breakout horse was very exciting, a little unexpected, again proving there
is plenty of money here for the right horse. Today had a great vibe. Consignors
who brought a nice horse were very well-rewarded.”

Through seven sessions, Keeneland has sold 1,504 horses for $245,570,500,
down slightly from last year’s eight-day gross of $245,951,500 for 1,588
yearlings. The cumulative average of $163,278 increased 5.4 percent from
$154,881 in 2014. The median of $105,000 rose 5 percent from last year’s
$100,000.

Zayat Stables, in partnership with W.C. Racing/Dennis O’Neill, agent, paid
the day’s second-highest price of $450,000 for a colt by Into Mischief. Out of
the winning Distorted Humor mare Amusingly, the colt is from the family of
stakes winners Maniches, Herve and Lawrence the Roman. He was consigned by St.
George Sales, agent.

The September Sale continues through Saturday. All sessions begin at 10 a.m.
(EDT). The entire sale is streamed live at keeneland.com.