Tiznow filly tops brings $400,000 to top session

Hip No. 3238 realized a final bid of $400,000 from Legends Racing to

highlight Wednesday's ninth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The dark bay lass, consigned by Eaton Sales, agent for Overbrook Farm, is by

Horse of the Year and dual Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) king Tiznow. Her dam is

2001 Genuine Risk H. (G2) heroine Katz Me If You Can (Storm Cat), herself a

daughter of 1990 Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) victress Cuddles (Mr. Prospector).

Katz Me If You Can is a half-sister to stakes winner Country Romance (Saint

Ballado) and a full sister to the unraced Imaginary Cat, who would produce Grade

3 winner Cause to Believe (Maria's Mon) and the undefeated stakes hero Imaginary

Sailor (Mizzen Mast).

Bred in Kentucky, Wednesday's topper is from the same family as Canadian

champion and Broodmare of the Year Kamar (Key to the Mint), herself the dam of

Canadian champion Key to the Moon (Wajima), multiple Grade 1 queen Gorgeous

(Slew o' Gold) and 1990 Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Seaside Attraction (Seattle

Slew). The latter miss would go on to produce champion two-year-old filly Golden

Attraction (Mr. Prospector), Grade 1-winning sire Cape Town (Seeking the Gold),

and Grade 3 victor and fellow sire Cape Canaveral (Mr. Prospector).

Other notables in the line include European Horse of the Year, champion turf

horse and 2001 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Fantastic Light (Rahy); French

highweight and 2006 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (Fr-G1) victor Desert Lord

(Green Desert); and this year's Gardenia H. (G3) heroine Swift Temper (Giant's

Causeway).

The second-highest price on the day also turned out to be a filly when

Blandford Bloodstock made a winning bid of $250,000 on Hip 3186. The

Songandaprayer bay lass is out of multiple stakes-placed Forty Gran (El Gran

Senor), making her a half-sister to the stakes-placed Reverently (Pulpit). The

Ontario-bred miss, who was consigned by Anderson Farms, agent for Kinghaven

Farms, can also count 2001 Personal Ensign H. (G1) heroine Pompeii (Broad Brush)

and 1989 Oaks d'Italia (Ity-G1) queen Nydrion (Critique) in her female line.

The highest-priced colt to sell during Wednesday's session was Hip 3001, a

Kentucky-bred consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. By More Than Ready, the bay colt

is out of Silent Circle (Indian Charlie) and was purchased by Edmonton Inc. for

$175,000. He is from the same family as 1981 champion grass mare De La Rose

(Nijinsky II), who captured the Hollywood Derby (G1) and ran second in the

Kentucky Oaks (G1) during her championship year, as well as 1978 Suburban H.

(G1) victor and sire Upper Nile (Nijinsky II).

The September sale continues to show declines in both session and cumulative

totals. For Wednesday, 266 yearlings were purchased for a total $10,244,800,

down 30.1 percent from last year when 286 brought $14,653,600. The average fell

nearly a quarter, when the 2007 number of $51,236 dropped 24.8 percent to

$38,514. The median fell 28.6 percent, from $42,000 to $30,000.

So far during the sale, 2,233 horses have sold for a total $305,698,100, an

average of $136,900 and a median of $80,000. Those numbers represent declines of

13.8 percent, 12.4 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively, over 12 months ago

when 2,269 yearlings brought a gross $354,714,200, an average of $136,900 and a

median of $80,000.