$1 million topper on Day 5 at Keeneland

LEXINGTON, Ky. After a one-day break, Keeneland's September yearling auction in in Lexington, Ky., reopened Saturday with a $1 million session-topper and gains across the board. The session, the fifth of 14 days, continued the auction's trend of high prices in the middle market, especially for stock by young sires, after the opening two select sessions posted mixed results.

Hip No. 1700, a son of Johannesburg and the Quiet American mare American Jewel, livened the proceedings considerably just seven horses from the session's end when J.J. Pletcher, agent, made the winning $1 million bid. Dromoland Farm, agent, sold the bay colt, who is from the family of 2001 Horse of the Year Point Given.

The session closed Saturday night with 267 horses sold for $31,980,700, up 2 percent from the equivalent day in 2006. The average price was $119,778, an increase of 12 percent, and the median rose 25 percent to $100,000.

Still, the five-day cumulative figures showed some downturns from the auction results to this point last year. Through Saturday, the 2007 edition had sold 1,121 yearlings for $275,271,200, a decline of 10 percent from last year, when 1,156 had sold. The five-day average price of $245,559 was off by 7 percent. But, as at previous sessions where gross and average fell, the median through day five made gains, increasing 7 percent to $160,000.

The auction, which this year cataloged a record 5,553 yearlings, will continue through Sept. 25 with sessions beginning daily in the Keeneland sale pavilion at 10 a.m.