LEXINGTON, Ky. – A $1.6 million Quality Road colt led energetic trade in the Keeneland sale pavilion Tuesday afternoon as a number of high-ticket offerings pushed the Keeneland September yearling sale's marquee Book 1 portion across the finish line with gains. Eight yearlings broke the seven-figure ceiling during Tuesday's second and final Book 1 session – two each by Quality Road and War Front, along with yearlings by City of Light, Curlin, Into Mischief, and Tapit. That octet joined three seven-figure yearlings from Monday’s opening session – by American Pharoah, Into Mischief, and Uncle Mo, respectively – to lead 208 yearlings who sold through the ring for a gross of $90,622,000 over the two days. Last year's two-session Book 1 in a marketplace hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic finished with 209 horses sold for $85,215,000 through the ring before any private sales were factored in. "It was a great couple of days," said Keeneland president Shannon Bishop Arvin, who is leading a new sales staff less than a year into her tenure at the helm. Tony Lacy took over as Keeneland’s vice president of sales this year, and Cormac Breathnach as director of sales operations, after former director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell retired from his full-time position after 25 years with Keeneland. "We're really excited about the results, about the feeling, about the excitement on the grounds," Arvin continued. "Geoffrey Russell likes to talk about the hustle and bustle. It felt really present and back, which we're excited about." Shortly after the close of business on Tuesday, Keeneland reported Book 1's average price to be $435,683, rising 7 percent from $407,727 in 2020. The median checked in at $350,000, up 4 percent from $335,000. Lacy pointed to the median as a particular sign of strength, noting that it hit $400,000 for Tuesday’s session alone. “I don’t think we’ve ever hit [that figure] for a session,” Lacy said. “Cumulatively, it’s just challenging and just short of 2019, which was a record year. As we go forward, it’s really encouraging. I think it sets a really strong tone.” Both Arvin and Lacy referenced a diverse group of buyers as another positive sign. The 11 horses who sold for seven figures in Book 1 were purchased by 11 different entities, mainly by domestic buyers who continue to dominate the North American buying bench due to travel difficulties causes by the ongoing pandemic. International participation has increased in 2021, with buyers in attendance from Japan, Australia, and other nations. However, some major players were still missing. Brian Graves, general manager for consignor Gainesway, noted, in particular, the absence of Godolphin – whose Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum has frequently traveled to this sale in the past – and the late Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum's Shadwell from the buying bench. Godolphin and Shadwell were the top two buyers by gross at the final pre-pandemic Keeneland September sale in 2019, spending $16 million and $11.07 million, respectively. Godolphin did not make any purchases at the 2020 edition of this sale and has not yet bought a horse here in 2021. Shadwell, which participated at a reduced level in 2020, also has not yet bought a horse at this edition, following the death of Sheikh Hamdan in March. "There's an absence of Shadwell, Sheikh Mohammed, and lots of people didn't have travel waivers to get here," Graves said. "When you start adding that up, you feel like there's $30 million or $40 million that could possibly be missing in the marketplace. But the domestic buyers stepped up, and they got their hands on some of these things that those other guys usually do. Lots of partnerships and lots of active people here domestically propped it up." The cumulative buyback rate for Book 1 was 34 percent, compared to 40 percent last year. Breaking the buyback rate down by individual sessions, Monday finished at 38 percent, while Tuesday improved to 30 percent. Keeneland introduced a RNA Reoffer program this year, attempting to address some of the concerns of breeders and consignors who felt disadvantaged by drawing an early placement in the catalog, or who feel they misjudged the early market. Tuesday's session was immediately followed by a selection of yearlings who failed to meet their reserve during the opening session whose connections wanted another chance in the ring. Seven yearlings were entered in the RNA Reoffer program, with three selling privately beforehand, and one of the remaining four selling in a second trip through the ring. That horse, a More Than Ready colt, drew a high bid of $150,000 after he had been a $145,000 buyback on Monday. “It’s just trying to create safety nets for the sellers,” Lacy said. W.S. Farish, Jr. of Lane's End Farm and its affiliated Woodford Racing signed the ticket for the sale-leading Quality Road colt on behalf of a partnership that also will include West Point Thoroughbreds. Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables, which bred the colt and consigned him via Eaton Sales, said she will come back in to retain a piece of the colt, as is her common practice when selling colts from her high-end broodmare band. "I am excited about that," Banke said. "He was on my list of favorites." Farish said that "a few others" may eventually join the partnership, and that Shug McGaughey will train the new acquisition. "If you're doing it on your own, it's tough to compete with the partnerships," Farish said. "But I think it's exciting for people to get in and be involved in high-end colts like this, which they normally couldn't do if they did it on their own. The market is strong. For horses like this, it's been very, very hard to buy, as you can tell by that price. It's competitive." The colt is out of the remarkable broodmare Catch the Moon, an unraced Malibu Moon mare who has produced four graded stakes winners by four different sires. That quartet includes Midnight Bourbon (by Tiznow), who has continued to enhance the family's reputation this year by winning the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes and placing in four other graded stakes, including runner-up efforts in the Preakness and Travers. He was beaten just a neck by champion Essential Quality in the latter. Catch the Moon also is the dam of Girvin (Tale of Ekati), whose three graded stakes scores were highlighted by a triumph in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational; and Grade 3 winners Pirate's Punch (Shanghai Bobby) and Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John). This marks the third consecutive year that Stonestreet has bred and raised the highest-priced colt in Keeneland September’s Book 1. Stonestreet also was represented by the co-second highest-priced yearling of the session, as a Curlin colt from the operation joined a Tapit colt in selling for $1.3 million. Both colts were consigned by Gainesway, which had an outstanding day, selling three seven-figure horses, including two it bred and raised itself. Powered by that trio, Gainesway finished as Book 1's leading consignor, with 23 horses sold overall over the two-day span for a gross of $12,465,000. “I was hopeful,” Graves said of the day. “The first day was a little bit spotty and a little bit soft. . . . The vetting had increased today, so we kind of figured it was going to be a little bit better. . . . We're just very grateful that two of our Gainesway homebreds were the lucky recipients of that million-dollar number, and we're very grateful to Barbara Banke for the third, and grateful to all of our clients." Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm, went to $1.3 million for the Tapit colt bred and raised at Gainesway, which stands his perennial leading sire. Pope is among the partners with Gainesway in the nascent stud career of one of the stallion's four Belmont Stakes winners, Tapwrit, who stands alongside his sire. “I love Tapit, as everyone knows," Pope said. “This one was raised at Gainesway. I have a lot of faith in how they raise their horses, and their horsemanship on the farm. I felt like the horse had a good beginning, a good foundation built into him to begin with. He’s been levelheaded, unlike some of the Tapits." The colt, who Pope said would go to her Whisper Hill in Florida for his early training, is the second foal out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Danzatrice. The Dunkirk mare is a half-sister to champion Jaywalk. Moments later, M.V. Magnier of Coolmore won the bidding war for the $1.3 million Curlin colt from Stonestreet, which spreads its yearlings across several consignors. The colt is out of the stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Dashing Debby, dam of five winners from as many starters, including Grade 1-placed stakes winner Dawn the Destroyer and stakes winner Bronze Star. “Brian Graves, when we went down to see him first, really, really liked the horse," Magnier said. "All our guys liked him as well. Barbara Banke, she’s bred some incredible horses over the last couple years. Curlin’s doing very well.” Magnier said the colt will remain with Coolmore's American arm to be trained and raced. Rounding out the day's seven-figure lots: * A daughter of two-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief became the day's most expensive filly when she sold for $1.25 million to Spendthrift Farm, which stands her sire. Into Mischief was Book 1's leading sire by gross, with 20 horses sold for $12.8 million. The filly, who was consigned by Bluewater Sales, as agent, is out of Grade 1 winner Embellish the Lace. The Super Saver mare is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Afleet Express, from the family of Grade 1 winner Materiality. * Eddie Woods, as agent for Seahorse Stables, went to $1.2 million for a War Front filly who he said will head to Ireland for that operation's principals, who could not travel to the United States. The filly, bred and consigned by Gainesway, is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and Canadian champion Lukes Alley. * Quality Road's other seven-figure lot was a $1.15 million colt purchased by Mayberry Stables, with David Ingordo, who signed the ticket, saying he will be trained by John Shirreffs. The colt, bred and consigned by Dixiana Farms, is the first foal out of the Grade 3-placed English Channel mare Brielle's Appeal, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Authenticity, the dam of Grade 1 winner Charlatan. * Quality Road's son City of Light hit a home run with a colt from his first crop, who sold for $1.05 million to bloodstock agent Jacob West, for partners Repole Stable and St. Elias. That team was Book 1's leading buyer, landing 13 yearlings for a total of $6.76 million. The City of Light colt, consigned by Woods Edge Farm, as agent, is out of the winning Ghostzapper mare Ghostslayer, dam of Grade 3 winner Biddy Duke. It is the extended family of champions Contrail, Essential Quality, and Folklore. * War Front was represented by a colt sold for $1 million to the Lynnhaven Racing of Jim and Dana Bernard, Louisiana-based newcomers for the Thoroughbred industry. The colt, bred and consigned by Stone Farm, is out of the stakes-placed Maria's Mon mare Chatham, making him a full brother to European champion Air Force Blue. It is the family of champions Flanders and Surfside. The Keeneland September sale continues its run with a pair of Book 2 sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Following a dark day on Friday, the sale runs from Saturday through Friday, Sept. 24, with Books 3 through 5. For hip-by-hip results, click here.