Buyers fancy young broodmares

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Racehorse buyers seeking yearlings from young broodmares were dominant Wednesday at the ninth session of Keeneland's 14-day September yearling sale.

Twin Peeks Racing paid $150,000 - the session-leading price at 4 p.m. Eastern - for Hip No. 3102. The Birdstone colt offered by the Clabes Bloodstock agency is out of Elle Nicole, a 6-year-old El Corredor mare.

Ahmed Zayat, whose Zayat Stables frequently has appeared on the buyer's list at this sale, spent $125,000 Wednesday for Hip No. 3099, a Distorted Humor colt out of stakes-winner Dyna's Destiny that Top Line Sales, agent, consigned.

Also topping the $100,000 mark was Hip No. 3067, a dark bay or brown Arch colt out of the Grade 3-placed A.P. Indy mare Chic Joy. Agent Tony Lacy bought the colt from Middlebrook Farm, agent. Lacy represented buyer Malih al-Basti in the transaction.

All three of the yearlings to fetch $100,000 or more by late afternoon were out of very young broodmares. Neither Dyna's Destiny nor Elle Nicole, both 6 this year, has runners yet. Chic Joy, age 9, has had one starter to date - the winning 3-year-old Hennessy filly Que Mona.

Pinhookers also were active at Wednesday's upper levels. Ricky Leppala and Jim Zahler purchased a $75,000 Indian Charlie-Terrifee colt from the Eaton Sales agency and Eisaman Equine paid $50,000 for the Darby Dan Farm agency's Successful Appeal-Bridal Memories filly, to name two prominent examples.

Tuesday's eighth session ended with 274 yearlings sold for $9,744,700, down 31 percent from last year's eighth session. The session average of $35,565 was off by 32 percent, and the $25,000 median was down 38 percent. But buy-backs improved, dropping from last year's figure of 28 percent to 25 percent this year.

Tuesday's session-topper was a $260,000 Giant's Causeway colt out of the multiple graded winner and millionaire Smok'n Frolic. All the Rage Partners bought the bay colt from Adena Springs.

The sale continues through Monday at the Keeneland sale pavilion. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m.