Catalog updates add some buzz to Keeneland September sale

The Keeneland September yearling sale started out with a strong catalog. As the auction has approached, the lineup has only gotten stronger.

There are 4,198 yearlings in the catalog for the Keeneland sale, which runs from Sept. 11-23. That catalog already included a half-sibling to Hall of Famer California Chrome and a yearling out of this summer’s fellow inductee Songbird; foals out of champions Midnight Bisou, Stellar Wind, and Unique Bella; full or half-siblings to champions Gamine, Midnight Bisou, Monomoy Girl, and Unique Bella; full or half-siblings to American classic winners Mage and Rombauer; and yearlings out of Kentucky Oaks winners Believe You Can and Serengeti Empress.

But nothing is static in Thoroughbred racing. From the release of that catalog on Aug. 8 through press time for this edition on Sept. 8, there were 41 graded stakes on the flat contested in America alone. Of the 40 individual winners of those races, there are full or half-siblings to 11 of those in the Keeneland catalog with major updates. That includes siblings to three new Grade 1 winners – Arabian Knight, Nutella Fella, and Randomized.

Arabian Knight’s half-brother, by Quality Road, had already been slotted as Hip No. 41 in the elite Book 1 portion of the sale, based on his own conformation – which Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy called “spectacular” – and the previous graded stakes performances of Arabian Knight, a $2.3 million juvenile. When Arabian Knight won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Sept. 2, it increased the value of this colt. According to breeder Mark Corser, this is the only other foal that will come from the broodmare Borealis Night due to her death.

Hip No. 1711, a Frosted filly who is a half-sister to Grade 1 Alabama winner Randomized, and Hip No. 2588, a colt from the first crop of War of Will who is now a half-brother to Grade 1 Hopeful winner Nutella Fella, add some intrigue to later books of the sale.

With the racing updates, the catalog now includes a half-sister to Grade 2 Lake Placid winner Aspray (Hip No. 384), a half-sister to Grade 2 Del Mar Derby winner Conclude (Hip No. 31), a half-brother to Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes winner Gigante (Hip No. 1499), a half-brother to Grade 2 Saratoga Special winner Rhyme Schemes (Hip No. 929), a full sister to Grade 3 Sorrento winner Dreamfyre (Hip No. 1164), a half-sister to Grade 3 With Anticipation winner Gala Brand (Hip No. 1829), a half-sister to Grade 3 Best Pal winner Prince of Monaco (Hip No. 1026), and a half-sister to Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks winner Vahva (Hip No. 906).

“The September sale is a can’t-miss event for horsemen because it presents a critical mass of yearlings of unmatched quality at every price level,” Lacy said. “For that reason, it’s the world’s leading yearling sale, the one that has the focus of the industry on a global level.”

The Keeneland September sale begins with Books 1 and 2, each comprising two sessions, before a “dark day” on Sept. 15. The sale will then continue with Books 3 through 6, each two sessions, with no days off. This is the third consecutive year the sale has kept this format. Last year, the auction posted records for gross, average, and median.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.