LEXINGTON, Ky. – Unbeaten General Graham sold for $375,000 to top a short and sweet edition of the Keeneland April selected horses of racing age sale, which took place Friday evening on the closing day of the track’s spring meet. Keeneland reported just 12 horses sold from a fluctuating catalog for the single-session sale for gross receipts of $1,697,000. In last year’s sale, 44 horses brought $3,884,000. Both sets of figures represent only horses sold through the ring, before any private sales are later factored in. In front of a sizeable crowd, many just down from the races, six of the 12 horses sold went for six-figure price tags. With that, the average price finished at $141,417, an increase of 60 percent from the through-the-ring average of $88,273 last year. The median was $102,500, up 58 percent compared to $65,000. There were several high-ticket buybacks on the evening, including Trendsetter, last-out winner of the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland, who did not meet his reserve with a high bid of $725,000; and Group 3 winner Queen Azteca, who hammered at $675,000. The buyback rate finished at 40 percent, compared to an unusually low 12 percent last year. The timing of the April sale makes it a solid place for buyers to stock their stables before the summer race meets. However, the timing also means that plenty of racing opportunities are ahead for current owners, who may not be as willing to part with their stock for less than the desired value. Indeed, trainer Ben Colebrook has noted earlier this week that he feels Trendsetter has a big campaign ahead of him. “There are plenty of races for him,” Colebrook said. “I think he’d be perfect for Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma Derby races. He’s a horse that could make a lot of money.” General Graham was purchased by Jethorse LLC, which bid by phone. The 3-year-old Omaha Beach colt was consigned by his trainer Eddie Kenneally, as agent for his family-associated Red Gate Racing. “We’re delighted with General Graham,” Kenneally said. “Two for two, hasn’t done anything wrong, beautiful, big horse. He’s a horse that we bought in a package as a yearling, and the intent was to sell. That’s kind of what we do. We run these horses, try to get some success at the track, and sell them when they appear as though they’re moving forward. He certainly does appear as though he’s moving forward. I think he’s got a big career ahead of him.” Kenneally selected General Graham for $35,000 out of the Keeneland September yearling sale and has parlayed that into two wins from as many starts and a big payday Friday. General Graham won his career debut, a maiden/optional-claiming race, on March 16 at Fair Grounds by 4 3/4 lengths. He ran back during the just-concluded Keeneland spring meet, winning a seven-furlong starter allowance race by a length. “Beautiful mover, very big, imposing horse,” Kenneally said of his impressions when purchasing the colt as a yearling. “Very, very kind and a big, pretty horse with a very easy, good-moving action, a lot of quality about him. I liked a lot about him, but he was very big, so he did take some time before he made his first start. “We were patient with him. He could have run last fall as a 2-year-old, but he just wasn’t quite ready for it. We stopped on him and gave him some time off, and started again in the wintertime. Got him ready for his first start in March, and thankfully, he got it right. He won in an impressive fashion, first time out, in a quick time. We liked him all along, but we just had to wait for him because he was such a big horse.” For hip-by-hip results, click here. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.