The 12-session Keeneland September yearling sale kicks off with two intensely focused days. The Book 1 portion of the auction consists of yearlings the sales company’s inspections teams have judged to be the finest, based on their pedigrees and physical conformation. While a seven-figure bidding war could easily erupt on any of the yearlings in this book, here are a few to watch based on their pedigrees, compelling storylines, and page updates, or the commercial histories of their families. This list of horses to watch accounts for catalog updates and sale outs through Sept. 4. Session One – Monday, Sept. 8 Hip No. 5, filly by Uncle Mo – Knarsdale, by Medaglia d’Oro. Consigned by Scott Mallory, agent for Determined Stud. This sale catalog is organized alphabetically by dam’s name, beginning on a random letter. Conventional wisdom is that it’s best to come up later in a session, when market momentum is established – but a stellar horse can overcome the “luck of the draw.” In this case, the luck of the draw comes up against the principle of “What have you done for me lately?” as this is a very active family. This filly is a full sister to Seismic Beauty, who has emerged as a leading two-turn filly on the West Coast, winning the Grade 2 Santa Margarita and Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch in succession. This will be the penultimate crop for classic sire Uncle Mo, who died in December. He has emerged as an outstanding broodmare sire, meaning fillies by him could be at a premium in these final crops. Hip No. 10, Stock Rising, colt by Flightline – Lady Shipman, by Midshipman. Consigned by VanMeter Sales, agent. Unbeaten Horse of the Year Flightline has recorded multiple seven-figure lots at each yearling sale he has been represented at so far – the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected sale and the Japan Racing Horse Association yearling and foal sale. Part of that is due to the outstanding book of mares he garnered. It would be impossible to include every one of his well-bred Book 1 yearlings on this list, but a few mares do stand out. Grade 3 winner Lady Shipman won 11 stakes and was second by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. She also produced millionaire Golden Pal, whose seven graded stakes wins included the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Hip No. 22, filly by Gun Runner – Love and Pride, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Four Star Sales, agent. Gun Runner quickly transitioned from freshman phenom into perennial top-three general sire. Along with reigning leader Into Mischief, he dominated the leaderboard at the Saratoga selected sale, as they combined to sire every yearling sold for $2 million or more. This filly is from the family of several notable broodmares, raising her residual value. Love and Pride, a Grade 1 winner on both coasts, is the dam of six winners from seven starters – with two stakes winners, including Bella Runner, a full sister to this filly. Love and Pride’s granddam is Grade 1 winner and Broodmare of the Year Cara Rafaela, dam of champion and prominent sire Bernardini. Hip No. 35, colt by Life Is Good – Matera, by Tapit. Consigned by Gainesway, agent for Don Alberto. This is the first crop for Life Is Good, a multiple Grade 1-winning son of Into Mischief. He sired a seven-figure yearling and three others sold for $500,000 or more at Saratoga. He is averaging $471,000 overall, against his introductory fee of $100,000. This is the second foal out of stakes winner Matera, who in turn is out of Grade 3 winner Miss Macy Sue. The latter is the dam of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner and successful sire Liam’s Map; Grade 3 winner and prominent sire Not This Time; stakes winner Taylor S; and Minnie Macy, dam of Grade 2-placed Virginia Eloise. This family is well represented throughout Book 1. Minnie Macy’s Curlin filly, a full sister to Virginia Eloise, is consigned as Hip No. 44 with Lane’s End as agent. Taylor Made Sales Agency will offer Taylor S’s Flightline filly as Hip No. 168. Hip No. 70, colt by Speightstown – Perfect Shirl, by Perfect Soul. Consigned by Four Star Sales, agent. This is the final crop for champion Speightstown, who died in late 2023. Millionaire Perfect Shirl, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, is the dam of Grade 1 winner Shirl’s Speight – a full sibling to this colt – as well as graded stakes-placed Speightstown Shirl and Ready for Shirl. Perfect Shirl is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Shakespeare. Hip No. 89, colt by Into Mischief – Reina Maria, by Songandaprayer. Consigned by Mulholland Springs, agent. Six-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief, well on his way to a seventh title past the midway point of this year, needs no introduction. He also has emerged as a sire of sires, and this is a chance to acquire a full brother to one of his successful ones. This is a full sibling to Grade 2 winner Maximus Mischief, who recently sired Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Raging Torrent. Hip No. 98, colt by Munnings – Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours. Consigned by Paramount Sales, agent. This is a full brother to three-time Grade 1 winner Jack Christopher, who has been a commercial success early with his first-crop yearlings, siring the sale-topper at the Fasig-Tipton July sale. Another prominent stallion appears close in this family, as Rushin No Blushin is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Street Boss. Hip No. 101, filly by Into Mischief – Samantha Nicole, by Medaglia d’Oro. Consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet. Six-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief needs no introduction. This broodmare is a full sister to Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, whose only two foals were winners, including Grade 1 winner Rachel’s Valentina. The winning Samantha Nicole has been a consistent broodmare herself, producing three winners from five starters, including stakes winner Fairchild. Hip No. 118, filly by Tapit – Silver Colors, by Mr. Greeley. Consigned by Gainesway, agent. Perennial leading sire Tapit has emerged as an outstanding broodmare sire, which could place fillies by him and from top families at a premium. Silver Colors, out of Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, is the dam of five winners from six starters, including Grade 1 Alabama winner Eskimo Kisses; Princess Aliyah, a stakes winner this year; and stakes-placed Silver Ride. Hip No. 128, colt by Gun Runner – Songbird, by Medaglia d’Oro. Consigned by Gainesway, agent. Hall of Famer Songbird is the dam of just one winner from three starters to date, but she has still produced seven-figure yearlings. With some top racemares, their talent has skipped generations and their daughters have become prominent producers. If that is the case, Gainesway will immediately follow this one with a Flightline colt out of Songbird’s unraced daughter Song Gate. Hip No. 136, filly by Flightline – Special Me, by Unbridled’s Song. Consigned by Machmer Hall Sales. Blue hen Special Me is the dam of seven winners from nine starters, led by multiple Grade 1 winner Gina Romantica, a seven-figure yearling herself; multiple Grade 1 winner Gift Box; and graded stakes winners Special Forces and Stonetastic. The latter’s Flightline filly will be offered shortly after this as Hip No. 148 with Paramount Sales. Hip No. 141, filly by Into Mischief – Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper. Consigned by Glennwood Farm. This is a half-sister to no less than Triple Crown winner and first-ballot Hall of Famer Justify, who has emerged as an outstanding young international sire. Grade 3-placed Stage Magic also is the dam of graded stakes winner The Lieutenant and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Stage Raider. In an encouraging note for this filly, one of her daughters, Holiday Music, is now the dam of stakes winner One Man Team. Hip No. 164, filly by Justify – Sweeter Still, by Rock of Gibraltar. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Sweeter Still was a graded stakes winner in the United States, but at a sale that attracts global buyers, this filly has plenty of international cachet. Justify is successful on multiple continents, including siring a pair of European classic winners already. Sweeter Still is the dam of English 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, and her daughter Catchingsnowflakes is the dam of Group 3 winner The Waco Kid, making a filly from her family extra attractive. Session Two – Tuesday, Sept. 9 Hip No. 198, filly by Flightline – Unrivaled Belle, by Unbridled’s Song. Consigned by Gainesway, agent. Unrivaled Belle won multiple graded stakes in 2010, including the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and during that season, this underrated mare bested the likes of Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra and champions Blind Luck and Havre de Grace. She is the dam of two-time Eclipse Award winner Unique Bella – who is by Tapit, the sire of Flightline. Hip No. 243, colt by Gun Runner – Amour d’Ete, by Tiznow. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent. This mare is the dam of four winners from as many starters, including Preakness winner Early Voting. A full brother to this colt, Early Voting is represented by his first yearlings this year, including the co-sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale. This colt’s second dam is Canadian champion Silken Cat, dam of champion and sire Speightstown and multiple graded stakes winner Irap. This family continues to be active, with recent Grade 2 Suburban winner Phileas Fogg appearing on the page. Hip No. 265, colt by Flightline – Bubbler, by Distorted Humor. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale, agent. Stakes winner Bubbler is the dam of five winners from six starters, including a generational talent in Hall of Famer Arrogate. Bubbler, whose granddam is champion Meadow Star, also is the dam of stakes winner Osara and stakes-placed Diamond Ore. Late in this session, Bubbler’s winning daughter Immediate Impact will be represented by a Flightline filly, consigned as Hip No. 264 with Clearsky Farms. Hip No. 278, colt by Gun Runner – Cavorting, by Bernardini. Consigned by Indian Creek, agent for Stonestreet. Multiple Grade 1 winner Cavorting is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Clairiere, stakes winner La Crete, and Grade 3-placed Judge Miller. Cavorting’s colt by Curlin topped the 2024 Keeneland September sale, selling for a smashing $5 million. Hip No. 299, Just Dance, filly by Justify – Dance Quietly, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Gainesway, agent. This is an opportunity to buy a filly from one of the most successful female families in recent decades, with a number of Horse of the Year honorees on this page. Stakes winner Dance Quietly is the dam of four winners, including stakes winner Dance d’Oro. Dance Quietly is out of Quiet Dance, who produced 12 winners, led by Horse of the Year Saint Liam, Grade 1 winner Funtastic, and graded stakes winners Quiet Giant and Congressionalhonor. Quiet Giant is the dam of Hall of Famer, Horse of the Year, and successful sire Gun Runner. Hip No. 306, filly by Not This Time – Distorted Legacy, by Distorted Humor. Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent. Not This Time, who this summer passed the milestone of 50 stakes winners, has emerged as America’s top heir to Giant’s Causeway. His current yearlings were the first conceived on a six-figure stud fee, his fee tripling to $135,000 for the 2023 season after siring two champions the prior year. Grade 1-placed stakes winner Distorted Legacy is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Art Collector and graded stakes-placed Classic Legacy. The second dam, Grade 1-placed Bunting, produced classic-placed Grade 2 winner Vision and Verse. Hip No. 312, colt by Curlin – Dream Rush, by Wild Rush. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, agent for Stonestreet. Multiple Grade 1 winner Dream Rush has been a stellar broodmare, producing Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia, graded stakes winner Dream Pauline, stakes winner Atreides, and stakes-placed Perchance. Dreaming of Julia went on to be named Broodmare of the Year, producing Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner and two-time Eclipse champion Malathaat. Both that filly and her Grade 2-winning full sister Julia Shining are by Curlin, making this colt bred on the same successful cross. Hip No. 334, Nonstop, colt by Flightline – Flawless, by Mr. Greeley. Consigned by Bridie Harrison, agent for Peter Blum Thoroughbreds. Flawless is the dam of six winners from as many starters, led by Horse of the Year Authentic, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic. Lest this family be considered a one-hit wonder, the many graded stakes winners on this page include Grade/Group 1 winners Reynaldothewizard and Seventh Street. Hip No. 345, colt by Medaglia d’Oro – Golden Sister, by Capitalist. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. At age 26, classic sire Medaglia d’Oro is as strong a sire as ever. His runners this season include Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer and recent Grade 1 Alabama winner Nitrogen. This colt, who will have international appeal, is out of a half-sister to Golden Sixty, the three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year who banked more than $21.2 million in U.S. funds. Hip No. 360, filly by Into Mischief – Honouring, by Smart Strike. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale, agent. Late in the session, here is a chance to buy a filly by a leading sire and from one of the most successful families in the stud book. Winning mare Honouring is the dam of two winners from as many starters, including Canadian champion Tyson, a graded stakes winner who is Grade 1-placed. Honouring is a full sister to Grade 1 winner Streaming and stakes winner Treasuring. Their dam is Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, whose graded stakes winners include Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes winner and champion Rags to Riches and fellow Belmont winner Jazil. This active branch of the family is responsible for Belmont winner and champion Arcangelo. Better Than Honour is out of Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride, in turn out of Broodmare of the Year Best In Show. A full page could be taken listing all the stellar runners underneath this family.