Keeneland catalog a record

Keeneland has cataloged a record 5,110 yearlings to its September yearling sale, which will run this year from Sept. 12 to 26.

The sale will have a dark day on Friday, Sept. 16.

The catalog will include 2,668 colts, two geldings, and 2,440 fillies. The total surpasses the September auction's previous record of 4,891, which was set at last year's sale.

Keeneland's director of sales, Geoffrey Russell, attributed the rise in numbers partly to the September sale's popularity.

"The September yearling sale continues to gain in popularity because buyers can find depth in all price ranges," Russell, said in announcing the record catalog. "The record number of horses this year can be attributed to the ever-expanding number of horses in the middle market."

Last year's auction posted a world-record gross of $324,904,300 and, despite its then-record size, also saw September records in average ($96,411) price, median ($37,000), and top price for the

$8 million that Fusao Sekiguchi paid for a Storm Cat-Welcome Surprise colt.

Catalogs will be available starting Aug. 22. Sessions will begin at 10 a.m. in Keeneland's newly expanded and remodeled sales pavilion.