Keeneland Catalogs 4,635 Horses for 83rd September Yearling Sale

Keeneland has cataloged 4,635 horses for the 83rd edition of the internationally significant September Yearling Sale, which will cover 12 sessions from Monday, Sept. 14 through Saturday, Sept. 26. Click here for the online catalog, which is now available.

The 2026 catalog features horses by 189 sires, including 24 first-crop sires represented by 1,072 yearlings. Of the horses in the catalog, 722 yearlings are by North America’s top 10 leading sires, underscoring the depth and quality found throughout the auction.

Last year’s September Sale was the world’s highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in history with more than $531.7 million in sales for 3,078 horses. The number of million-dollar horses (56) along with the average price ($172,755) and the median price ($80,000) all set records for the sale.

“The 2025 September Sale established a historic benchmark,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “With record participation and strong economic performance, buying power was evident at every level of the market. Selling at Keeneland comes with clear advantages: an unmatched auction team, world-class hospitality, a broad buying base with the highest quality of bloodstock and sellers and the full force of the global Thoroughbred industry.”

“This year’s September Sale offers remarkable quality and depth from the opening session through the final day,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “With so many outstanding yearlings, placing horses throughout the catalog required careful consideration. We are grateful to the breeders and consignors who continue to entrust Keeneland with their best horses. Now our focus turns to delivering the strongest possible marketplace for every buyer and seller.”

September Sale schedule

Books 1 and 2 during Week 1 of the September Sale comprise the first four days of the auction when more than 1,1000 yearlings representing the sale’s highest concentration of sire power, pedigree and physical quality will be offered. This placement enables major domestic and international buyers to inspect the largest number of exceptional horses possible before the Dark Day on Friday, Sept. 18 when no sale will be held.

“After six years of this consistent format, buyers and sellers understand the rhythm of the sale and can plan their inspections accordingly,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said.

The September Sale will resume Saturday, Sept. 19 and continue through Sept. 26. The final four sessions fill the two-part Book 5. Yearlings in Book 5A will sell Wednesday, Sept. 23 and Thursday, Sept. 24. Horses in Book 5B will sell Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26.

Here is the September Sale schedule:

Week 1

Book 1 – Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 14-15. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. ET.

Monday’s catalog has 181 horses. Tuesday’s catalog has 184 horses.

Book 2 – Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 16-17. Sessions begin at 11 a.m.

Wednesday’s catalog has 377 horses. Thursday’s catalog has 379 horses.

Dark Day – Friday, Sept. 18. No sale will be conducted.

Week 2

Book 3 – Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 19-20. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.

Saturday’s catalog has 416 horses. Sunday’s catalog has 423 horses.

Book 4 – Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 21-22. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.

Monday’s catalog has 417 horses. Tuesday’s catalog has 423 horses.

Book 5A – Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 23-24. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.

Wednesday’s catalog has 427 horses. Thursday’s catalog has 431 horses.

Book 5B – Friday-Saturday, Sept. 25-26. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.

Friday’s catalog has 496 horses. Saturday’s catalog has 481 horses.

Keeneland will livestream the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com. As always, online and phone bidding will be available.

Print catalogs for the auction are scheduled to start arriving in the mail the week of Aug. 24. They also will be available for pickup at Keeneland’s Welcome Center beginning that week.

Sire power

The September Sale has cataloged 2,386 colts and 2,248 fillies by 189 established stallions and exciting young sires. Nearly 200 yearlings cataloged in Week 1 are by stallions with their initial sales yearlings, including Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish. He is the sire of 51 yearlings cataloged in Week 1 among his 84 offspring in the entire catalog.

Other sires represented by their first crops of September Sale yearlings include champion and Belmont (G1) winner Arcangelo; champions Elite Power and Forte; Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage; and additional Grade 1 winners Annapolis, Arabian Lion, Country Grammer, Dr. Schivel, Gunite, Proxy, Taiba, Up to the Mark and Zandon.

“There is another very deep crop of freshman stallions with first-crop yearlings in 2026,” Breathnach said. “They are a diverse group of stallions with some sprinters and turf performers along with classic dirt types. There is no shortage of athletic individuals by these stallions coming to market, and they will add extra excitement to the sale.”

Freshman stallions join such popular sires as Candy Ride (ARG), Charlatan, City of Light, Constitution, Curlin, Essential Quality, Flightline, Ghostzapper, Girvin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Into Mischief, Justify, Liam’s Map, Life Is Good, Lope de Vega (IRE), Maclean’s Music, Maxfield, McKinzie, Medaglia d’Oro, Munnings, Not This Time, Nyquist, Omaha Beach, Oscar Performance, Paddington (GB), Practical Joke, Quality Road, St Mark’s Basilica (FR), Street Sense, Tapit, Tiz the Law, Twirling Candy, Uncle Mo, Upstart, Vekoma, Violence, War Front, Wootton Bassett (GB) and Yaupon.

Graduates become Grade 1 winners

Alumni of the September Sale have won 280 stakes around the world this year through Aug. 10 and captured races across North America as well as in England, France, Ireland, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and United Arab Emirates.

Graduates include these Grade/Group 1 winners: Always a Runner (Kentucky Oaks), Claret Beret (Apple Blossom), Classic Q (Just a Game Presented by Resolute Racing), Commandment (Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa), Counting Stars (DraftKings Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks), Dark Saffron (Dubai Golden Shaheen Presented by Nakheel), Deterministic (Resorts World Casino Manhattan and Fourstardave), Englishman (Woody Stephens Presented by Mohegan Sun), Eunomia (Clement L. Hirsch Presented by Oak Tree Racing), Explora (Test Presented by Ticketmaster), Formidable Man (Shoemaker Mile), Further Ado (Toyota Blue Grass), Kathynmarissa (Dunkin’ Diana), Magnitude (Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster), Napoleon Solo (Preakness), Percy’s Bar (Central Bank Ashland), Renegade (Arkansas Derby), Skippylongstocking (Pegasus World Cup Invitational) and Thought Process (Gamely).