Keeneland September continues upward trend Tuesday, led by $450K Connect filly

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A $450,000 filly by young sire Connect led the Tuesday session as the Keeneland September yearling sale continued to show gains as it closed out its Book 4 portion.

With eight of the 12 sessions of this Keeneland September sale, making up the first four books of the six-book auction, complete, Keeneland reports 1,851 horses sold through the ring for gross receipts of $376,636,000. Through eight sessions of the 2021 sale, also comprising the first four books, 1,800 horses had sold for $326,762,000. This year's sale had already, on Monday, eclipsed the final gross for the 11-session sale in 2021. Session-to-session comparisons will become difficult in the final days of this sale. While this year's renewal will finish with a two-session Book 5 and two-session Book 6, last year's sale concluded with a three-session Book 5.

The September sale's cumulative average price sits at $203,477, up 12 percent from $181,534 at this point of the 2021 sale. The median is tracking upward 8 percent, at $130,000 compared to $120,000. The cumulative buyback rate is relatively steady at 22 percent, compared to 23 percent.

The session-leading filly was purchased by Jake Ballis's Black Type Thoroughbreds, with Maddie Mattmiller as agent. This is the third crop for the Grade 1-winning Curlin horse Connect, who, from his first crop, is represented by Grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll and graded stakes winner Hidden Connection.

The filly, who was consigned by Paramount Sales, as agent, is out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Fun Affair, dam of two winners from as many starters. Fun Affair is out of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Eclipse Award divisional champion Caressing, making her a half-sister to Eclipse champion West Coast. Fun Affair is also a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Gold Hawk, stakes-placed Juan and Bina, and My Goodness, dam of three stakes winners in Japan, led by Grade 1 winner Danon Kingly.

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