Keeneland September yearling sale: North America's best stallions on hand
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While a number of stallions have already distinguished themselves in this year’s yearling marketplace entering the Keeneland September yearling sale, some may be poised to step up based on racetrack success or commercial trends. Here is a look at some of the sires who present storylines to follow over the two weeks.
Top of the class
The versatile Not This Time (Taylor Made Farm), sire of Grade 1 winners on both dirt and turf this year, is outslugging seven-time reigning leader Into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm), sire of reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, atop the North American general sire earnings list as of Aug. 30. Gun Runner (Three Chimneys Farm) sits a fine third during an outstanding season in which his 3-year-old progeny swept the exacta in the Kentucky Oaks and won both the Alabama and Travers at Saratoga.
Not This Time led the 2025 Keeneland September sale by gross sales, with his first crop conceived on a six-figure stud fee, while Gun Runner led by average. These three stallions are, unsurprisingly, the stars of the commercial marketplace again this year. Into Mischief had seven yearlings reach the seven-figure mark at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected sale, including the $4.2 million sale topper. Gun Runner sired 10 seven-figure yearlings, including the $4 million colt who was second on the leaderboard. Not This Time had two.
Supply and demand
This year’s yearling class marks the final crop for versatile classic sire Uncle Mo (Coolmore’s Ashford Stud), who died in late 2024. A leading sire as well as a sire of sires and broodmare sire, his progeny represent outstanding residual value for those looking to add to their breeding programs. Uncle Mo’s son Nyquist (Darley) has sired the likes of Grade 1 winners Knightsbridge and Nysos this year.
Although they still have some crops in the pipeline, Curlin (Hill ‘n’ Dale), Medaglia d’Oro (Darley), and War Front (Claiborne Farm) bear watching, as there may be dwindling opportunity to acquire their offspring. Curlin – himself emerging as an outstanding sire of sires – was taken out of service with an illness in April, about two months into the breeding season with a handful of mares in foal. It has not yet been announced whether the 22-year-old will return to service next year.
Medaglia d’Oro was pensioned following last year’s season, meaning his current yearlings are his penultimate crop. War Front, an internationally popular stallion who sired the Keeneland September sale topper or co-topper three times and led by average price twice, was pensioned after this season, making this his third-to-last crop.
Second-crop standouts
It’s typical for standout young sires to experience something of a sophomore slump.
Often, farms and supporters pack a first-year stallion’s book with quality mares and as much support as they can find in order to get him off to the best start possible in the commercial marketplace and on the racetrack. In the ensuing year, those interests may have new incoming stallions to support, while outside supporters may back off in years three and four, waiting to see how a stallion’s progeny are received as yearlings and how that crop races the following year.
The commercial slump has not hit the second crops of Life Is Good (WinStar Farm) and Flightline (Lane’s End Farm), as both had seven-figure yearlings sell at Saratoga. Life Is Good, a multiple Grade 1 winner including the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and 2022 Pegasus World Cup, had a $1.2 million colt and a $1 million colt. He sired a $550,000 colt who not only led the following week’s Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale but was the fourth-highest-priced colt in that sale’s history.
Life Is Good is currently second on the freshman sire earnings list, led by multiple stakes winner Waggley. Flightline, whose progeny may be later-developing, is also in the top five and recently recorded his first stakes winner. He was represented by a $1 million colt in Saratoga.
“We’re thrilled with the momentum that he’s already generated at this stage of the summer, and knowing what we’ve got to offer [at future sales], I’m ready,” said Allaire Ryan, director of sales for Lane’s End.
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Young gun Yaupon
Yaupon (Spendthrift) was last year’s leading freshman sire by both earnings and winners, with eight stakes-winning 2-year-olds. That crop has trained on at age 3, with Albus, Local Knowledge, Niche, Sippin Pretty, and Stradale all winning graded stakes this year.
Yaupon’s second-crop 2-year-olds have come out firing as well. As of Aug. 30, he sat second on this year’s 2-year-old earnings list with 13 individual winners, including graded stakes winner Booked.
“He’s gotten off to an unbelievable start and getting all kinds of winners and getting real quality horses,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said.
Yaupon’s success with both his first and second crops prove that he could be an exceptional talent, and his third crop could bear closer watching in the marketplace.
Best year yet
Despite being more accomplished on the racetrack, 2015 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map (Lane’s End) has been overshadowed by younger half-brother Not This Time at stud. This year, Liam’s Map is making a statement and showing the same versatility of Not This Time. Liam’s Map is represented by Grade 1 winners Deterministic and Burnham Square, considered the top two turf horses in the country, as well as Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo on dirt.
Although the true effects of this year will not be seen for a few years, with Liam’s Map likely to garner a stronger book of mares in 2027 as a result of his success, his progeny have always been consistent and should get more respect at the fall sales.
“I think he should get nothing but more respect going forward,” Ryan said. “He’s a very versatile stallion – dirt, turf, long, short. He suits any type of mare, and he gets you a very commercial individual. He’s versatile and very consistent.”
International appeal
Keeneland September is known as a world marketplace, and that’s true in the stallion ranks as well, with a number of international sires represented. While these yearlings – with the exception of those by true legends such as the late, great Galileo – typically don’t crack the very top prices, they represent opportunity for North American breeders to buy into more unavailable lines, or for international buyers in attendance to add to their programs.
Of particular note this year are two yearlings by international success Wootton Bassett (Coolmore), whose star was still very much on the rise when he died last September.
Four-time Group 1 winner Paddington (Coolmore) has one yearling from his first crop in Book 1 at the September sale. Also represented throughout the auction are international sires such as Lope de Vega (Ballylinch Stud), St Mark’s Basilica (Coolmore), and Starspangledbanner (Coolmore).
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