Median soars 92 percent at Keeneland November's seventh session as sale rumbles on

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Keeneland November breeding stock sale's seventh session on Tuesday posted a staggering 92 percent gain in the median as the sale continues to post strong year-to-year figures heading into its final week.

Keeneland reported 299 horses sold on Tuesday, led by the $205,000 broodmare De la Soul, for gross receipts of $9,455,400. This session marked the Book 4 finale, with only the three-session Book 5 remaining, and the seventh of 10 sessions overall at this auction. In last year's comparable seventh session, 265 horses sold for $5,235,300. This year's sale has grossed $186,168,500 to date having already, on Sunday, surpassed last year's final 10-session gross of $151,017,300.

Tuesday's average price was $31,623, soaring 60 percent from $19,756 in the comparable session last year. The median, considered the crucial figure for the health of the market across the board, since it is not influenced by outlying prices as much as the average is, was $23,000 for the session. That marked the 92 percent increase from $12,000 last year.

The session's buyback rate was relatively steady, at 12 percent compared to 13 percent.

Session-leading De la Soul was purchased by Jon Marshall from the consignment of Indian Creek, as agent. The unraced 3-year-old daughter of More Than Ready is carrying her first foal, to the cover of Horse of the Year and leading freshman sire Gun Runner.

De la Soul is out of the Tiznow mare The Crane, whose dam is Grade 1 winner Harmony Lodge, dam of Grade 3 winner Stratford Hill and stakes winner Armistice Day. This is the immediate family of Grade 1 winner Magnum Moon and of graded stakes winners Berned, Diligence, First Passage, Graeme Hall, Sparky Ville, Win Crafty Lady, and Win McCool.

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