Practical Joke colt leads Book 3 opening session at Keeneland September yearling sale

The momentum from the Keeneland September yearling sale's upper markets rolled on as the sale opened its Book 3 portion on Saturday, with a $900,000 Practical Joke colt leading a session that posted continued gains.

Keeneland reported 273 yearlings sold through the ring on Saturday, in the first of two sessions making up Book 3, for gross receipts of $47,904,000. In last year's comparable session, 285 horses changed hands for $46,697,000. Both sets of figures represent only horses sold through the ring, and does not include private sales that Keeneland will later factor into its official historic results.

Saturday's average price was $175,473, rising 7 percent from $163,849 in the comparable session last year. The median spiked 15 percent, to $150,000 from $130,000.

The buyback rate in what has been a selective marketplace was 26 percent, compared to 23 percent.

The session-topping Practical Joke colt was purchased by Monique Delk, on behalf of Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable.

The colt is out of the winning Candy Ride mare Ridingwiththedevil, dam of two winners from four starters. Her runners are led by Reinvestment Risk, who finished second in four Grade 1 races.

The colt was bred in partnership by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm, Gainesway, and Gainesway’s general manager Brian Graves. He was offered at Keeneland by the Gainesway consignment, which handled the top two horses of Saturday’s session. Gainesway and Graves also bred a $700,000 Liam's Map colt purchased by Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud.

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