Seven seven-figure yearlings highlight third session at Keeneland September

The third session of the Keeneland September yearling sale finished with a flurry of activity on Wednesday evening to move the auction's marquee Book 1 portion into line for a strong finish.

Seven horses sold for seven figures on Wednesday – with five of those coming during the final 90 minutes of the session, including the $1.4 million American Pharoah colt who led the way. The group keyed a gross of $52,883,000 from 151 sold at the session, resulting in an average price of $350,219 and median of $270,000. The buyback rate for the day finished at 27 percent.

Keeneland revised the format of the September sale this year, expanding the marquee Book 1 portion from a single session with 167 horses in the catalog to four sessions totaling 989 yearlings to open this sale. With the change, session-to-session figures, particularly for gross sales, are not applicable for market comparison. Last year's narrow Book 1 – which finished with an average price of $570,263 and median of $500,000 – was followed by three Book 2 sessions. Thus, this year's four-session expanded Book 1 effectively serves as a blended Book 1 and 2, in terms of quality. That portion of the 2017 auction posted a cumulative average of $288,759 and median of $200,000.

With one day remaining in this renewal of Book 1, 20 total horses have surpassed seven figures, already far surpassing the 13 to do so during the entire September sale in 2017. The first three sessions of this sale have grossed $167,338,000, also outdistancing the $149,414,000 grossed during the first three sessions last year. Books 1 and 2 finished with a cumulative gross of $196,645,000 last year.

"Another strong session," said Keeneland's director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell, noting that this marked the most seven-figure horses sold at Keeneland September since 2007. "With another session left of Book 1 tomorrow, we look forward to hopefully seeing some more.

"I think the session started strong, and it certainly ended with a bang at the end," Russell continued. "The great thing, I think, is the diversity of the buyers ... a lot of international people and a lot of domestic money at the top, and I think that's very good for our industry."

Larry Best's OXO Equine, still a relatively new player at the top of the market, went to $1.4 million to acquire the American Pharoah colt who led the session. The colt became the third seven-figure yearling from the Triple Crown winner's blockbuster first crop sold this week at Keeneland September, and the eighth horse overall by the champion to reach that threshold. American Pharoah, who stands for Coolmore, currently leads all stallions by gross receipts at this sale.

"It was one of the stronger, robust-looking American Pharoah colts here," Best said of his purchase. "Nice walk. It just looked a little more beefy and muscular like an American Pharoah should, so I thought I'd give it a shot."

The colt is out of the multiple Grade 2-winning Pulpit mare Bsharpsonata, the dam of Grade 2-placed Vigilante, Grade 3-placed Play It Loud, and stakes-placed Mihrab. Bsharpsonata is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning juvenile Backtalk.

The bay colt, foaled on May 13, 2017, was raised at Sierra Farm - and farm manager Michael Callanan said the colt was raised to be a tough racehorse.

"We like to stand behind our horses. We raise them tough," Callanan said. "There was [another] gray American Pharoah colt, the two of them were literally turned out together right up to the day of the sale, they were kicking the living daylights out of each other right up to the sale. We try to raise racehorses, because we end up racing a lot of them sometimes."

Callanan also offered an endorsement for young sire American Pharoah, including the mental attributes he passes on to his offspring.

"I think American Pharoah is going to be the next Frankel," Callanan said. "I think he's going to be a dominant force. He's is a phenomenal sire, an unbelieve mind, and an incredible athlete. We love him. Mentally, these horses are a different kind than any other horses."

War Front continued a blockbuster sale with a filly sold for $1.2 million to Shadwell Farm to tie for the second most-expensive ticket of the day, and a colt sold for $1.1 million to the partnership of China Horse Club and Maverick Racing, a moniker for WinStar Farm. Both yearlings came from female families that also produced seven-figure yearlings by War Front on Tuesday, helping to buoy the Claiborne Farm stallion to an average of $838,438 to lead all sires at this sale.

The filly sold to Shadwell, out of the Group 3-placed Galileo mare Betterbetterbetter, was bred by Mandy Pope in the name of her Whisper Hill Farm, and was consigned by Wayne and Cathy Sweezey's Timber Town Farm, where Pope boards her star-studded broodmare band. In recent years, Pope has become a major spender to up the quality of her broodmare band – and thus, to upgrade her racing stock and commercial power – with purchases including $10 million Horse of Year Havre de Grace and $9.5 million champion Songbird.

Betterbetterbetter was a $5.2 million purchase out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Pope has sent three yearlings out of the mare through the ring, and two have sold, both for seven figures. A full sister to this filly went for $1.45 million, also to Shadwell, at this sale two years ago. The mare does not yet have a starter.

"She's done very, very well for us. We're very happy," Pope said. "Obviously she's a lovely filly. We're excited Shadwell got her, so she got a good home, and hopefully everything will go forward and she'll start having stakes babies."

Betterbetterbetter is a half-sister to Irish 1000 Guineas winner Yesterday, who finished second in the Epsom Oaks and was Grade/Group 1 placed in France and the U.S.; and a half-sister to Irish Group 1 winner Quarter Moon, second in the Irish Oaks and Epsom Oaks. Quarter Moon is the dam of Group 1 winner Diamondsandrubies and the second dam of Group 1-placed stakes winner Eminent.

Betterbetterbetter is also a half-sister to Irish Oaks third-place finisher All My Loving, Group 2-placed Hold Me Love Me, and stakes-placed Magicalmystertour. All My Loving is the dam of Group 2 winner Thomas Chippendale and of stakes-placed Pin Up, the dam of a War Front colt sold for $1.2 million to Shadwell on Tuesday. This is the extended family of English champion Aliysa and Grade/Group 1 winners Adawar, Alamshar, Alandi, Albanova, Alborada, Allegretto, Aussie Rules Nassipour, Nishapour, and World Cleek.

WinStar and China Horse Club purchased their War Front colt from the consignment of Lane's End, as agent. He is the first foal out of the Street Cry mare Tiffany's Honour, whose dam is blue hen Better Than Honour. The latter produced Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks winner Rags to Riches, fellow Belmont Stakes winner Jazil, Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Man of Iron, and Grade 2 winner Casino Drive. War Front's $2.4 million sale topper from Tuesday's session, purchased by Coolmore, is out of Grade 1 winner Streaming, whose granddam is Better Than Honour. Unlike that colt, whom Coolmore will send to Ireland under the care of Aidan O'Brien, this colt will be targeted for racing in the U.S. on dirt, according to China Horse Club representative Mick Flanagan.

Shadwell struck for another pricey colt late in the session, going to $1.2 million for a Medaglia d'Oro colt who tied for the second-highest price of the day. He is the fifth seven-figure yearling of the season for his sire, who stands for Darley.

The colt, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, as agent, is the second foal out of the stakes winning New Approach mare Bunairgead, who was also multiple Group 3-placed in Ireland. She is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Tawaasol, from the immediate family of graded stakes winners Smile Again and Storm and Sunshine.

Through the first three days of the sale, Godolphin and Shadwell lead all buyers by gross, and each of those international entities has made 19 purchases. Godolphin appeared on the leaderboard again on Wednesday, purchasing an Uncle Mo filly for $1.1 million.

The filly, consigned by breeder Runnymede Farm, is out of the Afleet Alex mare Bizzy Caroline, a half-sister to Eclipse Award champion turf mare Lady Eli. Bizzy Caroline was herself a multiple Grade 3 winner on the turf and already is the dam of two winners from as many starters.

Rounding out the day's seven-figure lots was a $1.1 million Quality Road colt who White Birch Farm and Three Chimneys Farm partnered on; and a $1.025 million Ghostzapper filly sold to Stonestreet Farm.

The Quality Road colt, consigned by Indian Creek, as agent, is out of the winning Mineshaft mare What'smineismine. She is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Spring Quality, by Quality Road, and Grade 3 winner Holiday Star.

The Ghostzapper filly, consigned by Woods Edge Farm, as agent, is out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Capitulation, making her a full sister to Grade 1 winner Molly Morgan, who is a member of the Stonestreet broodmare band.

For hip-by-hip results from Keeneland September, click here.

– additional reporting by Matt Hegarty