LEXINGTON, Ky. –A gray son of Tapit out of the Ikari mare Victory Road brought $450,000 to lead all horses sold on Monday at a strong session of the Keeneland September yearling sale in its eighth day of selling. The Tapit colt was the 10th horse through the ring on Monday, and the $450,000 final bid was the highest price paid for a horse at the sale since Saturday. The colt was purchased by Ron Winchell out of the Brookdale Sales consignment, acting as agent for Copper Penny Stables, according to sales records. Though a standout during a session in which the next highest-priced horse to sell went for $285,000, the $450,000 colt was emblematic of a much stronger market for yearlings at Keeneland one year after steep declines at the bellwether sale last year. On Monday, consignors sold 296 horses for total receipts of $15,130,700, an average of $51,117, and a median of $39,500, well above comparable numbers for the eighth session last year. Comparisons between this year’s sale and last year’s sale have been complicated by Keeneland’s decision to reformat the sale by splitting the first book into two sessions this year, but the comparable numbers for the eighth session last year were an average of $35,565 and median of $25,000. Both of those 2009 figures were well below the 2008 figures for the same session, when the recession and tightening credit standards had yet to have a significant impact on auction sales. The Tapit colt is the fourth foal of his dam, who was a stakes winner at 2. She has produced one other stakes winner, the filly Touching Beauty, while another daughter, Noisy Fleet, is stakes-placed. The fillies are both full sisters to the $450,000 colt. The next highest-priced yearling was the $285,000 filly by Arch out of the Seeking the Gold mare Board Battle. The filly was purchased by Carolyn Vogel from William B. Harrigan of Miacomet Farm. Late in the sale, Hardin Farms purchased a Harlan’s Holiday colt out of the Dixie Union mare Tamina for $275,000, from the consignment of Brookdale Farm, agent for Audley Farm.  After a dark day on Saturday, selling resumed for the 14-day yearling sale on Sunday.  During that session, the highest-priced horse to sell was a Malibu Moon colt out of the Out of Place mare Mediations that brought a final bid of $300,000. In total on Sunday, 284 horses sold for gross sales of $16,636,500 and an average of $58,579. Median for the Sunday session was $50,000. Those figures were also well above the comparable seventh-session figures last year. The sale continues through Sunday.