Vekoma, Country House colts lead the way in Keeneland November Book 4 session

Weanling colts by first-crop sires Vekoma and Country House topped the leaderboard Sunday as the Keeneland November breeding stock sale closed out its Book 4 portion with solid figures.

To this point of the sale, Keeneland reports that 1,566 horses have sold for gross receipts of $201,383,300. Through the same seven sessions of the 2021 sale, 1,690 horses had sold for $186,168,500.

The cumulative average price currently sits at $128,597. With each of the seven sessions posting a gain over its comparable 2021 session, the average is up 17 percent from $110,159 at this point last year. The median is $60,000, even from this point last year. Two individual sessions have had a year-to-year decline in the median - last Monday's Book 1 session, and Sunday's Book 4 finale.

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The cumulative buyback rate is 24 percent, compared to 19 percent.

A colt by Vekoma sold for $290,000 to Oreo Racing from the consignment of Brookdale Sales, as agent, to lead Sunday's session. This is the first crop for Vekoma, a young Candy Ride stallion who was a multiple graded stakes winner around two turns and, later, a multiple Grade 1 winner around one turn.

The session-leading colt is out of the stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare Female Drama, dam of four winners from as many starters, including stakes-placed Startdfromdabottom. Female Drama is a half-sister to Argentinian Group 1 winner New Real Deal, dam of Group 1 winner Nueva Fragancia. It is the extended family of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos.

The second highest price of the session was the $250,000 paid by Bellarmine Racing for a first-crop Country House colt, from the consignment of Gainesway, as agent. Country House, by Lookin At Lucky, was promoted to victory in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.

This colt is the first foal out of the winning Ghostzapper mare Georgia Clay, a half-sister to stakes winner Maedean. French Group 1 winner Act One appears on the catalog page.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

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