Keeneland September Book 4 closes with $450,000 Connect filly

Black Type Thoroughbreds finished victoriously on Tuesday during the second day of selling from Book 4 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale after launching a final bid at $450,000 for the Connect filly consigned as hip 2637 by Paramount Sales. The filly held strong throughout the day to be session eight's highest-priced offering.

On Tuesday, 295 horses were sold of the 358 through the ring for gross receipts of $21,182,500, an average price of $71,805 and a median of $55,000. Sixty-three horses failed to meet their reserve, representing an RNA rate of 17.5 per cent.

During the 2021 eighth session, 317 yearlings of the 356 on offer sold for final figures of $20,746,000. An average of $65,445 and a median price of $45,000 was recorded. An RNA rate of 12.3 per cent represents the 39 horses who failed to meet their reserve.

Paramount Sales led the day after selling 25 head for gross receipts of $2,076,500, at an average price of $83,060, including the sale-topping Connect filly.

The filly was bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate out of their Distorted Humor mare Fun Affair, a winner in England and a producer Stateside. The mare is out of the US champion two-year-old filly Caressing , a multiple Graded stakes winner including her first-class performance in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, she earned $955,998 on the track.

The Honour and Glory mare produced the 2017 champion three-year-old colt, West Coast, a multiple Graded stakes performer and now a Lane's End stallion whose first crop of foals are two-year-olds this year.

"We have had luck before with Connect; I'm a big fan of the sire," Maddie Mattmiller said. "This particular filly had a lot of back pedigree on her. Her dam being out of a champion mare, she has a sire under the second dam. The filly was a queen all day showing; she carried herself well. She's a pretty filly and stood out in this book for sure, and we had to have her."

The racing entity made four purchases over the past eight days for gross receipts of $1,280,000.

"We were not expecting to go that high on her, but at the same time, you never know with a filly with her pedigree, that is as stunning on the end of a shank as her page suggests she should be…you're going to have to pay," Mattmiller said.

At the conclusion of the second day of selling from Book 4, B.E.T. had made five purchases for a gross of $750,000 to be the day's leading buyer, followed by Jebel Ali Stables, which purchased two yearlings for a gross of $570,000.

Cumulatively over the past eight sessions, 1,932 of the 2,366 horses through the ring have sold for gross figures of $387,281,500. An average price of $200,456 and a median of $130,000 was established. Four hundred thirty-four horses failed to meet their reserve, representing an RNA rate of 18.3 per cent.

At this point in 2021, Keeneland recorded 1,800 horses changed hands of the 2,340 on offer for a gross total of $326,762,000. An average price of $177,222 and a median of $110,000 was recorded. Five hundred forty horses failed to meet their reserve, representing an RNA rate of 23 per cent.

Selling from Book 5 begins on Wednesday with hips 2781-3183 on offer.

For all the North American racing and bloodstock news, visit Bloodhorse