Positive trends continue at Keeneland September Sale

Highlighted by two high-priced yearlings by young sires, Wednesday's ninth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale rose sharply from a year ago. The first day of Book 5 concluded with gross sales of $12,929,500, nearly double the $6,571,600 tallied in 2020.

Session highlights included an Army Mule filly that sold to agent Maddie Mattmiller for $250,000 and an Arrogate colt that sold for $230,000 to trainer Mark Glatt, as agent. Army Mule's first foals are yearlings of 2021, while Arrogate's first two-year-olds hit the track this year.

Final figures for the ninth session show 325 yearlings sold for gross receipts of $12,929,500, an average of $39,783, and a median of $30,000 for the 358 horses that passed through the ring. With 33 horses not meeting their reserve, the RNA rate was just 9 per cent.

After the corresponding session in 2020, Keeneland reported 258 yearlings, including post sales, sold for gross receipts of $6,571,600, an average price of $25,471, and a median of $15,000 from 308 horses on offer. Fifty horses failed to meet their reserve for an RNA rate of 16 per cent.

Peter O'Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm, which consigned the Arrogate, said the market remained "outstanding." All nine of his consigned horses that entered the ring on Wednesday sold. Woods Edge Farm withdrew one horse from the sale on the day.

"There's an army of people out there," he said. "There must have been ten guys lined up to bid on that horse - all different levels.

"It's very impressive, but it's just a great reflection of the current state of racing in America. Our prize money is so good, and there's so many strong districts, and it's no accident this is happening. This is probably five years in the making - everything that's gone into historical racing and the gaming outfits, and we're now seeing the evolution of it all. Long may it continue."

One owner, Jake Ballis, has experienced that first hand in Kentucky this month with Black Type Thoroughbreds, winning the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs with Hidden Connection as a part-owner. That followed a $127,040 maiden victory from Breaker of Chains with his partnership as co-owner at Kentucky Downs.

Ballis signed the ticket for the session topper, with agent Maddie Mattmiller, the purchaser of record, seated alongside. Black Type Thoroughbreds will race the filly with a currently unidentified owner, Ballis said.

"It was a lot of money, especially this late in the sale, but the market continues to be very, very strong, and it's going to continue to Fasig," the head of Black Type Thoroughbreds said.

Fasig-Tipton has three yearling sales across the country this fall.

Out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Henny's Hurricane, she is a half sister to Amynta, a stakes winner in Panama. Hill' n' Dale Sales Agency consigned the filly.

This year's cumulative figures through session nine, including post sales, show 2,229 yearlings sold of the 2,698 offered, grossing $350,633,000, averaging $157,305, and with a median of $90,000. The cumulative RNA rate is 17 per cent for the 469 horses not sold.

The 2020 cumulative figures through session nine, including post sales, show 1,893 horses sold of the 2,623 offered for gross receipts of $240,853,800, an average of $127,234, and a median of $60,000. At this stage in last year's sale, 730 horses had failed to reach their reserve, representing an RNA rate of 28 per cent.

Keeneland continues to update its statistics with post-sale purchases, which can cause later changes in overall numbers.

With five purchases for a total of $382,000 on Wednesday, John Oxley was the session's leading buyer.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse signed the sales tickets for Oxley. Among the acquisitions was a $150,000 colt by Cross Traffic, whose second dam is 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly. Consigned by Mulholland Farm, the colt is out of the Super Saver mare Summer Place.

"Mr. Oxley and I have had a lot of luck over the years," Casse said from the sales pavilion. "We kind of went back to old school. We started off buying racehorses, and we had a lot of luck. Just buying racehorses - and that's what we're doing."

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