From a super-sire's sibling to a Royal Ascot queen: star lots to watch at Keeneland September

With the highly-anticipated 12-session Keeneland September Yearling Sale set to get under way in Kentucky on Monday, Kitty Trice has run the rule over the catalogue and picked out some of the best-bred lots featured in Book 1 of the auction, set to take place on the opening two days. 

Lot 8
Bay colt Quality Road - Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy)
Stonestreet 

A colt with a page recognisable to European bloodstock enthusiasts as a son of the brilliant Lady Aurelia. The Scat Daddy mare lit up two consecutive Royal Ascots, firstly with a seven-length demolition in the Queen Mary of 2016 and then when romping to a three-length success in the following year's King's Stand Stakes. 

Lady Aurelia: champion performer and dam of the Quality Road coltCredit: Edward Whitaker

The son of Quality Road is a half-brother to the black type-winning American Rascal, while further down the page are the likes of Puerto Rican champion filly D'Wildcat Speed and Velvet Panther. The colt is being offered through Indian Creek by Lady Aurelia's breeders Stonestreet, who raced the mare in partnership Peter Leidel. The operation bought out Leidel for a whopping $7,500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Mixed Sale in 2018. 

Lot 34
B c Uncle Mo - Marley's Freedom (Blame)
VanMeter Sales

The son of Ashford Stud's late Uncle Mo received a Grade 1 update to his page courtesy of his Quality Road half-sister Hope Road. A dual Grade 3 winner for Bob Baffert and Cicero Farms, the four-year-old captured last month's Ballerina Stakes by two lengths and looks a filly with huge potential. 

The duo are out of Marley's Freedom, another Ballerina-winning daughter of burgeoning broodmare sire Blame, whose daughters have produced the likes of champion juvenile and Florida Derby scorer Forte among others.

Lot 141
B f Into Mischief - Stage Magic by Ghostzapper
Glennwood Farm

This filly is by the in-form stallion Into Mischief who has sired 18 stakes winner since the turn of the year and the cohort is headed by five Grade 1 winners, including Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner Sovereignty. 

Offered by Glennwood Farm, the bay filly is out of the Grade 3-placed mare Stage Magic making her a half-sister to unbeaten Triple Crown winner turned Coolmore sire Justify. The champion was purchased for $500,000 here in 2016 while Stage Magic's brood further includes Graded-winning duo The Lieutenant and Stage Raider.

Lot 198
Gr f Flightline - Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song)
Gainesway

A filly from the first crop of unbeaten world champion Flightline out of Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic winner Unrivaled Belle, this youngster should command plenty of attention. 

The grey is not only a daughter of a Grade 1 winner, she is a three-parts sister to another in Unique Bella. The Tapit filly captured a trio of top-flight wins including the Beholder Mile in a career which spanned eight black-type victories. 

Unique Bella: top-class performerCredit: Benoit Photo

Flightline's first crop of yearlings have been received to widespread approval. The brilliant champion had the highest priced colt and filly for a first-crop sire – $1,800,000 and $1,100,000 – at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. 

Lot 219
B f Into Mischief - Winter (Galileo)
Taylor Made Sales Agency 

This daughter of the all-conquering Into Mischief is out of a brilliant daughter of Galileo in Winter. That mare landed the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Curragh and duly followed up with further Group 1 victories in the Coronation Stakes and Nassau Stakes. 

Winter: a dual Guineas heroine for Ballydoyle and CoolmoreCredit: Patrick McCann

Winter has produced four winners from as many runners to date, albeit none with black type, but one, London City, has achieved a Racing Post Rating of 107 and ran well behind Al Riffa in the Curragh Cup recently. 

Lot 243
B c Gun Runner - Amour d'Ete (Tiznow)
Taylor Made Sales Agency

This colt by Three Chimneys Farm's leading sire Gun Runner and is a full-brother to 2022 Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting whose first yearlings are being offered this year. They are out of the unraced daughter of Tiznow, Amour d’Ete, who is also the dam of three other winners. 

This colt’s second dam is Canadian champion Silken Cat, dam of Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and successful sire Speightstown and multiple Graded stakes winner Irap.

Gun Runner's 14 stakes scorers are headed by Sierra Leone and Locked, who landed this season's Whitney Stakes and Santa Anita Handicap respectively. 

Lot 265
Ch c Flightline - Bubbler (Distorted Humor)
Hill 'n' Dale

Another from the first crop of the unbeaten world champion, this colt is out of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Bubbler who is now better known as the dam of the ill-fated Arrogate, whose seven wins were headed by four Grade 1 triumphs. The son of Unbridled's Song was crowned the world’s best horse in 2016 and 2017.

Bubbler's eight yearlings offered at public auction have realised $3.26 million in receipts. At last year's sale, her Charlatan colt was purchased by Amo Racing for $400,000. 

After withdrawals, there are 56 yearlings by Flightline catalogued at this year’s sale; his foals averaged $465,000 through at public auction last year.

Lot 302
B c Gun Runner - Darlectable You (Dubawi)
Lane's End

A colt by Gun Runner and out of a Dubawi sister to champion juvenile, Sussex Stakes hero and exciting young sire Too Darn Hot, this colt has plenty to recommend on pedigree alone.

Consigned by Lane's End, the bay is a grandson of Watership Down Stud's blue hen Dar Re Mi, a multiple Group 1 winner on the track and half-sister to Prince of Wales's Stakes and Dubai Sheema Classic hero Rewilding.

Darlectable You (right): Dubawi sister to Too Darn Hot, Lah Ti Dar and So Mi DarCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dar Re Mi, herself a daughter of the Lloyd-Webbers' foundation mare Darara, is not only responsible for Too Darn Hot, but also his Group-winning sisters Lah Ti Dar and So Mi Dar. Lah Ti Dar, a winner of the Middleton Stakes, was also runner-up in the St Leger, while So Mi Dar struck in the Musidora Stakes.

Lot 345
B c Medaglia D'Oro - Golden Sister (Capitalist)
Eaton Sales

Darley's 26-year-old sire Medaglia D'Oro is enjoying a brilliant year. Since January 1 the son of El Prado has sired seven stakes winners and his three Grade 1 winners this year include Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer and Nitrogen, who was successful in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga. 

A three-quarter brother to three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty features in the catalogue

After withdrawals, the stallion will be represented by 26 yearlings at Keeneland this year and they include this colt who is sure to garner international interest. He is the first foal out of the Australian-bred daughter of Capitalist, Golden Sister, who fetched A$425,000 as a yearling at Magic MIllions in 2021. 

Golden Sister is out of Debutante Stakes winner Gaudeamus making this Eaton Sale offering a three-quarter brother to three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty. 

Lot 370
B f Life Is Good - Just Angelic (Justify)
Taylor Made Sales Agency 

WinStar Farm's Life Is Good is another first-crop sire to have had his yearlings welcomed warmly. The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner and son of Into Mischief had his yearlings sell for up to $1.025 million and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue into Keeneland.

Life Is Good: strongly represented at KeenelandCredit: Edward Whitaker

Among his well-bred representatives is this filly out of the unraced Justify mare Just Angelic, a half-sister to champion sprinter and Group 1 sire Harry Angel. To add further zip to the page there is also Middle Park and Richmond Stakes winner and young sire Supremacy, while another notable name is Hong Kong Group 1 scorer Xtension.  

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