Keeneland unveils 4,396-strong catalogue for 81st September Yearling Sale

Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale has catalogued 4,396 horses to be offered over 12 sessions from Monday, September 9 through to Saturday, September 21.  

“This time of year energises Keeneland and our entire industry as we prepare to showcase an outstanding collection of quality yearlings and welcome many domestic and international horsemen and horsewomen to Lexington to participate in a vibrant marketplace unlike anything in the world,” said Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin. 

“Having achieved some of its strongest results in recent years and with an established record of successful graduates, the September Sale is a ‘must attend’ event for buyers and sellers around the world.”   

For the fourth consecutive year, the format of the September Sale will remain the same:

Week 1

Book 1 – Monday-Tuesday, Sep 9-10. Sessions begin at 1pm ET (6pm BST). Each day’s catalogue has 176 yearlings 

Book 2 – Wednesday-Thursday, Sep 11-12. Sessions begin at 11am. Wednesday’s catalogue has 380 horses, while 372 horses are cataloged for Thursday 

Dark day – Friday, Sep 13 

Week 2

Book 3 – Saturday-Sunday, Sep 14-15. Sessions begin at 10am. A total of 838 yearlings are catalogued over the two days

Book 4 – Monday-Tuesday, Sep 16-17. Sessions begin at 10am. A total of 839 yearlings are catalogued over the two days

Book 5 – Wednesday-Thursday, Sep 18-19. Sessions begin at 10am. A total of 826 yearlings are catalogued over the two days

Book 6 – Friday-Saturday, Sep 20-21. Sessions begin at 10am. A total of 789 yearlings are catalogued over the two days

“Spanning two weeks and six books, the September Sale caters to buyers at every level, offering yearlings that fit various price points in each session,” said Keeneland vice-president of sales Tony Lacy. 

“As the quality of entries continues to rise, so does the competition. Shopping on the grounds from Book 1 to Book 6 provides buyers the chance to find everything on their short lists and more. Last year, we were excited to see prominent buyers signing tickets not only on the first day of the sale but all the way through to the final day.” 

An indication of the strong market in later books in 2023 came when the top-priced yearlings of Session 8 and 12 each posted record prices for their respective sessions.  

Grade 1 winners in 2024 who are alumni of the September Sale include Book 1 horses Arthur’s Ride (Whitney), Leslie’s Rose (Ashland) and Newgate (Santa Anita Handicap) and Book 2 representatives Dornoch (Belmont and Haskell) and Randomized (Ogden Phipps). 

The September Sale has produced additional Grade/Group 1 winners this year in Vahva (Derby City Distaff) from Book 3; Muth (Arkansas Derby) from Book 4; Du Jour (Frank E Kilroe Mile) and Kabirkhan (Al Maktoum Challenge), both from Book 5; and Tuz (Dubai Golden Shaheen) from Book 6. 

Up to August 4, graduates of the September Sale had won 210 stakes around the world this year, with notable victories across North America as well as in Britain, Ireland, France, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea and the United Arab Emirates. 

European-based sires represented this year include Blue Point, Dubawi, Invincible Spirit, Kingman, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never and Wootton Bassett. 

Horse of the Year Knicks Go, champion Essential Quality and Grade 1 winners Charlatan, Maxfield and Yaupon are among stallions represented by their first crop of yearlings in the catalogue. 

Click here for the online catalogue, which will include walking videos of yearlings and links to the websites of consignors participating in the 81st edition of the auction.

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