By Sarah Mace
An auction unlike any other, the Keeneland September sale annually draws an enormous pool of Thoroughbred yearlings from all over North America and beyond, and its opening sessions are regularly punctuated by seven-figure sales. Seemingly unfazed by worldwide economic pressures, inflation or recession jitters, buyers at the recently concluded 2022 renewal actually drove the Keeneland September results into record territory. Even in this competitive environment, the New York-bred cohort held its own, posting solid results for the run of the sale.
Conducted over twelve sessions from September 12-24, Keeneland sold 2,847 yearlings for total sales of $405,495,700, representing a 14.9% increase over last year’s receipts (when the sale was held over 11 sessions), and broke the previous record of $399,791,800 set in 2006. The auction also broke records for average ($142,429) and median prices ($70,000).
From the New York-bred contingent at Keeneland September, 53 yearlings changed hands from 69 that went through the ring, for total sales of $3,578,500. This is a fairly good-sized group considering that the Keeneland sale is less than a month removed from the Fasig-Tipton Preferred New York-Bred Yearling Sale on August 14-15 in Saratoga Springs. This year at the marquee auction for Empire State-bred yearlings, 188 lots sold for record total sales of $20,175,000. Moreover, a sizeable group of New York-bred yearlings have their next date with the auctioneer in a week, on October 3-4, when 89 individuals are catalogued for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale.
At Keeneland, New York-breds posted an average price of $67,000 and a $32,000 median. Twelve individuals brought six figures, among them four who brought $200,000 and up. The top seller was a bay colt by Into Mischief out of multiple Grade 1-winning Chester and Mary Broman homebred Artemis Agrotera, who went to Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm for $450,000 (Hip 140). [Read more.]
The top New York-bred filly went to Case Clay for $210,000 in Session 6. A daughter of Runhappy bred by Spruce Lane, Mashnee, Blue Spader et al, she is out of Ida Clark, a multiple winner by Speightstown and dam of multiple graded stakes winner Just One Time and stakes winner and course record-setter Black Stetson. [Read more.]
In Books 5 and 6 of the Keeneland catalogue, the New York-bred clearance rate improved. The cumulative figure for Books 1-4 was an elevated 32.3%, but moderated to a more tolerable 23.2% once the books were closed on the entire sale.
The standout New York-bred offering from Keeneland’s closing books was a gray or roan filly from the well-regarded first crop of Leofric, who entered stud in 2020 at Rockridge Stud before relocating to Darby Dan in Kentucky for the 2022 breeding season. Gatsas Stables secured the filly for $70,000.
Bred by her consignor KatieRich Farms and foaled on June 10, 2021 at Doyle Farm in Schuylerville, Hip 3492 is out of Holiday Apple, a multiple winner by Harlan’s Holiday who has produced three winners from three foals to start. KatieRich Farms purchased the mare for $3,500 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton December Mixed sale. Out of stakes performer Miss Mary Apples, Holiday Apple is a half-sister to multiple graded winner of over $1,000,000 Lady Apple, by Curlin, and stakes winners Dr. Diamonds Prize and Miss Red Delicious.
