By Sarah Mace
A pair of six-figure colts led the cohort of New York-breds in Book 5 of Keeneland’s 2023 September Yearling sale, which was held over two sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, September 20-21. As a group, the New York-breds are holding their own. In a running tally of the key sales indicators, of 50 head offered through Book 5, 38 have sold, for an RNA rate of 24%. The group has posted a $109,853 average price and a $50,000 median price.
The New York-bred topper of Book 5, who sold during Wednesday’s Session 9, was Hip 3171, a bay colt by Practical Joke bred by Delehanty Stock Farm in Amenia, where he was foaled on 4/11/2022. Winning bidder Triple B Stables signed a ticket for $115,000 to purchase the colt, who was consigned by Ledgelands LLC on behalf of Twin Oaks Bloodstock LLC. A successful pinhook, the youngster sold previously for $40,000 as a short yearling at the 2023 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages sale.
The dam of the Book 5 New York-bred topper is multiple winner Tent City, by Desert Party, who is a half-sister to a pair of stakes winners and three stakes producers, all out of second dam Tarkheena, an unraced a half-sister to graded winner Heron Cove. Tarkheena has enjoyed a great deal of success as a producer. Leading Tent City’s half-siblings is Tarkheena Prince, by Aldebaran, who competed in England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France, where he was a stakes winner and group performer. Tent City’s half-sister Coimbra is a stakes winner in France and producer of two stakes performers. Clerical Error (IRE) is a group performer in France who went on to produce U.S. stakes winner Catsalot and another stakes performer. Afleet Lexi is the dam of Mi Chica Bonita, a Group winner in Peru.
Tent City was purchased by Delehanty Stock Farm for $45,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale and has produced four foals. Her first foal, Super Leggera, her sole runner to date, is a winner. Open in 2023, Tent City has been bred to Maxfield.
The Empire State-bred runner-up of Book 5, Hip 3552, was purchased by Don’t Stop Me Now Stable for $105,000 in Thursday’s Session 10. A dark bay or brown colt from the first crop of Instagrand, he was bred by Forty Oaks and Pug Hart, and is a half-brother to a recently minted stakes winner. The purchase price made him co-third top-priced yearling of Session 10 overall.
Foaled on April 20, 2022 at Waldorf Farm, the Instagrand colt has already seen more than his fair share of the auction ring. An RNA as weanling on a final bid of $45,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York Fall Mixed sale, he was snapped up at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed sale earlier this year by Solomon Smith for the bargain price of $15,000. His consignor at Keeneland was Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent XXVII.
The colt’s dam is juvenile winner Sistas Ready, by More than Ready, whose page got a very timely update when her first foal, Kentucky-bred Vote No, by Divisidero, won the Pepsi Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs on September 13, her second win in her second career start. Forty Oaks Farm purchased Sistas Ready at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed sale for $9,000, before turning her around later in the year in the Fasig-Tipton New York Fall Mixed sale, where she was purchased by K.O.I.D for $3,000.
The sale colt’s second dam Long Approach is a multiple graded stakes performer and producer of a stakes horse. Third dam Last Approach is s Grade 2 winner and stakes producer.
The marathon Keeneland September Yearling sale will conclude with a pair of Book 6 sessions on Friday and Saturday, September 22-23.
