Part Two: Session Four, Keeneland September Yearling Sale

My coverage of the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is complete. The first four sessions of the world’s largest yearling auction are in the history books. The fourth session saw 108 yearlings sell for an average of $174,028. Of my top 20 selections, 14 sold – 5 were declared out of the sale and 1 did not reach its reserve. These selections brought a total of$2,590,000, averaging $185,000.

Listed below are the horses featured in Part One, with descriptions of the results of the auction:

Hip #745: Sold to Lucky Seven Stable for $150,000.

Hip #747: Purchased by Ben Glass, agent, for $250,000.

Hip #750: Bought by Jim & Susan Hill for $150,000.

Hip #761: Purchased for $190,000 to Green Lantern Stables, Inc.

Hip #771: Bought by Mt. Baldy Equine for $85,000.

Hip #784: With a  final bid of $37,000, this filly’s reserve was not attained.

Hip #788: Declared out of sale.

Hip #795: Sold to John D. Fielding, agent, for $190,000.

Hip #799: This half-brother to Drosselmeyer was purchased by Steve Howard for the bargain price of $45,000.

Hip #836: Bought by Nick de Meric, agent, for $250,000.

Hip #876: Purchased by Live Oak Plantation for $500,000.

Hip #877: Sold to Fox Hill Farm/Tom McGreevy, agent, for $300,000.

Hip #898: Declared out of sale.

Hip #903: Bought for $140,000 by Steven W. Young, agent.

Hip #925: Declared out of sale.

Hip #979: Sold to James McIngvale for $100,000.

Hip #985: Declared out of sale.

Hip #1007: Purchased for $85,000 by David Redvers Bloodstock.

Hip #1037: Bought by Hartley/De Renzo for $250,000.

Hip #1041: Declared out of sale.

It’s a wrap! Of course, nearly 2,000 yearlings still have to go through the Keeneland sales ring, but my coverage of this amazing auction is complete. It was an exciting ride and you can bet I’ll be keeping up with the rest of the sale! Covering this sale not only furthered my love of sales, but it also made me wish (yet again) that I had the resources – either to be present (which would be a dream come true) or have videos and photos of each yearling (thanks to the consigners that posted photos of their yearlings!) to study the conformation of the yearlings entered in the sale.

But most of all, remember this with the conclusion of my reportage of this awesome sale: it is not the price tag that matters, but rather what the horse amounts to. I greatly anticipate their futures!

Part One: Session Four, Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Keeneland sales grounds
Photo by Terri Cage

Session four, the final session before the weekend resumes the rest of the sessions of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is the last session I will feature. Out of 305 yearlings entered in session four, I selected my top 20 selections (based on pedigree). Listed below are my top selections for session four, listed in hip number order (this session spans hips 743-1047):

Hip #745: A member of the great Sea the Stars’ first crop, this colt is a half-brother to a group stakes winner who is also multiple group/grade one-placed, as well as two other black-type horses. Consigned by Lane’s End.

Hip #747: This son of Bernardini is out of a full sister to a graded stakes winner. Consigned by Woods Edge Farm.

Hip #750: By Broken Vow, this daughter of a stakes-winning mare is not only a half-sister to a graded stakes-placed runner, but her second dam has produced multiple black-type horses, including the grade one winners Perfect Shirl and Shakespeare. Consigned by St. George Sales.

Hip #761: Sired by Street Sense, this filly is a half-sister to four black-type winners, three of which are graded stakes winners, including a grade one winner. Consigned by Nursery Place.

Hip #771: By Giant’s Causeway, this colt is a half-brother to two black-type horses, one of which is the stakes-winning Gangbuster. Consigned by Eaton Sales.

Hip #784: Sired by Tale of the Cat, this filly is a sibling to three black-type horses, including a grade one winner. Consigned by Four Star Sales.

Hip #788: By Malibu Moon, this colt is not only a half-brother to a graded stakes winner, but his second dam is the incredible Baby Zip, dam of City Zip and Ghostzapper. Consigned by Indian Creek.

Hip #795: By Tapit, this colt’s second dam has produced three stakes winners, including a group one-winning highweight. Consigned by Taylor Made.

Hip #799: Sired by Unbridled’s Song, this colt is a half-brother to the dual classic-winning Drosselmeyer. Consigned by Michael C. Byrne.

Hip #836: By Street Cry, this colt is out of a grade one-winning mare who has produced three black-type horses, including the multiple grade one-winning Pussycat Doll. Consigned by Gainesway.

Hip #876: Not only is this Irish-bred colt a son of the tremendous Distorted Humor, but he is out of champion Kitten’s Joy’s stakes-winning half-sister Justenuffheart, making him a half-brother to three graded stakes winners, including the champion Dreaming of Anna. Consigned by Mt. Brilliant.

Hip #877: Interestingly, this daughter of Tapit is out of a daughter of the aforementioned Justenuffheart. Consigned by Mt. Brilliant.

Hip #898: Sired by Speightstown, this colt is a sibling to three stakes winners, including a champion. Consigned by Dromoland Farm.

Hip #903: By Street Sense, this filly is not only a half-sister to a black-type winner, but her second dam produced multiple black-type horses, including the grade one winners Discreet Cat and Discreetly Mine. Consigned by Hidden Brook.

Hip #925: Sired by Curlin, this filly’s second dam has produced two graded stakes winners, including the champion Cape Blanco. Consigned by Pope McLean (Crestwood Farm).

Hip #979: By Giant’s Causeway, this colt’s second dam has produced multiple black-type horses, including the grade one winners Perfect Shirl and Shakespeare. Consigned by Lane’s End.

Hip #985: Sired by Distorted Humor, this colt’s second dam has produced several black-type horses, including the champion Hold That Tiger and the classic-winning Editor’s Note.

Hip #1007: By the late Grand Slam, this filly’s dam is a half-sister to the classic-winning Shackleford, as well as a grade one winner and multiple other black-type horses. Consigned by Belvedere Farm.

Hip #1037: Sired by Smart Strike, this filly’s second dam is the dam of two multiple group/grade one winners – Musical Chimes and Music Note. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale.

Hip #1041: By Medaglia d’Oro, this colt is not only a half-brother to the group one-winning U S Ranger, but his second dam is the dam of Dynaformer. Consigned by Claiborne.

I will do a follow-up piece after the sale, spotlighting these horses again with the results of the auction.

Session One

Session Two

Session Three