Houtzen colt makes US$750,000 as Keeneland strength continues

A Not This Time colt out of Australian star Houtzen sold for US$750,000 (AU$1.05 million) during Thursday’s fourth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

RTM Racing bought Hip 1009 on behalf of Libyan partnership Tagermeen Racing, which has been active across the opening week and places its horses with several US trainers. Taylor Made Sales Agency offered the colt for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

The sale closed Book 2 with a strong session, as 216 yearlings sold through the ring for US$77,180,000. The session average rose 7 per cent to US$357,315, while the median prose to o US$285,000.

Houtzen’s colt brought more than double the session median and continued a productive week for Not This Time. Two sons of the stallion made US$2 million on Thursday, while another sold for US$1.65 million.

Houtzen, by I Am Invincible, was bred and raised by Yarraman Park and won the 2017 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings paid US$1.5 million for her at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

The Keeneland yearling is Houtzen’s third foal. Her first two foals to race are winners, headed by Quality Road colt Greenwich Village, who was sold for US$350,000 at Keeneland September. The Bob Baffert-trained colt won on debut at Los Alamitos in December 2025 and subsequently took the US$100,000 Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Houtzen colt was among several yearlings out of Australian-bred mares catalogued at Keeneland and featured at The Straight’s sale preview.

Keeneland’s first four sessions generated US$318,115,000 from 633 horses sold through the ring, up 3.41 per cent from the corresponding period in 2025. The average advanced 9.61 per cent to US$502,551 and the median reached US$360,000, an increase of 2.86 per cent.

A record 65 yearlings sold for US$1 million or more during Book 1 and Book 2, surpassing the previous mark of 56 set last year. Thursday alone produced 10 seven-figure horses, including three colts at US$2 million.

“The demand is there. The appetite for quality horses is extremely high,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said after the session.

Buyers were more selective outside the top end. Keeneland reported a first-week clearance rate of 70 per cent, three percentage points lower than last year.