The hot pace of trade continued at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, with 13 horses sold for $1 million or more on the first day of Book 2.
There have now been 48 seven-figure sales at the 2025 sale, surpassing the previous total sale record of 40 set in 2005, with overall sales up 21.3 per cent to US$230 million. The average price at Keeneland now sits at US$524,856, up 17.5 per cent from last year.
Spendthrift Farm purchased Wednesday’s US$1.9 million top lot, a Gun Runner colt closely related to Japanese champion Danon Decile
“We had a number of people approach us wanting to partner on it,” Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey said. “We thought he was one of the best colts of the sale today. What’s not to like, right? Really, really happy to get him because it’s been a tough market. There’s not anybody stealing much here. Hopefully he can run.”
The top seven lots were all colts, including one by Curlin, purchased by agent Mike Ryan, and one by Not This Time, who went to St. Elias, Albaugh Stable for US$1.35 million.
The top-priced filly was a US$1.175 million daughter of Ghostzapper and Inchargeofme, making her a half-sister to Irish 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court. She sold to Blue Diamond Stud.
With such a hot local market, it was little surprise that Australian bidders have barely had a look in.
Boomer Bloodstock and Radley Equine secured a daughter of Bolt D’Oro for US$90,000, while Catheryne Bruggeman and Paul Moroney partnered with one of North America's leading trainers Saffie Joseph to pay US$625,000 for a colt by McKinzie.
“The day was incredible,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “We knew it was a really, really good group of horses. A lot of these horses that were bringing big money were ones we were lobbying to get into the earlier sessions.
“We knew that the firepower was still here, and the money was obviously well represented. It was a pleasant surprise to have 13 horses bring seven figures or more. I’m a little bit speechless. We joked in the back ring that the market was so hot it set the fire alarms off. It was amazing.”
