LEXINGTON, KY (Sept. 15, 2013) – The momentum generated during the Book 1 first week of sales continued through the Book 2 weekend as Keeneland realized double-digit increases in all categories for the sixth session of its September Yearling Sale.
On Sunday, 290 yearlings were sold for $28,229,000, an increase of 30.54 percent over last year’s total of $21,625,000 for 281 horses. Average rose 26.49 percent from $76,957 in 2012 to $97,341, while the median was up 33.33 percent from $60,000 to $80,000.
Through the sale’s the first six sessions, which marks the halfway point, 1,116 horses have been sold for $216,922,000, an increase of 20.33 percent over $180,269,000 in 2011. The average of $194,375 is up 32.84 percent over last year’s $146,322. The median rose 45 percent, from $100,000 to $145,000.
In Book 2, which spanned Saturday and Sunday, 42 horses sold for $250,000 or more each compared to 21 for the comparable period last year, while 162 horses brought $150,000 or more compared to 83 in 2011.
“The market this weekend was very good, very strong,” Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell said. “It’s pretty impressive to increase those figures by nearly 100 percent over last year.”
“It’s strong,” consignor Kitty Taylor of Warrendale Sales said about the auction. “There’s a lot of activity in the barn, a lot of people looking. It’s all been good.”
Five colts and two fillies topped the $300,000 mark on Sunday. The session’s highest-priced yearling was the Ontario-bred son of Medaglia d’Oro sold to Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stable for $385,000. Consigned by Anderson Farms, agent, the colt is the first foal out of the winning Vindication mare Loving Vindication.
The top-priced filly was the $320,000 daughter of Lookin At Lucky sold to Bob Baffert, agent. Baffert trained Lookin At Lucky, a multiple champion and Preakness (G1) winner whose first foals are yearlings this year. Paramount Sales, agent, consigned the filly out of the Royal Academy mare Elissa Beethoven (GB). The filly is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Golden Sonata.
The sale continues Monday and runs through Saturday, Sept. 21. All sessions begin at 10 a.m. The entire sale is streamed live at www.keeneland.com.
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