Three sales of seven figures on Tuesday
LEXINGTON, KY (Sept. 16, 2015) — Domestic buyers flexed their spending muscle on Tuesday during the second session of Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, resulting in a double-digit increase in gross receipts and the sale of three seven-figure yearlings, led by a Distorted Humor colt for $1.525 million.
Goncalo Torrealba of Three Chimneys Farm signed the ticket for the top-priced yearling, who is out of multiple graded stakes winner Forest Music, by Unbridled’s Song. The purchase price of $1.525 million is the highest price paid to date in the sale, exceeding the $1.45 million paid for a War Front filly during Monday’s session.
Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the colt is a half-brother to 2015 Lazaro Barrera (G3) winner Kentuckian and a full brother to the stallion Maclean’s Music.
“We looked at the pedigree, and hopefully he’ll be our next stallion,” Torrealba said. “We may race him (in partnership) with Stonestreet. We’re excited. Everything (impressed us).”
Duncan Taylor, president of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agreed.
“We knew all along that he is a very nice colt,” Taylor said. “He is a standout. We thought he was that quality horse, but everything has to line up to get two (bidders) that feel the same way about him. We thought he was worth that much, but we didn’t know he would get that much.”
For the session, 142 yearlings grossed $42,965,000, up 13.7 percent over last year when 121 yearlings sold for $37,788,000. The average of $302,570 was down slightly from $312,298 in 2014, while the median of $245,000 was 12.5 percent below last year’s $280,000.
Through the first two days of the sale, 292 yearlings have been sold for $87,607,000, up 23.47 percent from the comparable period last year when 241 horses brought $70,953,000. The average rose nearly 2 percent, from $294,411 in 2014 to $300,024. The median of $250,000 remained the same from 2014.
“The session was solid and steady from start to finish,” Keeneland director of sales Geoffrey Russell said. “It was good to see Mr. Torrealba engage Mandy Pope (the underbidder on the top-priced Distorted Humor colt) in a good bidding duel. You could see new people in the Thoroughbred industry partaking at the highest level. And it was great to see Mr. Torrealba looking to the future for stallion prospects. That’s a very encouraging aspect of the market.”
A Medaglia d’Oro colt brought the day’s second-highest bid of $1.1 million from the partnership of Alexis Solis, Jason Litt, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Gainesway. The colt, consigned by Lane’s End, agent, is the first foal from the multiple stakes-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Kid Kate.
Plans call for the colt to join trainer Steve Asmussen.
The session’s top-priced filly is a daughter of Australian champion and leading sire Fastnet Rock (AUS) that sold for $1 million to B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm. Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the filly who is out of the Group 1 stakes-placed Sadler’s Wells mare Maryinsky (IRE), dam of European champion Peeping Fawn. The filly’s second dam is Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Blush With Pride, dam of Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour. Better Than Honour is the dam of champion and Belmont (G1) winner Rags to Riches.
The filly had “as good a female family as there is in the world, so we’re happy to get her,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said. “(This is) a filly that we th
Spendthrift, which has farms in Kentucky and Australia, owns several offspring of Fastnet Rock. Spendthrift purchased four yearlings on Tuesday for a total of $2,125,000 to rank as the session’s leading buyer.
Taylor Made Sales Agency sold 17 horses, including the session topper, for $5,245,000 to be the day’s leading consignor.
The September Sale continues through Sept. 26. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.
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