Thirteen sessions include record 38 Grade/Group 1 wins in 2016
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 8, 2016) – Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, which this year to date has produced 38 Grade/Group 1 winners around the world to lead all other sales companies, opens its 73rd edition at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12.
A total of 4,479 horses were cataloged to the sale, which will cover 13 sessions through Sunday, Sept. 25 and be streamed live on Keeneland.com.
The September Sale catalog represents the cream of the North American Thoroughbred yearling crop and attracts the industry’s major buyers from across the U.S. and around the world.
“Keeneland’s September Sale sets the gold standard for the industry globally,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “No other sale consistently provides more winners and more participants on racing’s biggest stage than the September Sale.”
In 2016, September Sale graduates have excelled in the U.S. and abroad, sweeping the Triple Crown (Nyquist, Exaggerator and Creator) and winning the Travers (G1) (Arrogate) and top stakes at Saratoga, Del Mar, Royal Ascot and elsewhere. They lead a contingent of North American Grade 1 stakes-winning fillies and mares that includes multiple champion Beholder (winner of the Vanity Mile), Carina Mia (Acorn), Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse (Belmont Oaks Invitational), Curalina (La Troienne), Harmonize (Del Mar Oaks), I’m a Chatterbox (Delaware H.), Off the Tracks (Mother Goose) and Paola Queen (Test).
Meaanwhile, last year’s September Sale graduates already are making headlines in the domestic juvenile ranks: Pretty City Dancer (won the Spinaway-G1 in a dead heat), Practical Joke (Hopeful-G1), Union Strike (Del Mar Debutante-G1), Champagne Room (Sorrento-G2), Gunnevera (Saratoga Special-G2), Made You Look (With Anticipation-G2), Nonna Mela (Adirondack-G2), Bitumen (Sanford-G3) and Classic Empire (Bashford Manor-G3).
September Sale alumni continue to perform exceptionally well internationally led by Order of St George (IRE) (won the Gold Cup in Honour of the Queen’s 90th Birthday- G1 and Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger Trial-G3), Hawkbill (Coral-Eclipse-G1 and Tercentenary-G3), Lady Aurelia (Darley Prix Morny-G1 and Queen Mary-G2), Boynton (Bet365 Superlative-G2), Roly Poly (Duchess of Cambridge-G2 and Grangecon Stud-G3), Hathal (32red Mile-G3), Levante Lion (Hakodate Nisai-G3), Nemoralia (Sky Bet City of York-G3), Syphax (Tattersalls Acomb-G3) and Taareef (Prix Daphnis-G3). September Sale graduates also recently won Russia’s top stakes, highlighted by Martin Night Bars’ victory in the Russian Derby and Tiger Kid’s win in the President of the Russian Federation Stakes.
“This year’s September Sale offers an exciting selection of yearlings from active families; many of them are siblings to champions and graded or group stakes winners,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “Buyers shop this two-week sale because outstanding individuals are available at all levels of the market.”
Yearlings representing 242 of the world’s most sought-after sires are cataloged for the September Sale, including Arch, Awesome Again, Bernardini, Blame, Bodemeister, Camelot (GB), City Zip, Congrats, Curlin, Distorted Humor, Empire Maker, Flatter, Frankel (GB), Galileo (IRE), Ghostzapper, Giant’s Causeway, Into Mischief, Kitten’s Joy, Lemon Drop Kid, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d’Oro, More Than Ready, Pioneerof the Nile, Redoute’s Choice (AUS), Scat Daddy, Sea The Stars (IRE), Smart Strike, So You Think (NZ), Speightstown, Street Cry (IRE), Street Sense, Tapit, Teofilo (IRE), Tiznow, Uncle Mo and War Front, among others.
Also cataloged are yearlings by such exciting freshman stallions as Animal Kingdom, Data Link, Declaration of War, Orb, Oxbow, Paynter, Point of Entry and Shanghai Bobby, among others.
September Sale Schedule and Features
The September Sale opens with the premier Book 1 catalog, which covers the first three sessions.
Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 12-14. Book 1 sessions begin at 11 a.m.
Dark Day on Thursday, Sept. 15. No sale will be held.
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 16-17. Book 2 sessions begin at 10 a.m.
Sunday-Sunday, Sept. 18-25. Book 3-6 sessions begin at 10 a.m.
Throughout the September Sale, customers may take advantage of a number of amenities, including:
• A Concierge Service will be based at the information desk inside the main lobby of the Sales Pavilion with representatives also available in the nearby Business Center.
• Complimentary golf cart shuttles will be available throughout the stable area to assist clients with moving through the barns and to and from the Sales Pavilion. Shuttles will run continuously each sale day from 8 a.m. until the end of the sale and on preview days from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• Tincan Roaster will serve complimentary coffee to sales customers every morning from 7-10 a.m. The truck will be located between Barns 22 and 23 in the stable area.
• Dining at the Limestone Café will be available each day at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and close at the conclusion of the session. New this year is a sushi bar featuring freshly made grab-and-go sushi.
• Keeneland Fall Ale, which Keeneland and Country Boy Brewing once again have teamed to produce. The popular small-batch brew, a lightly hopped American pale ale, introduced two years ago, will be available at Keeneland and more than 40 local restaurants and bars during the September Sale and Fall Meet (Oct. 7-29).
• Keeneland and VisitLEX’s Beyond Grits will partner for the third annual Jefferson Street Soiree on Wednesday, Sept. 14, to showcase the September Sale and one of downtown Lexington’s culinary and cocktail hot spots. From 6-10 p.m., 12 area restaurants and bars will offer food and beverage tastings, accompanied by live entertainment from The Wooks and Tee Dee Young. The festival district on Jefferson Street stretches from Maryland Avenue to West Short Street.
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