Keeneland September: Records, Buzz, and a Market on the Rise

No fewer than 20 yearlings sold for seven figures on Tuesday’s session, led by offspring of Gun Runner and Flightline

A Gun Runner colt, a full brother to Early Voting, led the way among the males / KEENELAND

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- The second day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale once again underscored the strength of the elite yearling market. On Tuesday, during the final session of the select Book 1, 111 yearlings sold for a total of $74,945,000, marking a 15.71% increase over the same day last year. The average reached $675,180 (+10.5%) and the median climbed to $550,000 (+15.79%), setting a new record for this session.

With the close of Book 1, the cumulative total stands at $144,185,000 for 217 yearlings, a 20.59% jump over 2024. So far, 35 yearlings have surpassed the $1 million mark, including 20 sold during Tuesday’s session, an unprecedented figure.

“It was a fantastic day, there’s a very special energy in the air,” said Shannon Arvin, Keeneland president. “The pavilion was full, we saw many new faces, and buyers came from all over the world. This diversity of investors is key to sustaining market strength.”

Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy noted the atmosphere evoked the legendary July Sale: “We want it to be an experience, not just a transaction. The competition is fierce, and that benefits both sellers and buyers.”

Day’s Standouts

The first major headline came from trainer Wesley Ward, who paid $2.2 million for a Gun Runner colt, a full brother to Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Early Voting and part of a family that includes champions like Speightstown (Gone West). The colt was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Matching that price was a Flightline filly, the first foal of multiple stakes winner Four Graces (Majesticperfection). Consigned by Gainesway, she set a record as the most expensive publicly sold Flightline yearling of the year.

Several other yearlings sold around $1.6 million, attracting top buyers such as Spendthrift Farm, Three Chimneys, AMO Racing, and Douglas Scharbauer, featuring offspring by Into Mischief, Gun Runner, and Flightline, consolidating these sires as the main magnets of the season.

Pedro Lanz, representing KAS Stables, secured a spectacular Not This Time colt for $1.7 million, declaring: “He’s my favorite yearling of the sale—I had to go all in.”

Meanwhile, Mike Repole again proved one of the most aggressive buyers, acquiring 14 yearlings for a total of $8.22 million, including a Gun Runner colt, a half-brother to multiple G1 winner Clairiere (Curlin), for $1.5 million.

Taylor Made Sales Agency led the consignment with $25.75 million, while Gainesway shone on Tuesday with $12.67 million for 13 yearlings.

For Mark Taylor, director of Taylor Made, Keeneland remains “the epicenter of the business”: “When breeders succeed here, they reinvest in November and the entire ecosystem thrives. I’ve never seen the pavilion so full for a Book 1, which speaks to the international reach of the sale.”

The Keeneland September Sale continues this week with the start of Book 2, promising to maintain the momentum of an increasingly competitive, globalized, and vibrant market.