This spring Kenny McPeek became the first trainer since Ben Jones in 1952 to win the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) in the same year with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan, respectively.
He is highly regarded for finding racehorses at a reasonable price at the sales. He is responsible for finding horses such as two-time Horse of the Year Curlin , Thorpedo Anna, Daddy's Lil Darling, Swiss Skydiver, Take Charge Lady, etc.
For sessions six through eight of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Sept. 15-17, McPeek has been the leading buyer. He bought eight yearlings Tuesday for $1,057,000, bringing his totals for the sale to 26 yearlings and $4,887,000, with an average of $187,962.
"I've been really pleased," McPeek said. "We've been able to accomplish a lot of good business in the past few days, and we'll have a few more before the sale is over. We just love coming to the Keeneland September Sale. It's a lot of work, a bit exhausting sometimes, but there's a lot of reward on the other side of it."
The Keeneland September Sale is a long process, and McPeek said he couldn't do it without the help of Dominic Brennan, one of his assistant trainers, who helps him short-list. McPeek and Brennan have worked the sale together for 30 years.
"Dominic has become to us like Batman to Robin. He's a big help and has been for a long, long time."
McPeek is known for finding great physicals, and this sale has been no different. He has purchased yearlings by a variety of stallions, including four by first-crop yearling sire Maxfield .
"I think (Maxfield) has really stamped them, they all look like they've got speed and class," he said. "And I'm real big on the hind leg and balance, and he's really impressed me as a young stallion.
"I was actually the underbidder on the one that Donato Lanni bought (Hip 1108) that brought $575,000."
McPeek has also been impressed by the yearlings of Rock Your World . He said physically they have stood out, and he is a big fan of Candy Ride and that his influence is continuing through his sons.
"Independence Hall, I think is a really good first-crop stallion. I think between Independence Hall, Maxfield, Rock Your World, those are the ones at this stage that have piqued my interest. We weren't searching for those, it just happens to be the physicals that we ended up acquiring," said McPeek.
"Once I see a horse that I'm really attracted to, then I look at the page. And then I try to figure out where it's coming from. What am I looking at? Am I looking at a turf horse, dirt horse, sprinter, router?
"I think there is a method to the madness on how they're bred and how they're made, so you want to see a pattern."
McPeek did not work Book 1 or Book 2 due to conflicts, including being at Saratoga Race Course for Thorpedo Anna's workout ahead of her start in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing this weekend.
"She is just a really special filly to be around," he said. "She was just a modest price, had all the parts in the right place, and she's just the queen."
Thorpedo Anna cost just $40,000 when McPeek picked her out at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale in 2022; she has career earnings of more than $2 million.
"I've made a career out of working the back books. When I was a young trainer, I used to just work Books 5, 6, and 7 (when they had Book 7). When you find a good horse in those back books, I do think it sharpens your eye a lot to prepare you for the earlier books," said McPeek.
"I have a really strong middle- and lower-market client base, I mean really strong. I like to call them my foundation. I'm going to continue to work hard for those people. Those are the people that helped me get to where I've gotten. I'm going to continue to try to find good horses for them."
Day 8 Sale Numbers and Figures
A filly by Nyquist topped the eighth session of the sale Sept. 17. Legion Bloodstock, agent for Icon Racing, went to $375,000 for Hip 2611, consigned by St George Sales, agent.
The filly was bred in Kentucky by Pursuit of Success. She is out of the Awesome Again mare Raise the Flag, a half sister to champion 2-year-old and multiple grade 1 winner Storm Flag Flying.
"She is a very good physical by a very good stallion (Nyquist). A big pedigree, arguably one of the better pedigrees around," said Archie St George of St George Sales.
"(The market) is very good, it's very vibrant. The horses are selling well, there's a lot of action in the back ring, and we've been very busy in the barns. From top to bottom it's been good," said St George.
The average for the eighth session was $72,823, with a gross of $20,827,500. The median was $55,000, as 286 horses changed hands on the last day of Book 4, from the 363 offered. Seventy-seven failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 21.2%.
Taylor Made was the leading consignor with 32 head sold, grossing $2,540,000. McKinzie led the sire standings for the second day in a row with 11 yearlings sold for a total of $1,560,000.
The gross was down slightly from last year's $21,786,500, but the average and median rose from $70,279 and $50,000, respectively. A total of 310 horses were sold.
"I think we've got a chance for this to be our highest-grossing year in the last 20 years of Keeneland September. Today in particular, it's just been really strong, the market just keeps rolling," said Mark Taylor, president and CEO of Taylor Made.
