Keeneland has cataloged 4,686 horses to be offered over 12 sessions from Sept. 8, through Sept. 20, for the 82nd edition of its September Yearling Sale. The catalog is now available online, while the print version is scheduled to start arriving in the mail the week of Aug. 18.
Last year, the September Sale was the highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in world history with more than $428 million in sales for 2,894 horses. A total of 36 yearlings sold for $1 million or more, marking the highest number since 2006. The average of $148,130 and the median of $70,000 both were records.
"The September Sale is the largest and most important auction of its kind, and Keeneland feels a great responsibility to ensure its success," Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "The strength of this year's catalog and the increased number of entries are a direct reflection of the industry's confidence in the marketplace. We welcome buyers from around the world who come to Keeneland September in search of racing excellence—and they find it.
"Recent graduates like Mindframe, the top older horse in the U.S.; Ruling Court, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket in England, and more grade 1 winners than all North American auction houses combined are proof the next star can be purchased here."
For the fifth consecutive year, Books 1 and 2 during the first four days of the September Sale are comprised of more than 1,000 yearlings judged to be the auction's finest individuals based on conformation and on such pedigree factors as family sales history, distaff pedigree, and sire power. This placement enables major domestic and international buyers to inspect the highest number of exceptional horses possible before the "dark day" Friday, Sept. 12, when no sale will be held.
New Format for Final Books
The auction will resume Saturday, Sept. 13, and again follow its original 12-day schedule, but it will finish with a new, two-part Book 5A and 5B.
"While this shift in terminology is subtle, we believe it more accurately reflects the quality of these sessions and drives the right buyer engagement—ensuring these yearlings receive the buyers and attention they deserve," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "Several encouraging developments have driven this decision: the strength of the individuals, the continued growth of the catalog, and the evolving commercial breeding practices that continue to raise the overall standard on offer. This has resulted in a depth and consistency of quality across all 12 days of the sale unlike anything we've seen before."
Strategic placement of all the yearlings throughout the catalog is intended to ensure visibility and to allow buyers to encounter diversity at every stage of the sale. In recent years, Keeneland has seen sustained interest from leading buyers through the final day, a powerful indicator of the sale's strength.
"The September Sale continues to attract more buyers than any other yearling sale in the world, and we are committed to structuring the sale in a way that supports the success of our sellers across every level of the market," Keeneland senior director of sales operations Cormac Breathnach said.
The sessions for Book 1, to be held Sept. 8-9, feature 180 and 181 horses, respectively, and begin at 1 p.m. ET Book 2, which sells Sept. 10-11, has 392 and 382 hips per day, with sessions beginning at 11 a.m.
The sale shifts exclusively to 10 a.m. starts in Book 3, which begins after the Sept. 12 dark day. There are 847 yearlings in Book 3, which sell Sept. 13-14.
Book 4, which contains 839 yearlings, sells Sept. 15-16. Book 5A, selling Sept. 17-18, contains 851 horses. Book 5B, comprised of 1,014 yearlings, wraps up the auction Sept. 19-20.
Keeneland will livestream the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com. As always, online and phone bidding will be available.
First-Year Stallion EnTries Increase
Yearlings in the September catalog—2,398 colts and 2,288 fillies—represent 189 established stallions and exciting young sires. Notably, more than 1,400 yearlings are by stallions with their initial sales yearlings, including 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline , sire of 63 horses in the catalog.
"This year's catalog features nearly double the number of yearlings by first-crop sires compared to last year, including 11 stallions that stood for $25,000 or more," Breathnach said. "This speaks to the exceptional depth of this year's sale and the level of quality that buyers can expect to find when they come to Keeneland in September."
Graduates winNING around the world
Graduates of the September Sale have won 232 stakes around the world this year through Aug. 4, with notable victories across North America as well as in England, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.
On Aug. 2, five September Sale graduates captured graded stakes during the premier meets at Saratoga Race Course and Del Mar. Saratoga winners were Deterministic (Fourstardave Stakes, G1T), Kilwin (Test Stakes, G1), World Beater (Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes, G1T), and Ewing (Saratoga Special Stakes, G2). At Del Mar, Seismic Beauty won the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).
Internationally, the September Sale also has produced Dark Saffron, winner of this year's Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), and Ruling Court, who took top honors in the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket Racecourse.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
