Keeneland September Continues To Post Huge Increases In Penultimate Session

[Wandering Eyes]

Keeneland September may be winding down time-wise with only one session remaining, but the momentum from the record-breaking sale continued in kind Friday in the 11th session with an 88.57% increase in through-the-ring sales.

The session's top price belonged to a colt by Vekoma (hip 4190) as bloodstock agent Mahmud Mouni's buying spree continued. Bred by Seven Springs Farm and consigned by Almar Farm, the colt sold for $220,000 as one of the last hips through the ring Friday. Out of an unplaced Mizzen Mast mare, he is a half-brother to SW En Hanse (Hansen) and from the family of Canadian champion 3-year-old colt Regal Intention (Vice Regent).

A total of 301 yearlings sold through the ring Friday totaling $6,728,200, for an average of $22,353 and a median of $15,000. That gross is 88.57% higher than the total of $3,568,000 from the 11th session last year. The average is 29.06% higher than $17,320 in 2024, and the median is 30.43% above $11,500.

With one session remaining in the September Sale to be held Saturday, Keeneland has sold 2,674 horses through the ring for $506.944,700, for an average of $189,583 and a median of $95,000. The gross is 23.92% higher than the same period last year when 2,532 horses sold for $409,087,500. The average is 17.34% above $161,567 in 2024, while the median is 18.75% higher than $80,000. Six horses topped the six-figure mark Friday, a mark that easily eclipses the zero figure from the same session last year.

Other top hips Friday included a Bedouin Bloodstock-consigned colt by Hard Spun (hip 4052) from the family of Eclipse-winning sprinter Points Offthebench who sold for $170,000 to Al Jawzaa General Trading.

Additionally, a Highly Motivated half-brother (hip 3880) to GSW Yes This Time (Not This Time) sold to Stepaside Farm for $140,000. The colt was consigned by Rosilyn Polan of Sunday Morning Farm.

Two horses sold for $120,000 apiece. Prestige Worldwide picked up a filly (hip 4002) from the first crop of Cyberknife while Lee Rodgers purchased a filly by Dialed In (hip 4182).

Machmer Hall Thoroughbreds topped the session's consigner list with sales of $728,000 for 31 horses and leading buyer Olga Polushkina acquired nine yearlings for $236,000.

Saturday is the final day of the Keeneland September Sale, which begins at 10 a.m.

Lovely Christina's half-sister sold Friday at Keeneland | Sarah Andrew

Ackerley Acquires Half-Sister To Frizette Hopeful
Leland Ackerley Racing, owned by Lee Ackerley, picked up the half-sister to their GI Frizette Stakes hopeful Lovely Christina (Vekoma) at Keeneland September in the penultimate session Friday.

Bred by Spendthrift Farm and consigned by Legacy Bloodstock as agent, the $100,000 Mo Donegal filly (hip 4090) was Ackerley's sole purchase in Kentucky this month after he opened the year extremely active in the 2-year-old market at Ocala in March. Of the five purchases he made that month in Florida, Ackerley's most expensive was a $425,000 daughter of Vekoma who turned into Lovely Christina.

That filly has since broken her maiden for Todd Pletcher at Saratoga in her second start, winning a maiden special weight going 6 1/2 furlongs by 1 3/4 lengths Aug. 31. Both fillies are out of GIII My Charmer Handicap winner Daring Kathy who earned close to a half-million in her own racing career before producing SP How's Ur Attitude (Street Sense). That family connection, and the hope of additional future black type, drew Ackerley to Keeneland.

“Someone pointed out that the half-sister was selling today,” Ackerley said. “So I decided to buy her and hope that the family gets a little black-type update. I have the 2-year-old half-sister and she'll run in the Frizette in a week or so.”

Ackerley, who had a productive OBS March also picking up 'TDN Rising Star' and GIII Sanford Stakes winner Obliteration (Violence) from that same sale this year, said he typically sticks with buying 2-year-olds.

“I just buy to race,” he said. “It's usually 2-year-olds but occasionally, I'll step in for a yearling.”

And, as Keeneland crossed the historic half-billion dollar mark during Thursday's 10th session, Ackerley had just one way to describe the market.

“It's insane,” he said. “Watching the prices at [Fasig-Tipton] Saratoga and the first two books at Keeneland, it's reassured me that the economy is really booming right now.”

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