Already the 79th Keeneland September Yearling Sale is labled ‘as the global market place for Thoroughbred yearlings, and as the world’s most important Thoroughbred sale.’
‘The proven success of its sales graduates at the highest levels of racing worldwide,’ with Book 1 being Monday 12 September and Tuesday 13 September, beginning at 1pm on both days.
Book 2 begins at 11am on the Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday 16 September being a Dark Day with no auctions conducted, and both Saturday and Sunday are Book 3 from 11am.
Monday 19 September and the Tuesday are Book 4, Wednesday and Thursday being Book 5, with the final Book 6 being the Friday and concluding with #2369 on Saturday 24 September.
In true Hollywood style Keeneland says ‘Book 1 kicks off with a bang, with the opening two sessions recognised world-wide as a showcase of the best of the North American yearling crop.’
‘The September Sale yearlings no only attract high prices in the sale ring, but live up to their potential where it matters most… on the racetrack, where they can compete at the highest level.’
Last year’s post-pandemic September Yearling Sale grossed $362.5m, that was 65.6% of North America’s total from yearling Sales with 2,789 yearlings selling at Keeneland September.
With the depth and quality of the September Sale attracting 1,200 buyers from 22 different countries, it then produced 48 International Grade 1 winner including five Eclipse Award champions.
Corniche was voted the 2021 Eclipse Champion 2YO Male in winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and American Pharoah Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Speedway Stables.
Now retired to Ashford Stud having been injured in the Amsterdam Stakes, he was passed-in for $385,000 at the 2020 September Yearling Sale in being consigned by Stonehaven Steadings.
Echo Zulu was the Eclipse 2YO Female for victories in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Fizette Stakes and Spinaway Stakes, having made $300,000 from Book 1 at the September 2020 Sale.
The H Allen Jerkins Memorial winner Jackie’s Warrior was Eclipse Male Sprinter, having been picked-up by Kirk Robison for $95,000 at the 2019 September Sale, consigned by Taylor Made Sales.
Now that her Medaglia d’Oro half-sister is out of this 2022 Sale, the Kentucky Oaks heroine Malathaat was Eclipse 3YO Filly, in being a $1.05m graduate from Denali Stud at September 2019.
With the Keeneland September Yearling Sale producing the past four Horse of The Year recipients, it’s the 2022 champion Knicks Go who has his Ghostzapper half-sister as #305 in Session 2.
In being consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, it was Knicks Go who was a $87,000 graduate at the 2017 September Sale, consigned by Peter O’Callaghan’s Woods Edge Farm.
Purchased by the Korea Racing Authority, Knicks Go was also last year’s Eclipse Older Dirt Male in winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup Invitational and Whitney Stakes.
Now standing at Taylor Made Farm, the Korean’s originally planned to stand Knicks Go at their Korea Jeju National Stud, in being selected by their K-Nicks Genetic programme, thus his name!
With Keeneland and Kentucky Thoroughbreds reaching-out to Korea 20 years ago, it’s the Korea Cup hero Winner’s Man who descends from the 2006 September Sale import Graceful Ballerina.
Now with Winner’s Man certain for Horse of The Year honours and unbeaten this year, it’s Graceful Ballerina in Korea who is grand-dam of Winner’s Man, through his dam Winner’s Marine.
The 2018 September Yearling graduate Eoma Eoma has showed Korea is becoming an international force, in defeating the top Japanese dirt sprinter Raptus in the Korea Sprint on the same day.
