Keeneland’s 2015 September Yearling Sale, the world’s largest and most significant Thoroughbred auction, starts Monday at 11 a.m. with a total of 4,164 yearlings cataloged for the sale over 12 sessions through Saturday, Sept. 26.
The sale will be streamed live on Keeneland.com.
The September Sale kicks off a momentous two months at Keeneland that will showcase the world’s best Thoroughbred sales and racing and focus attention on the Thoroughbred industry in Central Kentucky. In October, Keeneland will present racing during the 17-day Fall Meet from Oct. 2-24, Prelude to the Cup on Oct. 29 and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Oct. 30-31.
Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale follows on Nov. 2-14.
The September Sale is globally regarded as the primary barometer of the state of the Thoroughbred industry and attracts the world’s major foreign and domestic buyers, top trainers and bloodstock advisers, and prominent juvenile sales consignors. The yearlings in the 2015 catalog represent 249 of the world’s elite stallions and include five horses from the first crop of undefeated European champion Frankel (GB).
This year, Keeneland is the only U.S.-based sales company to offer offspring by Frankel, who stands in England.
“Horsemen from across North America and around the world travel to Lexington because they recognize the September Sale as the source of graded stakes success wherever they race,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “As evidenced by the performances this summer at Saratoga and Del Mar, where Keeneland sales graduates won 13 of 22 Grade 1 stakes, horses purchased here excel at the highest level of racing.”
So far in 2015, the September Sale has produced the winners of 268 stakes. Among them are 25 Grade/Group 1 stakes winners, including Air Force Blue (Keeneland Phoenix), Beholder (Pacific Classic and Clement L. Hirsch Stakes), Carpe Diem (Toyota Blue Grass), Curalina (Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks), Dame Dorothy (Humana Distaff), Embellish the Lace (Alabama), Gabriel Charles (Eddie Read), Include Betty (Mother Goose), Jack Milton (Maker’s 46 Mile), Liam’s Map (Woodward), Keen Ice (Travers), Lady Eli (Belmont Oaks Invitational), Materiality (Besilu Stables Florida Derby), Molly Morgan (La Troienne), Mshawish (Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap), Nyquist (Del Mar Futurity), Private Zone (Priority One Jets Forego), Ring Weekend (Frank E. Kilroe Mile), Runhappy (NYRA.com King’s Bishop), Secret Circle (Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News), Sharla Rae (Del Mar Oaks) and Undrafted (Diamond Jubilee).
Format of September Sale
The September Sale begins with the premier Book 1 catalog, which will span the opening three days with a total of 724 yearlings cataloged alphabetically by dam.
Book 1 (Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 14-16) – The Book 1 catalog offers 241, 242 and 241 yearlings, respectively, each day. All three sessions begin at 11 a.m.
Dark Day, Thursday, Sept. 17 – No sale will be held.
Book 2 (Friday-Saturday, Sept. 18-19) – Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
Book 3-6 (Sunday-Saturday, Sept. 20-26) – Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
Twelve yearlings in the September Sale catalog represent Phase 1 of the Complete Dispersal of Jerre Paxton’s Northwest Farms LLC, Greenfield Farm, agent. Phase 2 of the Paxton dispersal, which consists of 42 broodmares, weanlings and broodmare prospects, will be held during Keeneland’s November Sale.
A hallmark of the September Sale is the depth and breadth of its stallion roster.
Yearlings cataloged for the 2015 September Sale are by such established sires as Arch, Awesome Again, Bernardini, Blame, Candy Ride (ARG), City Zip, Congrats, Curlin, Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality, Exchange Rate, Flatter, Ghostzapper, Giant’s Causeway, Hard Spun, Harlan’s Holiday, Kitten’s Joy, Lemon Drop Kid, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d’Oro, More Than Ready, Pioneerof the Nile, Quality Road, Scat Daddy, Smart Strike, Speightstown, Street Cry (IRE), Tapit, Tiznow, Unbridled’s Song, Uncle Mo and War Front.
Joining Frankel are these prominent foreign-based stallions: Dansili (GB), Nathaniel (IRE), Pivotal (GB), Royal Applause (GB) and Sepoy (AUS) from England; Myboycharlie (IRE) and Redoute’s Choice (AUS) from France; and, from Ireland, Dream Ahead, Excelebration (IRE), Fastnet Rock (AUS), Galileo (IRE), High Chaparral (IRE), Invincible Spirit (IRE), Lawman (FR), Lope de Vega (IRE), Mastercraftsman (IRE), Power (GB), Raven’s Pass, So You Think (NZ) and Teofilo (IRE).
Noted freshman stallions with yearlings in the sale include Algorithms, Astrology, Biondetti, Bodemeister, Creative Cause, Dialed In, Dominus, Excelebration (IRE), Frankel (GB), Gemologist, Jersey Town, Maclean’s Music, Mission Impazible, Nathaniel (IRE), Power (GB), Sepoy (AUS), Shackleford, Tapizar, The Factor, To Honor and Serve and Union Rags.
Keeneland.com/sales has a wealth of free and useful sales information for consignors, buyers and others.
For Book 1 horses, Keeneland Pedigree offers enhanced catalog updates with links to race charts and race-replay videos for active members of their family.
To access Keeneland Pedigree, click on Keeneland.com/sales, Catalogs, Interactive Index and the blue Keeneland Pedigree icon. Catalog updates are in red. Links to charts and videos of recent races are in blue.
For example, Hip No. 414 is the colt by Malibu Moon-Lotta Kim, by Roar. Click on the Keeneland Pedigree icon to see the enhanced catalog page featuring current race information about active members of the colt’s female family, including Rachel’s Valentina, winner of the recent Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga, and impressive maiden winner Jess’s Dream.
Catalog updates for all horses in the sale occur daily and are sortable.
Other information on Keeneland.com/sales includes a list of outs for the current sale; searchable catalogs and results for sales beginning with the 1999 July Selected Yearling Sale; and lists of stakes-winning Keeneland sales graduates that can be sorted by sale and are available by year back to 2010. During the live streaming of the sale, each yearling’s catalog page appears when the horse is in the ring.
Client Amenities and Special Events
September Sale customers once again will be able to take advantage of numerous amenities at Keeneland. The following services begin Saturday, Sept. 12, and continue through the sale:
· Food and coffee trucks will be parked in the main stable area and open at 7 a.m.
· To assist sales customers with a variety of requests, Keeneland’s Concierge Service will be based at the information desk inside the main entrance to the Sales Pavilion with representatives available at the Business Center in the Sales Pavilion.
· Marked golf cart shuttles will circulate in the stable area to assist clients with moving through the barns and to and from the Sales Pavilion. Shuttles will run continuously from 8 a.m. until the end of the sale.
Patrons also are invited to join Lexington’s celebration of Keeneland’s historic racing and sales season through these unique offerings:
· Keeneland and Country Boy Brewing have partnered to produce Keeneland Fall Ale. The small-batch brew, which was popular when introduced last fall, will be available at Keeneland during the September Sale, Fall Meet, Prelude to the Cup, Breeders’ Cup and November Sale. Keeneland Fall Ale also will be available at more than 40 local restaurants and bars during that time.
· On Sept. 16, Keeneland and VisitLEX’s Beyond Grits will present the second Jefferson Street Soiree to showcase the September Sale and one of downtown Lexington’s culinary and cocktail hot spots. Guests will enjoy food and beverage tastings and live music at the event from 6-10 p.m.
Because of the popularity of last year’s event, the festival district on Jefferson Street has been expanded to Maryland Avenue and to West Short Street.
From Keeneland Communications