THE format for Book 1 of the Keeneland Yearling Sale was changed this year, with all the yearlings catalogued being sold over three days rather than the more leisurely four of 12 months ago.

With 10 fewer lots being offered and a buy-back rate that rose almost four points to 31%, the turnover for the sessions staged from Monday through to Wednesday night fell, while the average advanced one point to $303,298 and the median grew by $10,000, or 4%, to $250,000.

Last year two lots topped the sale at $2.2 million and while that figure was challenged, it was not matched. The sale topper to date is the son of Tapit from Gainesway who sold for $2.1 million to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. He came up for sale on Wednesday and is a grandson of the brilliant Winning Colors, the best filly of her generation and winner of the Kentucky Derby, Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Oaks. Last year Pope bought his full-sister for $700,000 and she in unraced.

MONDAY

The opening session saw progeny by War Front dominate and the top three lots on Monday were by the Claiborne resident. By the end of Book 1 his 19 yearlings sold had averaged $636,842, outperforming Tapit’s 29 yearlings who averaged $540,172.

Best of the day was the first foal out of the Galileo mare Betterbetterbetter who was stakes-placed in Ireland and England. She was sold to Mandy Pope two years ago carrying this filly for $5.2 million. Pope consigned a number of yearlings at Keeneland this week under Wayne and Cathy Sweezey’s Timber Town. Rick Nichols of Shadwell Estate was responsible for signing for her and indicated that she could next move to Europe to race. Betterbetterbetter is a sibling to a pair of Group 1 winning daughters of Sadler’s Wells in Yesterday and Quarter Moon.

The only other seven-figure lot on the day, and the first to reach that landmark, was a daughter of War Front and the unraced Mr Greeley mare Azzedine. She in turn is out of the Grade 2 winner Atelier and her half-sister is the Grade 1 winner Aldiza. Lane’s End sold her to Robert Evans for $1 million. Evans races the Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and indicated that his long term plan will be to breed his new purchase, after she has raced, to the son of Tapit.

The third highest price and best for a colt on the day was Claiborne Farm’s first foal from the Grade 2 winning Arch mare Bauble Queen. She cost John Ferguson $900,000 and was his most expensive purchase of the first three days. Nonetheless he was the leading buyer after Book 1, with 22 lots costing just under $8 million. Shadwell Estate was next on the table with 8 yearlings costing $4,475,000.

TUESDAY

By sheer weight of numbers Taylor Made Sales Agency leads the way after Book 1 with 61 lots realising a little under $19 million, while Gainesway’s 30 lots brought in almost $16 million. The best yearling sold by Taylor Made to date has been a son of Distorted Humor that cost Three Chimneys Farm $1,525,000.

The session’s best was bred by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and could yet race for a partnership of which she will be a member. He is a half-brother to the current Grade 3 winner Kentuckian. Their dam is a Grade 2 winning daughter of Unbridled’s Song.

Lane’s End sold a Medaglia D’Oro colt for $1.1 million and he is the first offspring of the multiple stakes-winner Kid Kate. He will race for a new partnership that includes Ron Winchell of Tapit fame, Gainesway where that stallion stands, and agents Alex Solis and Jason Litt. Kid Kate was a stakes winner in each of her first four seasons racing.

Spendthrift Farm spent $1 million to acquire a daughter of Fastnet Rock and this half-sister to Irish Oaks winner Peeping Fawn and Group 1 winning juvenile Thewayyouare was sold through Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales for Barnett Enterprises. Spendthrift has shown a huge liking for progeny by the leading Australian and European stallion.

Barronstown Stud bred the colt by War Front out of Magnificent Honour and he was sold through Eaton Sales to M V Magnier for $900,000. He is out of an own-sister to the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks winner Rags To Riches and a half-sister to another winner of the Belmont in Jazil. Another sibling of the dam was Man Of Iron, a Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner.

WEDNESDAY

Six of the 11 millionaire yearlings went through the ring on Wednesday. Second best on the day, and of the sale so far, was Gainesway’s son of the leading sire Tapit out of the dual Grade 1 winner Pure Clan who earned nearly $2 million when racing. He cost Roy and Gretchen Lael Stables $1,650,000.

Bred by Three Chimneys Farm who were among the leading buyers on Monday, the colt’s price was just ahead of the $1.5 million they received from Justin Zayat for their filly by Bernardini out of the stakes-winner Pilfer. This cross has already produced two Grade 1 winners in To Honour And Serve and the filly Angela Renee. Zayat intends to race the filly in partnership with Coolmore and they have already partnered in American Pharoah.

Coolmore’s M V Magnier was prominent when spending $1,150,000 for a War Front half-brother to stakes-winner and Grade 1 placed Endless Chatter. Their dam is a full-sister to Pulpit. The colt is most likely to race in Europe and was sold by his breeder Claiborne Farm.

Mandy Pope landed the top-priced lot and she made another significant purchase in Taylor Made Sales’ Street Cry half-sister to the Grade 1 Haskell winner Paynter which cost $1,050,000. Their dam is own-sister to Horse of the Year and sire Tiznow.

A daughter and son of War Front sold for $1 million and $900,000 respectively during the session. The filly, purchased by Mayberry Farm, is a half-sister to the Grade 1 runner-up Luminance and out of a half-sister to George Vancouver, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and placed in the Prix Morny and Dewhurst Stakes. Japanese trainer Hideyaki Mori bought the son of Grade 2 winner Satans Quick Chick.

There was no sale on Thursday and selling now runs through until September 26th.