THE two-week Keeneland September Yearling Sale drew to a close on Saturday when the hammer fell for the final time after a dozen sessions, one less than a year ago. The average for the 2,745 lots sold was up 3% to $102,549 and the median was unchanged at $50,000. The clearance rate was slightly disappointing at 24% compared to 22%last year.

Eleven lots made $1 million or more, down from 13 in 2014 and the top price of $2.1 million was just a bid less than the $2.2 million high achieved twice a year earlier. Strong and steady were two adjectives used frequently to describe the trade. The top 11 lots were purchased by 10 different buyers.

The sale’s leading buyer by turnover was John Ferguson and his 24 yearlings cost $8,235,000. The leading vendor, with a staggering 256 lots sold (over 9% of all lots traded) was Taylor Made Sales Agency. These lots realised $32,822,200 and averaged $128,212 which was 25% higher than the overall sale average.

The strength of the US dollar was cited as a possible reason for a certain softening at the very top of the market and the buy-back rate was highest in Book 1.

War Front and Tapit were the two sires most in demand among the established stallions, while the best of the sires with their first yearlings on offer was Bodemeister and he had 48 yearlings sell for an average of $178,583.

Two sons of Tapit consigned by Gainesway led the way. Their home-bred son of Silver Colors was purchased by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm for £2.1 million, while they sold a son of Pure Clan on behalf of Three Chimneys Farm to Lael Stable for $1.65 million. Gainesway’s director of sales is Irishman Michael Hernon.

Gainesway also sold the highest priced filly of the week on behalf of Three Chimneys. She is a daughter of Bernardini, acquired for $1.5 million by Justin Zayat. Three Chimneys appeared near the top of the buyers’ list when they gave $1,525,000 for a colt by Distorted Humor that was bred by Stonestreet and sold through Taylor Made.