THE money spent at British and Irish sales always raises eyebrows from those outside horse racings bubble, and you can understand their disbelief at the prices of what they simply see as animals, at the end of the day.
I’ve had a similar reaction when observing corresponding sales in the US, including when reporting on the 35 yearlings to sell for $1,000,000 or more at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale last month.
The Keeneland September Yearling Sale is the real blockbuster though – last year’s sale was the highest-grossing thoroughbred auction of all time, as 3,078 horses sold for a total of $531.7 million.
Fifty-six yearlings sold for seven figures, the majority selling during Book 1, which produced an average price of $647,522 and median price of $525,000.
Stellar prize money is an obvious reason for market strength, as is the large number of high net-worth individuals in the US. Travis Boersma, who spent $21,625,000 in Saratoga last month, is your typical American dream, having built what was just a pushcart into the 1,000-strong coffee chain Dutch Bros. The Oregon native is now worth an estimated $ 3.2billion.
That all seems a world away from us, the sort of stories and individuals we see in movies, and the sales catalogue is equally dreamy. Fifty lots into this year’s offering, your hypothetical wishlist could include siblings to Justify and Nyquist, and fillies out of multiple Grade 1 winners Shedaresthedevil and Songbird, who have themselves sold for $5,000,000 and $9,500,000 respectively.
Last year’s top lot brought $3,300,000 and the sale looks primed to go close at the very least when trade kicks off on Monday week, September 14th.
Hip 6: Uncle Mo half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Battle Of Midway
Hip 7: Justify half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Raging Bull
Hip 12: Justify half-brother to Golden Slipper victor Shinzo
Hip 17: Gun Runner half-brother to the top-class Nyquist
Hip 18: Not This Time filly out of dual Grade 1 scorer Separationofpowers
Hip 19: Not This Time colt out of two-time Grade 1 winner Serengeti Empress
Hip 24: Into Mischief filly out of multiple Grade 1 winner Shedaresthedevil
Hip 37: Tapit half-sister to Belmont Oaks heroine Concrete Rose
Hip 38: Gun Runner filly out of champion race mare Songbird
Hip 47: Gun Runner half-brother to American Triple Crown hero and Grade 1 sire Justify
Hip 54: Full-brother to champion two-year-old Ted Noffey, whose dam sold to Amo Racing in November for $6,200,000
Hip 81: Justify filly out of Irish Oaks runner-up Toy
Hip 96: Flightline filly is a granddaughter of Falmouth Stakes heroine Timepiece
Hip 98: Gun Runner half-brother to dual Grade 1 winner Paradise Woods
Hip 103: Nyquist half-sister to dual Grade 1 winner Caravel
Hip 110: Gun Runner half-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina
Hip 114: Gun Runner full-brother to Kentucky Oaks winner Always A Runner
Hip 116: Gun Runner half-brother to Colonel Liam, twice a winner of the Pegasus World Cup
Hip 120: Full-sister to Preakness Stakes victor Early Voting
Hip 143: Curlin half-sister to dual Grade 1 winner Adare Manor
Hip 158: Gun Runner half-brother to top-class racemare Clairiere
Hip 160: Flightline half-brother to champion older horse Accelerate
Hip 202: Full-sister to six-time Grade 1 winner Malathaat
Hip 214: Uncle Mo half-sister to champion three-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver
Hip 227: Justify filly out of Epsom Oaks heroine Together Forever
Hip 231: Justify filly out of Gamine, who sold to MV Magnier for $7 million after five Grade 1 wins
Hip 235: Gun Runner half-brother to champion two-year-old colt Good Magic
Hip 251: Nyquist half-sister to champion three-year-old Sierra Leone
Hip 273: Flightline half-brother to Del Mar Futurity Stakes victor Klimt
Hip 287: Cody’s Wish half-brother to Gamely Stakes heroine Be Your Best
Hip 291: Gun Runner half-brother to Horse Of The Year Knicks Go
Hip 309: Curlin half-sister to California Chrome
Hip 313: Full-brother to dual Grade 1 winner Locked (Gun Runner)
Hip 346: Medaglia d’Oro filly out of Prix Jean Romanet winner Odeliz
Hip 377: Tapit half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Forte
Book 1: Monday, September 14th & Tuesday, September 15th, from 1pm each day
Book 2: Wednesday, September 16th & Thursday, September 17th, from 11am each day
Book 3: Saturday, September 19th & Sunday, September 20th, from 10am each day
Book 4: Monday, September 21st & Tuesday, September 22nd, from 10am each day
Book 5A: Wednesday, September 23rd & Thursday, September 24th, from 10am each day
Book 5B: Friday, September 25th & Saturday, September 26th, from 10am each day