Near the end of Wednesday's session, Grade 3 hero MACHEN (Distorted Humor) went to J. Michael Baird for $70,000. Sporting Hip 3257 from the Lane's End, agent, consignment, the four-year-old Kentucky-bred sold as a stallion prospect.

Machen captured the Grade 3 Derby Trial in 2011 in what would be his last start. Prior to that, the colt took his maiden debut by 5 1/2 lengths, scored an allowance victory by five lengths, and ran fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Grade 2 Risen Star and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. He owns a 5-3-0-0, $216,530, career mark.

Machen is the first registered foal out of Grade 2 queen Ready's Gal (More Than Ready), who earned $609,959 on track and herself a daughter of Grade 3-placed dual stakes vixen Exquisite Mistress (Nasty and Bold). That mare would also foal multiple stakes scorer Go Scotty (Bold Ruckus) and the dam of Grade 2 victress Ready to Please (More Than Ready) and Grade 3-placed dual stakes star Chief Officer (Officer).

Machen's fourth dam is Buena Notte (Victoria Park), who is the granddam of dual classic-winning champion and sire Hansel (Woodman).

On Wednesday, 254 horses sold for $2,872,300 at an average of $11,308 and a $7,000 median. Those numbers represent drops of 34.6 percent, 33.1 percent and 30 percent, respectively, over the 2011 comparative session where 260 horses brought a total $4,391,700 for a $16,891 average and a median of $10,000.

With nine days now in the books, the total and average continue to decline as compared to last year's dispersal-laden sale. Thus far, 2,006 horses have brought $140,061,100, a 31.9 percent fall from last year's $205,584,600 gross used to purchase 2,164 horses. The average is off 26.5 percent, from $95,002 in 2011 to $69,821 this year, but the $30,000 median is now steady the median from 12 months ago.

The sale continues Thursday and concludes Friday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. (EST). For full results and video, visit keeneland.com.