Keeneland officials announced July 30 that 4,164 yearlings have been cataloged for the 72nd annual Keeneland September yearling sale, to be held Sept. 14-26.
September Sale catalogs will be available online at Keeneland.com beginning Aug. 11. Print catalogs will be mailed the week of Aug. 24.
Of the total 4,164 yearlings cataloged, 2,168 are colts, 1,995 are fillies, and one is a gelding.
In a slight adjustment for the opening week of the 2015 sale, the Book 1 catalog covers three sessions versus four sessions last year. The format for the entire sale, which comprises 12 sessions, is as follows:
Book 1 (Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 14-16) - The Book 1 catalog offers 241, 242, and 241 yearlings, respectively, each day. All sessions begin at 11 a.m. ET.
Dark Day, Thursday, Sept. 17 - No session 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.
Results of the 2014 September Sale were nearly equal to 2013, continuing a healthy trend toward market stability and confidence in the Thoroughbred industry. During last year's 13-day sale, 2,819 yearlings were sold for $279,960,500. The average was $99,312, and the median, a critical indicator of a healthy market, remained the same as the record $50,000 from 2013.
Thirteen yearlings sold for $1 million or more in 2014. Topping the sale at $2.2 million apiece were two colts: a son of War Front sold to M.V. Magnier of Ireland-based Coolmore and a colt by Tapit purchased by Shadwell Estate Co. of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum of Dubai.
To date this year, 79 September sale graduates have won 84 graded/group stakes in the U.S. and abroad. Among the 15 grade/group I stakes winners are Carpe Diem (Toyota Blue Grass Stakes), Curalina (Acorn Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks), Dame Dorothy (Humana Distaff Stakes), Gabriel Charles (Eddie Read Stakes), Include Betty (Mother Goose Stakes), Jack Milton (Maker's 46 Mile), Lady Eli (Belmont Oaks Invitational), Materiality (Besilu Stables Florida Derby), Molly Morgan (La Troienne Stakes), Mshawish (Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap), Ring Weekend (Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes), Secret Circle (Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News), and Undrafted (Diamond Jubilee Stakes).
Yearlings cataloged in 2015 represent the world's elite stallions and include five horses from the first crop of undefeated European champion Frankel. Keeneland is the only U.S.-based sales company to offer offspring by Frankel, who stands in England.
"We are delighted to have yearlings by Frankel in the September sale," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of sales. "The presence of his yearlings and those by other international sires reflects the fact U.S. breeders have traveled overseas to buy mares in foal to these stallions or breed mares to these stallions with the intent of selling the resulting offspring at Keeneland."
Keeneland will provide live coverage of the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com.
