Keeneland kicks off its September yearling sale in Lexington with two select sessions. Following is a list of horses that buyers and consignors think could bring big prices on Sept. 11’s opening night:
Hip No. 4, a colt by Distorted Humor —Rockcide, by Personal Flag. Consigned by Denali Stud.
“He is real strong and real forward, and he’s got good size,” said Denali’s Craig Bandoroff of this bay yearling, which is a half brother to grade III winner Rule (by Roman Ruler) and whose dam is a half sister to champion and dual classic winner Funny Cide (by Distorted Humor). “He’s very correct and seems to be popular.”
Hip No. 10, a filly by Tapit —Shop Here, by Dehere. Consigned by Gainesway, agent.
“She is a really special filly,” said Gainesway’s Michael Hernon of this chestnut yearling, which is a half sister to stakes winner Fifth Avenue (by Monarchos). “She’s all quality and is very well-related. She is in the immediate female family of grade I winner Miss Shop (by Deputy Minister) and graded winner Trappe Shot (by Tapit). She is correct and is a good mover.”
Hip No. 17, a colt by Unbridled's Song—Take Charge Lady, by Dehere. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
“He’s a very nice colt; he’s a very smooth, very correct, long, rangy horse,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura of this chestnut yearling, which is out of a grade I winner. “He has an abundance of quality.”
Hip No. 18, a filly by Indian Charlie—Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister. Consigned by VanMeter Sales, agent.
“She’s a very lovely filly with a lot of scope and a big walk,” said Tom VanMeter of this dark bay or brown yearling, which is a half sister to the grade III-placed winner Trendy Lady (by Unbridled’s Song).
Hip No. 21, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro —Vole Vole Monamour, by Woodman. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent.
“I think he is one of the better Medaglia d’Oros on the grounds,” said Eaton’s Reiley McDonald of this bay yearling, which is a half brother to French group I winner Mrs. Lindsay (by Theatrical). “He is very correct, with a beautiful body type, and he has a great mind. He also has a most outstanding walk. He’s good for Europe and he’s probably good for this country.”
Hip No. 25, a colt by Distorted Humor — Words of War, by Lord At War. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Spendthrift Farm.
“He’s a great-balanced colt, has an awesome walk to him, and has a stallion’s pedigree,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor of this chestnut yearling, which is a half brother to grade I winner No Matter What (by Nureyev), who is the dam of European champion Rainbow View (by Dynaformer) and two grade III winners. He also is a half brother to grade II winner E Dubai (by Mr. Prospector).
Hip No. 28, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro —Alcina, by Kingmambo. Consigned by Runnymede Farm, agent.
“He’s a beautiful, big, correct horse,” said Runnymede vice president and general manager Martin O’Dowd of this dark bay or brown yearling, whose dam is a half sister to stakes winners Camella (by Housebuster) and Stone Canyon (by Mt. Livermore). “He has a brilliant walk, with an absolutely gorgeous stride. He is a very elegant-looking horse. He has a lovely head and a kind eye.”
Hip No. 31, a colt by Dynaformer—America America, by Mister Baileys. Consigned by Three Chimneys Sales, agent for Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.
“He is a very well put together horse,” said Three Chimneys’ Case Clay of this dark bay or brown yearling that is out of a stakes winner. “With (a graded II-placed winning full sister in) Bluegrass Princess, Dynaformer obviously works with this family. He is very straightforward and correct. He’s an obvious horse.”
Hip No. 32, Melchior, a colt by Giant's Causeway —A. P. Dream, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Lanes’ End, agent for Kinsman Farm.
This bay yearling is out of a winning full sister to grade I winner Majestic Warrior and stakes winner Crystal Current. A. P. Dream also is a half sister to added-money winner Evolutionist (by El Prado).
Hip No. 34, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro —Audacious Chloe, by More Than Ready . Consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds.
“He is the first foal out of a really good (stakes-winning) race mare that was a track record holder,” said Woodford’s Matt Lyons of this bay yearling. “He is a very strong colt with a lot of natural muscle. He has a great hip on him.”
Hip No. 35, a filly by Street Cry (IRE)—Balistroika, by Nijinsky II. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent.
“In my view, she has the best pedigree of any filly in Book One (of the sale catalog),” said Eaton’s Reiley McDonald of this bay yearling, which is a half sister to European champion Russian Rhythm (by Kingmambo) and English group II winner Perfectperformance (by Rahy). “She has built-in value if she never runs, but she’s a big, smooth, sound-looking filly that will run.”
Hip No. 39, a filly by Smart Strike—Belva, by Theatrical. Consigned by Paramount Sales, agent.
“She’s very like her full brother, (champion) English Channel ,” said Paramount’s Pat Costello of this chestnut yearling. “Physically, she’s not overly big, but she has a lovely girth on her. She has a very nice walk and is very correct.”
Hip No. 40, a colt by Tiznow —Big and Beautiful, by Capote. Consigned by VanMeter Sales, agent.
“He’s a nice colt that’s getting on some lists,” said Tom VanMeter of this bay yearling, which is from the family of Canadian champion Marchfield (by A.P. Indy), grade I winner Devil May Care (by Malibu Moon ), and Regal Ransom (by Distorted Humor ), who was a champion in the United Arab Emirates. “He is a big, strong horse with lots of quality. He’s all Tiznow. Capote is his broodmare sire and I don’t see much of that in him.”
Hip No. 42, a colt by Dynaformer—Bohemian Lady, by Carson City. Consigned by Three Chimneys Sales, agent.
“This is the Barbaro cross,” said Three Chimneys’ Case Clay of the pedigree of this dark bay or brown yearling. “The other things that make him special other than his physical attributes are he’s out of a graded stakes-winning mare and he’s in the family of (gr. I winner) Any Given Saturday and (grade III winner) Second of June.”
Hip No. 43, a colt by Bernardini —Brandy Rose, by Distinctive. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent.
“He’s an absolute proper horse,” said Bluewater Sales’ Meg Levy of this dark bay or brown yearling, which is a half brother to grade I winner Sweet Symphony (by A.P. Indy) and two other added-money winners. “He’s good-sized and he’s got a big, slow walk that covers the ground. He’s got a beautiful, long neck and a great temperament. He has all the presence in the world. He looks like Muhammad Ali walking into the ring.”
Hip No. 48, a colt by Tiznow —Caroline’s Gold, by Touch Gold. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
“He’s a beautiful colt and his family is just magic with Tiznow,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor of this bay yearling, whose grade III-placed winning dam is a half sister to grade I winner Colonel John (by Tiznow) and the winner Mr. Hot Stuff (by Tiznow), who finished third in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Sham Stakes (gr. III).
Hip No. 49, a filly by Unbridled's Song—Cat Chat, by Storm Cat. Consigned by Lane’s End, agent.
This dark bay or brown yearling is out of a grade II winner and her second dam is champion Phone Chatter (by Phone Trick). Other family members include grade I winner Dixie Chatter (by Dixie Union).
Hip No. 51, a colt by Midnight Lute —Clay’s Rocket, by American Chance. Consigned by Four Star Sales, agent for Glencrest Farm.
“He started out looking good and he just got better,” said Four Star’s Kerry Cauthen of this bay yearling, which is a member of his sire’s first crop and is a half brother to stakes winner Greeley’s Rocket (by Mr. Greeley). “You probably couldn’t sculpt a better statue of a horse if you tried. He’s ready to go.”
Hip No. 52, a filly by Unbridled's Song—Code Book, by Giant's Causeway . Consigned by Lanes’ End, agent.
This gray or roan yearling’s second dam is grade I winner Secret Status.
Hip No. 54, a filly by Medaglia d'Oro —Countess Godiva, by Grand Slam. Consigned by VanMeter Sales, agent.
“She is out of a nice young mare and there is a big pedigree under the second dam,” said Tom VanMeter of this dark bay or brown yearling, whose dam is a half sister to grade III winner Miss Turkana (by Turkoman) and French group III winners Grafin (by Miswaki) and Genovefa (by Woodman). “There is a lot to like about her.” (Genovefa is he dam of German champion Mamool, by In the Wings.)
Hip No. 55, a filly by Street Sense —Delta Princess, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Lane’s End, agent for the complete dispersal of Palides Investments (Saud bin Khaled).
“She’s a half sister to (gr. II) winner Royal Delta, and she’s been a standout ever since we started looking at (the Palides) yearlings early in the winter,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish of this dark bay or brown yearling, whose dam was a grade III winner. “She has a great pedigree and she’s a super individual.”
Hip No. 57, a colt by Street Cry—Dyna Da Wyna, by Doc's Leader. Consigned by Stone Farm.
“His dam (a grade III winner) was a very good race mare. She’s been knocking at the door to produce a really good horse and this could well be a really good horse,” said Stone Farm’s Arthur B. Hancock III of this gray or roan yearling, which is a half brother to added-money winner Sumo (by Fusaichi Pegasus ). “He’s beautiful and he’s by the right horse. Like my father used to say, a good bull is half your herd and a bad bull is all of it. This is a good bull by a good bull. He looks the part and acts the part. He’s got a great disposition and we like him very much.”
Hip No. 62, Fleeting Smile, a filly by Distorted Humor —Fleet Indian, by Indian Charlie. Consigned by Lanes’ End, agent.
“I love this filly; she looks very sound and I think she is going to be fast and early,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish of this bay yearling, which is out of a champion.
Hip No. 68, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro —Grand Prayer, by Grand Slam. Consigned by Lane’s End, agent for the complete dispersal of Edward P. Evans (Spring Hill Farm).
This dark bay or brown yearling is out of a stakes winner and is a half brother to grade I winner Malibu Prayer (by Malibu Moon ).
Hip No. 72, a colt by Street Cry (IRE)—Hollywood Wildcat, by Kris S. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
This dark bay or brown yearling is out of a champion and is a half brother to four stakes winners, including grade I winner War Chant (by Danzig). “It’s the exact same cross as (Horse of the Year) Zenyatta,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor of this colt’s pedigree.
Hip No. 76, a filly by Medaglia d'Oro —Ipi Tombe, by Manshood. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent.
“She falls into that category that if you don’t like her, you don’t like horses,” said Denali’s Craig Bandoroff of this dark bay or brown yearling, whose dam was a champion in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. “She’s big, she’s strong, she’s pretty, and she moves good. She’s why you breed horses. It’s tough to come up with ones like her.”
Hip No. 78, a colt by Dynaformer—Kelli Cat, by Storm Cat. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
“He is a really strong, powerful-looking Dynaformer colt out of a great family,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor of this bay yearling, which is a half brother to stakes winner Beautiful Daniele (by A.P. Indy) and whose dam is a half sister to champion Countess Diana (by Deerhound) and three other stakes winners. “He has a great walk and he’s got as good a head as any Dynaformer that I’ve seen.”
Hip No. 87, a colt by A.P. Indy—Malka, by Deputy Minister. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
“He has one of most active and deep families in the stud book,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura of this bay yearling, whose relatives include Kentucky Derby Presented By Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Super Saver (by Marias’ Mon) and grade I winner Bluegrass Cat (by Storm Cat). “He is by A.P. Indy, who has been a breed-changing horse with so many of his sons becoming significant sires. He (A.P. Indy) is also a great broodmare sire. This colt is the entire package, top to bottom, in terms of an individual and pedigree.”
Hip No. 89, a colt by Giant's Causeway —Maxxi Arte, by Danehill Dancer. Consigned by Three Chimneys Sales, agent.
“His pedigree is really appealing to a European buyer,” said Three Chimneys’ Case Clay of this chestnut yearling, whose dam was a stakes winner. “He has a great walk and a strong hip.”
Hip No. 90, a colt by Giant's Causeway —May Night, by Gulch. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
This chestnut yearling is out of a stakes winner and is from the family of grade III winner White Mischief.
Hip No. 94, a filly by Unbridled's Song—My White Corvette, by Tarr Road. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent.
“She’s a real pretty filly with lots of quality,” said Denali’s Craig Bandoroff of this gray or roan yearling, which is out of a stakes winner and is a half sister to champion Stardom Bound (by Tapit ). “She is more lightly made than some other Unbridled's Songs, which I think is good from the soundness point of view. She is a two-turn type of horse with scope.”
Hip No. 97, a colt by Unbridled's Song—Oonagh Maccool (by Giant's Causeway ). Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
“He’s a beautiful colt; his looks match his pedigree,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor of this chestnut yearling, which is out of a grade II winner. His dam is a half sister to Italian and German champion Taipan (by Last Tycoon), English champion Ali-Royal (by Royal Academy), and European champion Sleepytime (by Royal Academy).
Hip No. 99, a filly by Pulpit—Owsley, by Harlan. Consigned by Stone Farm.
“She’s a big, good-looking filly with a nice disposition,” said Stone Farm’s Arthur B. Hancock III of this dark bay or brown yearling, whose dam was a grade II winner. “She’s a half sister to Arthur’s Tale (by Bernardini ), who should have won the (Resorts World New York Casino) Wood Memorial (gr. I), but got stopped twice. The mare (Owsley) also is the dam of (the stakes-placed winning runners) War Hoot (by War Chant) and Senada (by Pulpit).”
Hip No. 101, a colt by Street Sense —Pilfer, by Deputy Minister. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Siena Farm.
“This colt is gorgeous,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor of this dark bay or brown yearling, which is a half brother to grade II winner To Honor and Serve (by Bernardini ). “He is a very special horse out of a young stakes-winning mare.”
Hip No. 104, a filly by A.P. Indy—Private Gift, by Unbridled. Consigned by Mt. Brilliant Farm, agent.
“She’s a big filly with scope,” said Mt. Brilliant farm manager Jody Alexander of this chestnut yearling, whose stakes-winning dam is a half sister to grade I winner Secret Status and grade III winner Alumni Hall (both by A.P. Indy). “She has a tremendous walk, which is one of her selling points, and a terrific shoulder.”