A filly from the first crop of Eclipse Award-winning grass male and 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner English Channel topped Day 12 of the 14-day Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington Sept. 24. The filly sold for $110,000.
Friday’s session saw 278 yearlings sell for $3,155,000, for an average of $11,349 and a median of $8,000. A year ago, 235 horses sold on Day 12 for $2,587,200, good for an average of $11,009 and median of $5,500. Through session 12 of the 14-day sale in 2010, Keeneland has sold 2,665 horses for $196,039,100, for an average of $73,561 and a median of $32,000.
A key milestone was passed yesterday, as the gross surpassed the gross for last year’s entire sale. Despite the drop in key indicators on the day's action, the sale grounds, especially in the back area and around the walking ring, was well attended.
“People are stepping up and stepping in,” said Duncan Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency, the sale’s leading consignor. “All of the economic indicators suggest the sale should be going the other way, but I believe people just love horses; that’s why they’re here.”
Jeffry Morris, owner of Highclere Sales, perhaps said it best that the last few days of the sale have been “encouraging, but not profitable.
“You know, people say the Wayne Hughes, the Mosses, and trainers like Todd Pletcher are the true sportsmen,” Morris said, reflecting on the bloodstock market, “but look around here on Day 12—these are the true sportsmen. They have a one-million…two-million…or even a 10-million-to-one shot here to have a big horse, yet here they are. These are the true horse junkies.
“With what most of us sell, you make money with your top 20% of the consignment…the rest, on days like these, you’re just offering a public service to get the horses sold,” Morris said. “This market shows me that it has some life to it and is coming back, but the guys that are in trouble are the guys who think it’ll come back to where it was five years ago.”
Fleetwood Bloodstock purchased the session-topping filly, who is out of the unraced Linamix mare Miarixa and from the family of French group stakes winners Mister Sicy and Manninamix. She was consigned by John Stuart’s Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, agent.
Garry Simms, as agent for Burr Travis, paid the day’s second-highest price of $60,000 for a colt by Spanish Steps out of the Forty Niner mare Lissa. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the colt is a half brother to stakes winners Catalissa and Lissa's Star.
On the day, Taylor Made Sales Agency was the leading consignor by gross, selling 30 yearlings for $398,500, good for an average of $13,283. Dixiana Farms was second with 12 sold for $236,200 ($19,693).
Fleetwood Bloodstock was second to Jim Brock as far as leading buyers by gross. Brock paid $115,500 for nine horses while Fleetwood made the one purchase for $110,000.
The action Sept. 24 brought to a close Book Five of the September sale. The first section of Book Six begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. EDT and runs through Sunday, Sept. 26. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.
