The picture was sunny outside and inside the Keeneland sale pavilion.
With six sessions remaining, the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale established itself as the highest grossing September auction in the history of the Central Kentucky sale company--breaking the mark of $291,827,100 set at the close of the 2000 September sale. The mark was broken following the sale of hip 2696, an Awesome Again colt, purchased for $55,000 by Bradley Shannon from the consignment of Middlebrook Farm."We're going to keep on trucking and see where we end up," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland director of sales. "All figures today were positive."To date, the sale has grossed a record $297,266,400, with 1,987 horses selling for an average of $149,606 and a median of $75,000, with 636 horses failing to find new homes. Last year the gross was $257,281,000 with 2,004 horses selling for an average of $128,384, with the median $60,000.Thursday's session grossed $11,686,700, with 276 hips selling for an average of $42,343. The median was $30,000 with 87 horses failing to find new homes. Last year, 314 hips grossed $9,510,500 for an average of $30,288. The median was $21,500."This is an interesting time for the sale. We have always felt the middle market was strong and it is," said Russell. "There are some new faces coming in, and a good base of buyers are still here."The session was topped by a $350,000 son of Maria's Mon out the unraced Carson City mare City Gold -- a half-sister to leading sire Storm Cat and grade II winner and stakes producer Chapel of Dreams. Storm Cat, who stands at the Young family's Overbrook Farm near Lexington, sired the $8-million colt out of Welcome Surprise, establishing a record price for the September sale.Gulf Coast Farm purchased the son of Maria's Mon from the consignment of John Williams, agent.The second-highest price of the night belonged to a $340,000 son of Forest Wildcat bought by John McCormack Bloodstock from the consignment of Judy Klosterman, agent for Langsem Farm and Eutrophia Farm. The Ohio-bred colt is the second foal out of the stakes winning River Special mare Naughty and is from the family of stakes winner Bemis Heights and Slip Screen. The sale continues Wednesday at 10 a.m.Results, leading buyer, leading consignor, leading sire lists from Keeneland
