Keeneland Sale Continues On Record Pace

William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm, which helped boost the Keeneland fall yearling sale to record levels on Tuesday, played another key role Thursday, selling the session topper for $600,000. The top price of the day was paid by Frank Mansell for a Belong to Me filly produced from the Seattle Slew mare Lassie Connection. Produced from the stakes-winning Buckpasser mare Lassie Dear, Lassie Connection is a stakes-producing half-sister to top European runner Wolfhound and to Weekend Surprise, the grade III-winning dam of Horse of the Year and sire A.P. Indy and Summer Squall.

The sale continued on a record pace, with Keeneland reporting 261 horses sold for a total of $27,132,000. The average was $103,954 and the median $60,000. A year ago, on the fourth day of the sale, Keeneland sold 297 head for $22,478,500. The average was $75,685 and the median $50,000. After the first four days of the sale, Keeneland has now sold 976 yearlings for a grand total of $220,799,500. The average is $226,229 and the median $120,000. A year ago, after the first four days of a record-breaking sale in its own right, Keeneland sold 1,052 yearlings for $171,364,000. The average was $162,894 and the median $90,000.

"I'm really not that surprised at the price that she brought," Bill Farish said of the session topper. "She is a very nice filly and with the pedigree that she has, I thought that she would bring a good price. That family has been a foundation mare for our farm, without doubt. It keeps producing stallion after stallion after stallion. It's really remarkable. It's been a great family and to get a filly out of that family, I think, probably was incentive for people to try and buy this filly."

After grossing more than $45-million on Tuesday, Lane's End grossed another $4,105,000 Thursday to easily top the list of consignors again.

"It's been unbelievable," said Bill Farish. "It's been beyond our wildest expectations. But I think the market shows that there is plenty of money out there for the good-looking horses with solid pedigrees. I think it will keep going, too. I think it will be strong right through the weekend. There are still a lot of people here and they are all looking for horses."

The sale continues daily at 10:00 a.m. through Sept. 23.