Tapit, War Front Familiar Leaders of Book 1

Despite its revamped, super-select Book 1 format, the leading sires following the Keeneland September yearling sale's opening session Sept. 11 looked awfully familiar.

Atop the Book 1 standings by average and gross was Gainesway's three-time leading North American sire Tapit  with 11 sold of 19 offered for $12,825,000, which equaled a robust average of $1,165,909. Following close behind was Claiborne Farm's top international sire War Front , who had 12 of 22 offered sell for a gross of $9,550,000 and an average $795,833.

The number of Tapit yearlings sold during the Sept. 11 Book 1 session represented 39% of the 28 yearlings sold during last year's three-day Book 1, but his gross sales during the one-day session equaled 69% of his progeny's total Book 1 sales of 2016. War Front's number of yearlings sold Sept. 11 represented 67% of his total sold during Book 1 a year ago and his gross sales equaled 80.5% of his total sales from 2016's Book 1.

At the end of last year's Book 1 sessions, Tapit was the leading sire with a $662,857 average and War Front was only a shade behind with a $659,167 average.

By median for this year's Book 1 session, Tapit and Ashford Stud's stalwart Giant's Causeway  were tied at the top with $700,000. War Front was the second-leading sire by median at $600,000.

Eight horses brought seven-figure prices during the Sept. 11 session. Three of them sold for more than $2 million and all were by Tapit. The top-seller was Hip 69, a $2.7 million filly out of graded-placed winner Pretty 'n Smart, who is the dam of graded winners Cupid, Heart Ashley, and Ashley's Kitty. The filly was bought by M.V. Magnier.

War Front was represented by four seven-figure sales led by Hip 27, a $1.9 million colt out of multiple grade 1 winner Iotapa. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket for the colt and did not disclose the buyer.

Darley's Medaglia d'Oro  is the only other sire who had a seven-figure yearling. He was represented by Hip 82, a filly out of Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill, that sold for $1.25 million to Larry Best's OXO Equine. For the day, Medaglia d'Oro had seven yearlings sell out of 13 offered that brought an average of $619,286 and a median of $560,000. He was the fourth-leading sire by average price.

Giant's Causeway was the third-leading sire by average, with three yearlings averaging $733,333. His overall yearling average from last year's Book 1 sessions was $291,364 from 11 sold. The top seller representing the 20-year-old son of Storm Cat was Hip 23, a $875,000 filly named Hollywood Wife, who is out of multiple grade 1 winner Hollywood Story and was purchased by Mayberry Farm.

Ashford's late sire Scat Daddy was the fifth-leading sire by average price, with seven sold for an average of $515,714 and a median of $550,000.