A colt from the first crop of New York-based Grade 1 winner Dublin topped the New York-bred yearling offerings in Book 3 of the Keeneland September yearling sale (Hips 1586-2382) selling to Jim Moloney from the consignment of Paramount Sales, Agent XIX for $115,000.
Bred by RF/HF Mares Rule and foaled at Hidden Lake Farm in Otisville, the Dublin colt (Hip 2150) is the second of two foals (both registered New York-breds) out of Taste, a placed Kentucky-bred daughter of Gone West out of Santona (CHI), a Grade 1 winner and champion grass mare in Chile. Taste is also a half-sister to graded stakes winner Grand Hombre. Grand Hombre earned $598,360 in the U.S. and North America before relocating to the U.A.E where he ran until he was eleven, making 16 starts in between 2004 and 2011. The colt’s sire Dublin, who began his stud career for Spendthrift at Keane Stud in 2012, bred 102 mares in his first book for a stud fee of $7,500.
Nine of the 17 Empire-bred yearlings offered in Book 3 changed hands successfully for an average price of $65,667 and a median of $65,000. Through the first three books of the sale, which began on Monday, September 8, 27 New York-bred yearlings have sold (of 41 offered) for an average of $125,778 and median of $90,000. The buybacks include several individuals who RNA’d for six figures, suggesting that some sellers believe they have better options, either in the auction ring or at the racetrack. The buyback rate for New York-breds, currently stands at 34 percent, compared to 25 percent in the sale at large.
Overall, both average and median are up at Keeneland this year. The cumulative average price of $154,881 is up 4.63 percent from $148,017 last year, while the median of $100,000 rose 5.26 percent from $95,000 in 2013.
The Keeneland sale resumes Wednesday with the start of the two-session Book 4 and runs through Sunday, September 21. All sessions begin at 10 a.m.
Click here for complete Keeneland results.
Click here for a listing of New York-bred hips at Keeneland.
