Keeneland photo
By Sarah Mace
The 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale reached its halfway point at the conclusion of trading Monday, the second and final session of Book 3 which spanned Sunday and Monday (Sessions 6 and 7 overall). With just 20.2% of the total New York-bred yearling cohort offered in Books 1-3 (21 of 104), most of the New York-bred contingent has yet to meet the auctioneer In all 83 are catalogued for Books 4-6.
To this point, the total number of New York-breds sold is 12. With nine buybacks through Session 7, the RNA percentage is high (42.9%), but the other indicators are also high. The average price for a New York-bred yearling through the first three books came in at $229,167, while the median was $190,000. Keeneland’s cumulative average and median are $240,511 and $170,000. Five of the New York-bred RNAs attracted final bids between $145,000 and $285,000.
The top New York-bred colt and filly of Book 3 were both sold on Sunday (Session 6).
The top-selling New York-bred colt of Book 3, Hip 1351, is a chestnut yearling by Speightstown from an accomplished European female family bred by Vivien Malloy’s Edition Farm. Foaled on May 15, 2018 and consigned by Denali Stud on Edition’s behalf, the colt went to Global Equine Group LTD for $100,000.
The colt’s dam is the unplaced Salonsun, a German-bred mare by Monsun who is a full sister to stakes winner Monblue, a half to stakes winner and group performer Salon Soldier and stakes performer Sommernachtstraum. The colt’s second dam, Salonblue won two stakes races, is Group 3-placed and a half-sister to a Group 3 winner Peppertree Lane, stakes winner Salon Honor and stakes performer Salon Turtle. Salonsun produced a colt this year by A Shin Forward, a New York-bred turf star in Japan bred by Mrs. Malloy.
Christophe Clement went to $60,000 to secure the top-selling New York-bred filly of Book 3, Hip 1569, a bay yearling by Tiznow. Bred by Tiznow Syndicate and Saratoga Glen Farm, LLC, the April 6, 2018 filly is out of Distorted Blaze, an unraced daughter of Distorted Humor who has already been a successful producer with five winners from five foals to start.
Leading Distorted Blaze’s offspring is graded winner Joes Blazing Aaron (Graeme Hall), a resilient turf runner with 10 wins under his belt from 50 starts and $473,291 in the bank when he retired in 2016. Distorted Blaze also the dam of graded stakes performers Danse Grecque, Tiz Sardonic Joe, who is a full to the sale filly, and Majestic Hussar. The filly’s second dam is Grade 3 winner Suspect Terrain.
