Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Strong trade carries through first 2 books
Keeneland aimed to start its September yearling sale with a bang and carry the momentum through the first week when it changed the look of the auction’s front end. At the close of Thursday’s trade, it was apparent that goal had been achieved.
Through Books 1 and 2, a total of 681 horses grossed $196,645,000, up 4 percent from the same point last year, when 812 horses sold for $189,506,000.
The average sale price after the first two books rose 24 percent to $288,759 from $233,382, while the median was up 18 percent to $200,000 from $170,000. The buyback rate of 33 percent was also up slightly from 32 percent.
A total of 13 yearlings changed hands for seven figures in the sale’s first week, the most since 2014, including five over the three sessions that made up Book 2.
“We’ve had million-dollar horses throughout, which I think just shows you the strength of the market at the moment,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales operations. “I think the table has been very well set for the rest of the sale based on this first week.”
The most expensive offering of Book 2 was a $1.1 million colt from the final crop of Scat Daddy out of the placed Tapit mare Orchard Beach. He sold Wednesday to M.V. Magnier of the Coolmore partnership. The colt was bred in Ontario and consigned by Anderson Farms.
Yearlings by Scat Daddy, who died in December 2015, topped or co-topped all three sessions of Book 2.
Partnerships on big-ticket buys
In a competitive market with bidding activity on quality offerings leading to soaring average prices in Books 1 and 2 at Keeneland September, old associates looked to one another and teamed up to land the horses they wanted rather than knock heads in the auction ring.
“Instead of beating each other up and smashing each other up, we might as well be in a partnership together,” Kerri Radcliffe, one of the week’s most active buyers, said after joining with Eric Fein to sign for a $1 million Orb colt who was among the top prices of Book 2.
Maverick Racing, a moniker associated with WinStar Farm, teamed with established partner China Horse Club to rank among the week’s most active buyers, landing nine horses for a combined $3.49 million, led by a $700,000 Uncle Mo colt. Coolmore, which has partnered with a number of high-end outfits in recent years, joined forces with White Birch Farm for a $1 million Quality Road colt and a $675,000 Uncle Mo colt.
Radcliffe also teamed with the Torrealba family’s Three Chimneys operation to purchase a colt by young sire Violence for $850,000.
Tom and Gayle Benson’s GMB Racing and the West Point Thoroughbreds syndicate both have had successful Kentucky-based runners with trainers Dallas Stewart, with GMB campaigning multiple graded stakes winner Tom’s Ready, and West Point colorbearers including Grade 1 winner Macho Again and Kentucky Derby runnerup Commanding Curve. The two outfits joined forces for the first time Tuesday, purchasing a Quality Road colt for $360,000.
Banner day for Elm Tree Farm
It took about an hour for Wednesday’s session of the Keeneland September yearling sale to turn a good day for Elm Tree Farm’s Jody and Michelle Huckabay into one they’ll never forget.
The Paris, Ky.-based boarding and consignment operation started the day off on a high note with the second offering of the session, a Scat Daddy filly, selling to trainer Wesley Ward for $650,000. That was followed shortly by a first-crop Will Take Charge colt who sold to Willis Horton for $975,000, making him the most expensive yearling the Huckabays have ever consigned.
Emotions ran high after the fall of the hammer for the Huckabays, who also co-bred the Will Take Charge colt with Curt Leake and Bart and Angie Stark.
Jody Huckabay remembers calling Grant Williamson, director of stallion nominations and sales at Three Chimneys Farm, where Will Take Charge stands, the day the colt was born.
“I said, ‘They don’t come like this every day,’” he recalled. “I’ve sold a lot of high-dollar horses, but nothing like this.”
Elm Tree Farm was founded in 1989 by the Huckabays and Jody’s late father, Jackie Huckabay. The Huckabays own about 40 mares, either whole or in partnership, most of whom reside on their 600-acre property. In addition to Thoroughbreds, they raise cattle on the land.
Wednesday’s standout yearling is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Oblige, whose first foal is the Grade 2 winner Hunter O’Riley. He is from the family of Grade 1 winner Diplomat Lady and Grade 2 winner Dream Play.