Keeneland September starts strong
Continuing the strength shown last month at Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Select sale, the Keeneland September sale charged out of the gate Monday and Tuesday on the first two (of four) days of Book 1.
The combined average price of $374,036 for the two days represented an increase of approximately five percent over a comparable period at last year’s sale. Overseas buyers, Godolphin and Coolmore in particular, drove the very top of the market, with Godolphin accounting for four of the 11 highest-priced purchases on Monday and three of 11 on Tuesday.
While the emphasis in the reporting on high-end thoroughbred sales is naturally on the horses that sell for the most money, it’s always good to remember that the most expensive sales horses aren’t necessarily the ones who produce the best results on the racetrack. The vast majority of graded-stakes races won by commercially bred horses continue to go to horses who may have cost their owners an arm or a leg but rarely both.
Take this year’s Saratoga meet, for example. Fourteen of 33 graded winners at Saratoga this summer were sold as yearlings for an average price of $139,214. The average for the five Grade 1 winners was even more modest at $104,400. The most expensive yearling of the 14 was Lake Placid winner Rushing Fall at $320k, a figure that is less than the average sale price at both Saratoga and the first two days of Keeneland September.
The biggest bargains among this summer’s Saratoga graded winners were Promises Fulfilled (Amsterdam, Jerkens Memorial) at a measly $37k, Marley’s Freedom (Ballerina) at $35k and Call Paul (Saratoga Special) at a rock-bottom $20k. An even bigger bargain may have been the $100k paid for Monomoy Girl, whose victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks was her fourth straight in a Grade 1, and who is currently rated among the top six thoroughbreds in the country. Diversify, the Whitney winner who trails only Accelerate and Justify in the NTRA poll, was picked up for $150k.
Two other major winners at Saratoga were offered at auction but failed to meet their reserve price, and thus went unsold. Abel Tasman, whose narrow victory over Elate in the Personal Ensign has her on track for a second Eclipse Award, drew a high bid of just $65k as a yearling. Travers hero Catholic Boy was bought back after a high bid of $170k. Both Abel Tasman and Catholic Boy are ranked among the top half-dozen thoroughbreds in the NTRA poll.
Gold Cup coming up light
Fifteen days out from the Jockey Club Gold Cup and, according to horseracingnation.com, the only horse listed as “probable” for the $750,000 race is defending champ Diversify. Three of the four “possibles” — Mendelssohn, Gronkowski and Thunder Snow — have done most of their racing overseas and have mixed records in the U.S. The fourth horse listed as “possible” is Travers hero Catholic Boy, who reportedly is more likely to wait another week for the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes, also at Belmont.
Jeff Scott writes about horse racing Friday in The Saratogian. He may be reached at utahpine1@ aol.com.