Keeneland’s 2025 September Yearling Sale began Monday with double-digit gains while posting a record average price of $653,208 and selling 15 horses for $1 million or more led by a colt by Gun Runner for $3.3 million to M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. The average topped the previous record $611,038 for a single session set during Day 2 in 2024, and the number of seven-figure horses for the first session was the highest since 2006.
Total sales for 106 horses were $69,240,000, which jumped 26.36% from last year’s first-session gross of $54,795,000 when 98 yearlings, including 14 seven-figure horses, sold. The average of $653,208 was up 16.83% above last year’s $559,133, and the median rose 19.44% from $450,000 to $537,500. Session 1 also was marked by strong demand at the top of the market, with 66 yearlings bringing $500,000 or more, up from 46 in 2024.
“It was a fantastic day.” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Our auction team is the best in the world. It’s fun to talk to them after and say, ‘How did it feel?’ because it looks different to them there than it does to us watching. They said it was so exciting, so electric and there were so many new faces. It was fun to see the pavilion so packed, the back ring so packed; everywhere people were watching, enjoying and having a great time.”
“We saw a really healthy environment,” Keeneland Vice President Tony Lacy said. “Everybody here that came to buy horses felt that they had to spend more to get them. They were willing to do it and they had fun doing it. At the end of the day that’s what we’re trying to create: a good fun environment. We put the right horses in front of the right people.”
The session-topping son of Gun Runner was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa. Out of Grade 2 winner Thoughtfully, by Tapit, he is from the family of Grade 1 winners Furlough, Dancing Spree and Fantastic Find; Grade 2 winners Annual Report and Dancing All Night; and Grade 3 winner Happy Hunting.
“We knew he was a very smooth, very good horse by a great sire who had another Grade 1 winner yesterday (Del Mar Futurity-G1 winner Brant) from a prolific female family,” John G. Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale said. “You hope for the best.
“After a million dollars, you’re just watching and hoping,” Sikura continued. “You never know where they’re gonna wind up, but the good thing is, I knew we were strong going in, multiple interests from strong people. After that, you’re just a spectator in the process, and hopefully they all get brave and stay brave (bidding).”
Magnier and White Birch also spent $1.5 million for a colt by Into Mischief out of Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Point of Honor, by Curlin. Consigned by Lane’s End, agent, he is from the family of Grade 1 winner Wicked Whisper and Grade 2 winner Mr Freeze.
“He was a nice, strong horse,” Magnier said. “The lads thought he looked like – hopefully – a fast horse. Let’s hope they’re right.”
A filly by Not This Time, who was consigned by Hinkle Farms, sold to David Lanigan, Ted Durcan, agent for Mrs. Cindy Heider for $1.7 million. Out of the winning stakes-placed Stave, by Ghostzapper, she is from the family of Grade 2 winner Buy the Barrel and stakes winner Tarabi.
“I knew this filly was in the catalog,” Heider’s husband, Scott Heider, said. “There are two fillies on the page (Surf N Sand and Coco as in Chanel) that we raced and were stakes winners for us. We knew the family, and we really like the Hinkle family. They raise very good horses. We looked at a lot of good fillies in Book 1 and I told (my team), ‘This is the one I want.’ I had no idea we would have to wrestle that hard to get it done.
“It is a testament to the Hinkle family and what they raise. With two stakes fillies on the page that we raced, that is about as good karma as you can get. Everyone was happy, so we stretched a little bit.”
“It’s really special to us to sell at Keeneland because we’ve decided it’s the only place for us to sell,” consignor Anne Archer Hinkle said. “We really appreciate everything that Keeneland does for us. My dad and my uncle over the years have developed a great relationship with Keeneland. They’re incredibly good to us. We don’t really want to sell anywhere else, and we really appreciate over the last few years that they’ve become incredibly collaborative in placing horses in different books. I think we’ve built up a tremendous amount of trust in each other. We trust that they’ve got our best interest in mind. I’m glad that when we do well, Keeneland does well too.”
Naohiro Sakaguchi paid $1.7 million for a colt by Flightline who is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Promise Keeper and stakes winner Wicked Awesome. Consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent, he is out of the Curlin mare Mira Alta and from the family of Grade 1 winner Great Hunter and Grade 3 winner Owendale.
The colt will race in Japan, said trainer Makoto Saito through a translator.
“He looks like he will fit in Japan,” Saito said. “We feel like Flightline has good potential. Flightline is a favorite in Japan.”
Hunter Simms of Warrendale said the colt handled the attention at the September Sale.
“He showed over 220 times over the last three days,” Simms said. “He just handled everything with class and was such a great individual to be around.”
The colt was bred by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, “and they raise a really good horse,” Simms said. “We had good sales for them in the past, and this is just kind of the icing on the cake for everything that they put into it over the last few years. Invested in a lot of mares and stud fees and everything else. So I’m glad it paid off for them.”
Windancer Farms paid $1.6 million for a colt by Not This Time who is a half-brother to stakes winner Jace’s Road and from the family of Hall of Famer Silverbulletday. Out of the winning Silver Deputy mare Out Post, he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
Taylor Made was the session’s leading consignor with sales of $13,405,000 for 22 yearlings.
Sakaguchi acquired another yearling by Flightline when he paid $1.5 million for a filly from the family of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner and sire Liam’s Map as well as Grade 3 winner and sire Not This Time. Out of stakes winner Taylor S, by Medaglia d’Oro, she was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
In addition to the aforementioned colt by Into Mischief and filly by Flightline, another two yearlings each sold for $1.5 million.
John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock paid the amount for Stock Rising, a colt by Flightline who is a half-brother to two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Golden Pal. Out of multiple stakes winner Lady Shipman, by Midshipman, he was consigned by VanMeter Sales, agent.
The colt was the first Keeneland sales yearling consigned by VanMeter Sales of Headley VanMeter, son of veteran consignor Tom VanMeter.
“I grew up in Lexington in this business,” Headley VanMeter said. “I spent five years working at Lane’s End (where Flightline stands), so that makes this colt even more special because I was there when Flightline came to the farm (after winning the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic-G1) and I saw the first foals hit the ground.
“For us to raise this colt (on the VanMeter family’s Stockplace Farm), where we foal about 35 to 40 mares a year, the first horse (breeder Randall Lowe) has ever sold, this is incredible. We had high expectations, but we didn’t think he would do that.”
“I own Pedigrees 360 (pedigree analysis tool), and the horse rates really well in that,” Stewart said. “That’s how we shortlist the system and kind of look through everything. And then, you know, we have a bunch of people that look at the horse, and it was on all of our lists and Flightline, you know. I really like the way those horses are looking, and I think it was the No. 1 colt today.”
Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm paid $1.5 million for a Tapit filly out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Sharing, by Speightstown, who was consigned by Gainesway, agent. The filly’s second dam is Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) winner Shared Account.
Nick Sallusto/Thorostock went to $1.3 million for a Gun Runner filly who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Speech and stakes winner John Hancock. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent for WinStar Farm Bred & Raised, she is from the family of Grade 1 winner Carson’s Run and Grade 3 winners Wishful Tomcat and Rated R Superstar.
“It was hard to find anything we didn’t like,” Sallusto said. “I was the underbidder on Speech as a 2-year-old, so I watched her career and then came back with John Hancock last year. The client (who I bought the filly for) wants to enjoy racing but also was building a broodmare band. She is really partial to Gun Runner. We are just excited that we were able to buy her. It’s a really strong market, and we (Michelle Hemingway of Thorostock) fought hard together. We hope to see a lot out of her racing and then raise her babies to race too.”
Mulholland Springs, agent, consigned a colt by Into Mischief who is a full brother to Grade 2 winner and sire Maximus Mischief and sold for $1.25 million to Eclipse, Bridlewood, La Penta and Warren. Out of the winning Songandaprayer mare Reina Maria, he is from the family of Grade 1 winner Secret Compass.
“Into Mischief is king of the sires in North America as we know,” Bridlewood’s George Isaacs said. “We know horses like this are going to bring this kind of money. We’ve had good success with this partnership. Let’s just hope we get lucky.
“Everybody wants to try to win the Kentucky Derby and play at the top level in the American classics,” Isaacs continued. “That’s why we’re all here and that’s why we’re all banging heads (in bidding). Looks like there is plenty of energy here. The cost of doing business with horses like this is high.”
Consignor Martha Jane Mulholland said, “The most beautiful thing about him you didn’t even see, and that is his wonderful mind. This horse is all class top to bottom and always has been. I believe he’s the best horse I’ve raised in the last 10 years.”
Spendthrift Farm purchased a colt by Gun Runner out of Grade 1 winner Restless Rider, by Distorted Humor, for $1.2 million. He was consigned by Gainesway, agent.
“There was everything to like,” Ned Toffey of Spendthrift said. “Gun Runner is a wonderful sire, and he was a beautiful, athletic colt – not a really big horse but beautifully put together. He’s got all the right elements. We’re always shooting for the stud barn, and he’s the kind that if he can do enough on the track, he’d certainly warrant a spot there. That’s the goal. He looks the part.”
AMO Racing and Justin Casse acquired a colt by Gun Runner who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Hunter O’Riley for $1,050,000. Out of Oblige, by Bernardini, and from the family of Grade 1 winner Diplomat Lady, he was consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, agent.
Three yearlings brought $1 million apiece.
The first was a daughter of Curlin sold to New River Equine. The initial foal of multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Make Mischief, by Into Mischief, she was consigned by Indian Creek, agent for Stonestreet Bred for Brilliance.
Kate Sheehan, agent for Tranquility Lake Farm, paid $1 million for a Tapit filly from the family of Racing Hall of Famer Winning Colors and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Eskimo Kisses. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, she is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Silver Colors.
A colt by Constitution sold for $1 million to Wesley Ward. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, he is out of the winning stakes-placed Super Saver mare Super Tigress and is from the family of European champion Hold That Tiger and Belmont (G1) winner Editor’s Note.
Monday’s leading buyer was CHC Inc., Maverick Racing, First Go Racing, which acquired six yearlings for $4,050,000.
Keeneland Release
