Figures Hold Steady at the Start of Book 5

Book 5 of the Keeneland September Sale got off to a good start in Lexington Thursday with figures remaining relatively steady compared to last year.

A total of 299 yearlings sold for $6,772,700, which was a 3.99% increase over the corresponding 2015 session when 283 youngsters grossed $6,513,000. The average dipped just 1.58% from $23,014 last term to $22,651 and median was down 23.53% from $17,000 to $13,000.

As for the cumulative numbers through day 10 of the 13-day auction, 2,215 yearlings have sold thus far for $266,614,200 compared to 2015 which saw 2,359 horses gross $276,960,300. Average increased 2.52% from $117,406 to $120,368 and the median held steady at $65,000.

Thursday's session was topped by a son of Into Mischief (Hip 3283), who summoned $210,000 from Jimmy Crupi on behalf of owner Vinny Viola. Bred by Pegasus Stud, the bay is out of Galetoire (Songandaprayer) and traces his lineage back to MGSW Magicalmysterycat. The $20,000 KEENOV purchase was consigned to this sale by Baccari Bloodstock, Agent III.

“I just thought he was a wonderful individual,” Crupi remarked. “I thought he was as good as some of the horses we bought in Book 1, but maybe did not have the strongest pedigree. But, as you know, horses make their own pedigree. We loved him. We were not going home without him.”

Crupi was on a bit of a buying spree Thursday, purchasing a total of 15 yearlings for $939,000 for both himself and several clients.

“I was all over the board today,” Crupi said. “I think there were good horses today, better than yesterday. I think this book really had some nice horses. As far as physicals, they were good. Maybe not as much pedigree as Book 1, but the physicals were great.”

The second session of Book 5 gets underway Friday at 10 a.m.

'Indy Takes Charge' at the Start of Book 5

Yearlings from the first crop of Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) proved popular Thursday in Lexington with six of the young sire's offspring selling for a total of $417,500.

The Grade I winner also had two colts break through the $100,000 mark with Hip 3421 bringing $180,000 from Shelby Stables and Hip 3424 selling for $120,000 to the China Horse Club and WinStar Farm, who stands his sire. A son of Pure Sarah (Pure Prize), Hip 3424 was bred by Beau Lane, who specifically targeted Take Charge Indy based on his previous success with the stallion's prolific family.

“He's one of the few stallions in this country standing today from the 22 family, he and [his half-brother champion] Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song),” said Lane, who also consigned the colt. “That's the family of Blushing Groom (Fr). That mare [Pure Sarah] was from the 22 family. I doubled it up before and I got Dionisia (Tejano Run), who was the Highweight filly at two in Italy, won the [G1] Italian Oaks and was a really, really good filly in Europe. I haven't been able to duplicate that. This is the first chance I had to do that again and came out with a really nice colt.”

The horseman added, “I hope he runs like her. He's the same color Dionisia was and very much the same temperament.”

Lane's daughter J.B. Lane, who works closely with her father at the family's Woodline Farm, felt that Hip 3424's great physical was as attractive as his deep family.

“He's very balanced, a beautiful mover and from a good family,” Lane commented. “It all just kind of came together and was what everybody was looking for. A lot of people liked him. They liked the way he moved. They also liked the way he was so well balanced and I think that was one of the biggest things. You saw he was going to mature well and he looked fast. He got a lot of action and the right people landed on him. We were happy with [the sale], really happy with it.”