Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin and Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Estate Company were the two leading buyers by gross during this week's four-day Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
With Sheikh Mohammed himself in Lexington for the sale for the first time in almost 10 years, Godolphin spent $18,940,000 on 22 yearlings. His highest-priced colt was a $2.2-million son of American Pharoah, while his most expensive filly was a $1.75-million War Front half-sister to champion juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, who stands at Darley's Jonabell Farm.
Godolphin signed for seven millionaires in total, and three of those were by its resident sire Medaglia d'Oro. The others were a colt and a filly, respectively, by Curlin and Uncle Mo.
Shadwell signed for 19 yearlings for a total spend of $12,345,000. Those included three millionaires and were headed by a filly by that sire out of Betterbetterbetter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a daughter of the great mare Jude (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), for $1.2-million. Shadwell paid the same price for colts by War Front and Medaglia d'Oro.
The Maktoum Brothers' combined spend of $31,285,000 accounted for 14.4% of the cumulative Book 1 gross of $216,813,000.
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