$575K Maxfield colt on top as Book 3 concludes with increases

Written by Jessica Martini/TDN America

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued ahead of its 2023 edition, with Book 3 concluding on Sunday night, led by a colt by Maxfield (USA) fetching US$575,000 (AU$898,000).

Across the two Book 3 sessions, 526 yearlings went through the ring, grossing US$83,880,000 (AU$130,900,000). The section's average was US$159,468 (AU$248,900), reflecting a 4.7 per cent increase from last year, while the median climbed by 13.04 per cent to US$130,000 (AU$202,800). Ten horses sold for US$500,000 (AU$780,800) or more, compared to 13 in the previous year.

In last year's Book 3, 562 yearlings sold for US$85,565,000 (AU$133,500,000), with an average of US$152,251 (AU$237,500) and a median of US$115,000 (AU$179,600). As Book 3 wrapped up, top trainers like Bob Baffert, Chad Brown and Mark Casse remained on-site, marking a shift in the 12-day auction. According to Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency, the session transitioned between buyers, as some were nearing the end of their buying while others were gearing up for Book 4.

“Yesterday and today felt a bit thin, like a lot of horses weren’t punching above the reserve,” Taylor said. “They were getting sold, but you had to be cautious with your reserves. The market remained fair, but Sunday can feel like a transitional day—some buyers are almost finished, while others eyeing Book 4 are dabbling early.”

Through six sessions, 1166 yearlings have grossed US$336,408,000 (AU$525,200,000). The cumulative average of US$288,515 (AU$450,600) is up 8.15 per cent compared to the same point in 2022, while the median has risen by 5 per cent to US$210,000 (AU$328,000). The buy-back rate stands at 28.51 per cent, compared to 26.08 per cent last year.

“I think the sale has been very, very strong,” Taylor commented. “Keeneland has done an excellent job bringing in buyers from across the globe. We've seen a significant number of European breeze-up buyers investing heavily, which is a great indicator for our breeders that American horses can succeed at their sales. That’s been a bright spot.”

Looking ahead to the sale's second week, Taylor added, “Book 3 has been solid, but I’m hopeful that Book 4 will be even stronger, with new blood coming in to drive the market forward.”

Maxfield colt shines for the Amigos

Trainer Bob Baffert, still on-site shopping through Book 3 at Keeneland, teamed up with bloodstock agent Donato Lanni to secure a colt from the first crop of Maxfield for US$575,000 (AU$898,000) on behalf of the 'Three Amigos' – Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman – on Sunday. The dark bay colt, out of Bible Belt (USA) (Pulpit {USA}), is a half-brother to the graded-placed Hardworkcleanlivin (USA) (Colonel John {USA}) and was bred by Bill Thompson, Jr., and consigned by Indian Creek.

“Bob and the three amigos are all here,” Lanni said. “It’s great to have them on-site. The Maxfields have been selling really well, all of them are beautiful. We all liked this colt; he was a must-have.”

This was the second Maxfield yearling bought by the Three Amigos, having earlier purchased another colt for the same price, US$575,000 (AU$898,000), consigned by Burleson Farms (Hip 1108).

Through six sessions, Maxfield has had 41 yearlings sell for an average of US$275,366 (AU$430,000). He was represented by a pair of million-dollar yearlings in Book 1.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Keeneland

Maxfield colt a career high for Thompson

Bill Thompson, Jr., who has been breeding Thoroughbreds since 1996, reached a personal milestone when his Maxfield colt sold for a session-topping US$575,000 (AU$898,000) to the Three Amigos at Keeneland on Sunday.

“That exceeded my expectations,” Thompson admitted. “I was hoping we might hit US$250,000 (AU$391,000) to US$300,000 (AU$469,000), so this certainly went beyond what I imagined.”

The session-topper is out of Bible Belt, a mare Thompson purchased for just US$15,000 (AU$23,400) at the 2011 Keeneland January sale. Maxfield, whose first-crop yearlings have been making waves, has proven to be an excellent choice for the mating.

“Maxfield was a stallion I had the opportunity to see during his racing days,” Thompson said. “Brendan (Walsh) was kind enough to let me see him up close. I was really impressed with his disposition and the way he carried himself. It's something that’s so important not just for sales, but for the racetrack too. Horses need to have the right demeanour and confidence, and Maxfield had both in spades.”

Thompson, who boards his six mares at Winsom Farm in Paris, Kentucky, reflected on his early days in breeding. “I had horses when I was younger—Quarter Horses, just riding horses—but I was always interested in the Thoroughbred world. I bought my first mare in 1996 and was lucky enough to breed to Saint Ballado in his second year. The resulting yearling sold really well here at Keeneland, and that success allowed me to buy a few more mares. That’s where I am today.”

When asked how it felt to watch his high-selling yearling go through the ring, Thompson said, “It’s rewarding because so many things can go wrong. I lost two foals this year. It’s a tough game, but when everything lines up and you have success like this, it feels amazing.”

Nyquist colt to Wathnan Racing

A colt by Nyquist (USA) (Hip 1813) will join the growing US stable of Wathnan Racing after bloodstock agent Case Clay made a final bid of US$550,000 (AU$859,000) to secure the yearling on Sunday at Keeneland. The dark bay colt, out of stakes-placed Slimey (USA) (Quality Road {USA}), was consigned by Knockgriffin Farm.

“He really just caught my eye,” said Clay. “He has a lot of presence and is a beautiful mover.”

Wathnan Racing, owned by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, burst onto the European racing scene last summer, winning two races at Royal Ascot. This year, the operation returned to claim four victories at the royal meeting.

Clay has been active at the yearling sales over the last month as Wathnan expands its US roster, which has already achieved Graded success with Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify {USA}), winner of the G3 Phillip H. Iselin S.

“In America, they are looking to buy two-turn dirt horses, both colts and fillies,” Clay explained. “There are currently 13 in training, and between Saratoga and Keeneland September sales, they’ve purchased 14 – 11 here at Keeneland and three at Saratoga.”

Wathnan’s purchases at Keeneland include a colt by Gun Runner (USA) (Hip 235) for US$800,000 (AU$1,200,000) and a colt by Not This Time (USA) (Hip 4) for US$675,000 (AU$1,100,000).

At Saratoga, Clay’s purchases for Wathnan included a filly by Tapit (USA) (Hip 160) for US$850,000 (AU$1,300,000), a colt by Into Mischief (USA) (Hip 55) for US$850,000 (AU$1,300,000), and another filly by Tapit (Hip 135) for US$500,000 (AU$780,000).

Fitzgerald hits another Book 3 home run

Jim Fitzgerald's Knockgriffin Farm struck gold once again when it topped the second Book 3 session in 2023 with a US$900,000 (AU$1,400,000) son of Constitution (USA), purchased for US$100,000 (AU$156,000) at Keeneland in January. Fitzgerald repeated the feat on Sunday, selling a Nyquist colt for US$550,000 (AU$859,000) to Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. The yearling had been purchased for US$95,000 (AU$148,000) at the same January sale.

“He just had an overall range about him,” Fitzgerald said. “The way he moved as a weanling showed so much potential. He grew up exactly how I expected. His best days are ahead of him, and I believe Case Clay has bought a really nice horse.”

Reflecting on the colt's price-tag in January, Fitzgerald said, “I was a little surprised by it, but he had a lot of maturing to do. Sometimes you get lucky, and I certainly did with Nyquist, who’s one of the hottest sires around right now.”

Casse celebrates with more shopping

Mark Casse had a standout day at the races on Saturday, saddling the top three finishers in the G1 Natalma S. and the top two in the G1 Woodbine Mile, while also capturing the G3 Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs. However, Casse wasn’t at any of those races – instead, he was shopping at the Keeneland September sale.

“It’s funny,” Casse said at the sales pavilion on Sunday. “I think we’ve won the Natalma eight or nine times and the Summer four or five times. I believe that was our third Woodbine Mile. I haven’t been to any of them – it’s always the week of the sale. I tell everyone, that book has been written. I’m here trying to buy next year’s winners.”

After his successes on Saturday, Casse celebrated with friends over dinner while continuing to shop for horses and watch the races.

“It’s always an interesting week,” Casse remarked.

Casse’s 2-year-olds have enjoyed a stellar season at Saratoga, with his juveniles continuing to perform well. His latest stars include And One More Time (USA) (Omaha Beach {USA}), Vixen (USA) (Vekoma {USA}), and Nitrogen (USA) (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}), who swept the trifecta in the Natalma, as well as La Cara (USA) (Street Sense {USA}), who captured the Pocahontas.

“We’ve had a wonderful year with our 2-year-olds,” Casse said. “We started a new plan at the beginning of the year, getting the yearlings ready at our training centre. That preparation was key. For example, La Cara, who won the Pocahontas, had a few starts before she claimed her win. It sometimes takes a couple of races for these horses to hit their stride.”

Tynan takes in Keeneland Sales

Ronan Tynan, an Irish tenor and part-time lecturer at the University of Kentucky, took a break from teaching to attend the Keeneland sales on Sunday. Tynan, who breeds and races in Ireland, found the bidding highly competitive.

“I teach two weeks each semester at the University of Kentucky,” Tynan explained. “I have a stud farm in Ireland and have bought horses here in the past, but the sales this year are very strong. Holy moly.”

Asked if he had bid on anything, Tynan said, “I saw a beautiful filly by Street Sense. She really caught my attention, but then she went well beyond my budget. If this is an indication of how things are going, it’s going to be tough to get something within my means. But it’s fantastic.”

Looking ahead to sales in Ireland, Tynan is hoping for similar competitive action on the selling side.

“I breed and race,” Tynan said. “Two years ago, I had eight winners, and last year I had seven or eight. This year hasn’t been as good, but you have years like that. I have foals ready for the sales in Ireland, but I’m a bit concerned about how it will go. Ireland isn’t like America, and Europe might be nearing a recession.”