The Keeneland September Yearling Sale resumed on Saturday following a planned one-day break, generating $61 million in sales through the ring. The session was highlighted by four horses sold for over a million dollars: a $1.5 million colt by Not This Time, a $1.4 million filly by the same sire, a $1.25 million colt by Life Is Good, and a $1 million colt by Into Mischief.
These sales elevated the total number of yearlings sold for $1 million or more in the first five sessions to a record 69. Saturday marked the start of the Book 3 catalog, with 255 yearlings sold for $61,072,000—a slight dip from last year’s fifth session when 278 horses fetched $61,799,000. However, the average price rose 7.74%, from $222,299 to $239,498, and the median increased 11.11%, moving from $180,000 to $200,000. In comparison, only two horses crossed the million-dollar mark during last year’s fifth session.
Overall, 888 yearlings have been sold through the ring so far for a total of $379,187,000, a 2.64% increase from the same timeframe in 2025 when 949 horses brought $369,438,000. The average sale price has climbed 9.69% to $427,012 from $389,292, while the median price remains steady at $300,000. Last year, 53 horses had sold for $1 million or above up to this point.
The top-priced horse on Saturday was a $1.5 million colt by Not This Time, purchased by RTM Racing. This colt, consigned by Gainesway as an agent, is the first foal of Ana’s Gun (by Gun Runner), who is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Structor. The colt also belongs to a notable family that includes Kentucky Oaks (G1) champion Always a Runner, Australian star Lady of Camelot, Grade 2 winner More Than Real, and Australian Group 3 winners Queen Of The Ball and Platinum Jubilee.
Mahmud Mouni, the agent who handled the sale for RTM Racing, emphasized the colt’s exceptional qualities, saying, “It’s hard to find horses like him. He’s spectacular, with an outstanding pedigree and looks. He’s been on our radar from the start. While prices have been less surprising by the fifth day, good horses always attract interest regardless of which book they appear in. This colt could easily fit into Book 1 or Book 2 based on his quality.”
Gainesway led consignors with $12,685,000 in sales for 39 yearlings and sold four of the session’s top ten pricier horses. Lauren Carlisle, acting as an agent, paid $1.4 million for a filly by Not This Time consigned by Eaton Sales. The filly is out of O’Maggi (by Paddy O’Prado) and comes from the family of Grade 1 winner Dream Tree. Carlisle led all buyers on the day, spending $2,835,000 for five yearlings.
Among other high-value sales, Gainesway consigned a colt by Life Is Good that brought $1.25 million, sold to a partnership of St. Elias, West Point, Lane’s End Racing, and Belladonna. This colt, out of Liam’s Map mare Graceful Fancy (half-sister to Grade 2 winner Fashion Business), is from a family with several top-level winners, including Grade 1 laureates La Gueriere and Al Mamoon, and Grade 2 champions Lasting Approval and Munnings. His two-year-old half-brother, Fancy Ferraro, recently won his debut at Kentucky Downs.
Fergus Galvin, as agent, purchased a $1 million colt by Into Mischief out of the Curlin mare Weather Delay, whose lineage includes Grade 1 winner American Gal and other acclaimed performers like Reynaldothewizard and Seventh Street. Two yearlings sold for $850,000 each: one was a colt by Good Magic, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Mongolian Groom, bought by Donato Lanni on behalf of FRC/Starlight/Madaket, and the other was a Flightline colt acquired by Al and Sandee Kirkwood, related to Grade 1 winner Constellation.
Other notable sales included a colt by Honor A. P., purchased for $750,000 by CHC Inc., Maverick Racing, and Light Post Ventures. This colt hails from the family of champions including Abel Tasman and several Grade 1, 2, and 3 winners. Two yearlings brought $700,000 apiece: a filly by Candy Ride (ARG) bought by Courtlandt Farm, related to multiple graded stakes winners, and a Gun Runner colt acquired by RTM Racing and Whisper Hill Farm, descending from the family of Grade 1 winner Swagger Jack.
The September sale is set to continue starting at 10 a.m. (ET) on Sunday and will run daily through Saturday, September 26.
This report was first published by Paulick Report on September 20, 2026.
Fan Take:
This record-breaking sale highlights the growing demand for top-tier yearlings and underscores the enduring appeal of elite bloodlines in horse racing. For fans, it signals an exciting future filled with talented new horses destined to make headlines on the track, potentially shaping the sport’s next generation of champions.
Source: finance.yahoo.com
