Keeneland Barn Notes: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 13 – SECOND SESSION OF BOOK 2

By Amy Owens —-

COLT FROM FINAL CROP OF SCAT DADDY LEADS TUESDAY AT KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE
· BUYERS COMMENT ON TUESDAY ACTIVITY
· BEHIND THE SCENES: SALES COUNTER STAFF WORKS HARD TO ACCOMMODATE KEENELAND CLIENTS
· SEPTEMBER SALE GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT: SOPHOMORE STARS PRACTICAL JOKE, WEST COAST
· JEFFERSON STREET SOIREE IS TONIGHT
· SALE COVERAGE AND MEDIA ASSISTANCE

COLT FROM FINAL CROP OF SCAT DADDY LEADS TUESDAY
AT KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE

The enthusiasm generated from selling eight $1 million-plus horses on Monday’s first day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale carried into yesterday, the opening session for Book 2. As the session neared the final hips, the top-priced yearling, a chestnut colt from the last crop of Scat Daddy, entered the ring and garnered $950,000 from Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock.
For the session, seven yearlings sold for $750,000 or more.
Scat Daddy, who died unexpectedly in 2015, has seven crops of racing age to date that include 87 stakes winners, and his progeny have earned more than $51 million. He currently leads the juvenile sire list and is seventh on the general sire list, both by earnings.
The September Sale has cataloged 83 yearlings from Scat Daddy’s final crop of foals.
On Tuesday, 194 horses sold for a gross of $48,221,000, up 63.03 percent from the 119 sold last year for a gross of $37,959,000. The average for the day was $248,562, with a median of $200,000.
Sessions today and Thursday comprise Book 2 of the September Sale, which has cataloged a total of 4,138 yearlings over 12 sessions concluding Sept. 23.

The entire September Sale, which runs through Sept. 23, is streamed live on Keeneland.com.

BUYERS COMMENT ON TUESDAY ACTIVITY

Ed Anthony, Shortleaf Stable: “It’s a strong market, it’s as strong as I can remember for quite a while. We got outbid on some horses, that always happens though. Any time you’re looking for the top of the market you’re always going to be on the same radar screen as a lot of the big buyers, so that’s to be expected.
“There’s obviously a lot of money flying around right now. The market’s very strong, everybody’s making money – good for the industry I would think.”
Bloodstock agent Charlie Boden: “The market’s healthy and spirited to say the least, with a deep buying bench. I bought the first horse in the ring. I think I bought him really well. Time will tell.
“We did (get outbid on some), and outbid by a lot. I don’t expect it to be anything but tougher today, and extremely tough on Thursday. Generally, scarcity of the better pedigrees starts to become a factor, and the buyers tend to get frantic when they know that Book 2 is going to end.”
Trainer Mark Casse: “The market is extremely strong. We really pick our spots when we bid so I don’t feel that we were outbid very often. But there are a lot of horses bringing a lot of money.”
Elliott Walden, president, CEO and racing manager, WinStar Farm: “We sold real well, and I bought a couple, so I thought it was solid trade.”
Trainer Wesley Ward: “I bought one. I think I got a really nice filly. Great value based on the pedigree. I always try to target (Week 1) because essentially that’s where the best pedigrees are. I was very happy with the buy I had, and I think it was very fair. I look forward to the next few days, because historically as the prices come down there will be some great opportunities.
“I did (get outbid on some horses yesterday); my pockets just weren’t deep enough. I think I’ll be able to fill some orders here in the coming days. They certainly had some quality, the best pedigrees in the world came through the first couple days of the sale, along with athletes.”
Aron Wellman, president and founder, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners: “It’s been pretty electric the first two days of the sale. You know you’re going into battle every time there’s a horse you want to make a run at. There are so many sharp people on the grounds with plenty of money behind them, so nothing goes unnoticed. You think maybe you’re going to sneak away with one, and it brings double or triple what you had in mind to pay for it. You have to stay at it and stay disciplined, put the work in it.
“Everybody’s out here pounding the pavement and doing the work, so you gotta stick with them or do that much better. It’s an incredible market we’re experiencing right now; the quality continues to rise. If the horses ‘tick all the boxes,’ you gotta expect that they’re going to ring the bell and you better be prepared.”
Jack Wolf, Starlight Racing: “We bought one and bid on five (other) horses on Tuesday and were not close on any of them. The market seems very strong. There are a lot of nice horses left this week. I would not be surprised if we are still buying in Book 3.”

BEHIND THE SCENES: SALES COUNTER STAFF WORKS HARD
TO ACCOMMODATE KEENELAND CLIENTS

As the central business location for buyers and sellers during the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the sales counter is a hub of activity. Throughout the day, a steady stream of buyers, sellers and their representatives from across the U.S. and around the world enters and exits the office located a few strides from the bidding area in the Sales Pavilion. Clients pick up and drop off pertinent information and forms, register reserve prices and clarify questions with Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell and his staff.
A dedicated support crew headed by Pat Lair serves Keeneland’s sales customers at a steady pace by answering questions and handling numerous administrative tasks. The group acts as a liaison for vital paperwork that circulates between Keeneland and buyers and sellers. For example, the sales counter is where buyers or their agents present proof-of-purchase forms in return for permission slips to transport yearlings out of Keeneland.
Tom Kutny, a member of Lair’s team since January 2011, never tires of assisting the variety of people at the counter.
“We take great pride in our work and it is always nice when people tell us how well they are treated by everyone at Keeneland,” he said. “We have a lot of people tell us, ‘Even though I am not spending big bucks, everybody treats me well at Keeneland.’ ”
During Keeneland’s race meets, Tom is a member of Guest Services. Fans will see him helping coordinate the flow of four-legged and two-legged traffic between the Saddling Paddock and Walking Ring before each race.
“As a racing fan, it is the perfect job for a retiree,” he said. “I get to work where I can see and meet the equine and human movers and shakers in the Thoroughbred industry.”
Tom and his late wife, Gwen, were longtime racing fans while living in Poughkeepsie, New York, halfway between Saratoga Springs and Manhattan. Their racing sojourns included a trip in 2002 to Keeneland, and they were overwhelmed by the region’s hospitality.
After 35 years at IBM, Tom retired to nearby Georgetown, Kentucky, so Gwen could fulfill her dream of having their own small property and a retired racehorse. Their off-track Thoroughbred Ibex arrived in 2007 and currently shares his pasture and barn with a non-Thoroughbred, a goat and a pair of black cats.
“Working seasonally at Keeneland is a perfect blend for me,” he said. “I get to enjoy all the action of the sales and the racing and still have time for the quieter farm life.”

SEPTEMBER SALE GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT: SOPHOMORE STARS
PRACTICAL JOKE, WEST COAST

Among the graduates of Keeneland’s 2015 September Yearling Sale that have won major stakes this year are two horses that each captured Grade 1 races at Saratoga on Aug. 26. The first was Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Practical Joke, who won the H. Allen Jerkens (G1), and Gary and Mary West’s West Coast, winner of the $1.25 million Travers Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
Dominant as a 2-year-old for trainer Chad Brown when he won the Hopeful (G1) and the Champagne (G1), Practical Joke never has slowed down as shown in his win at Saratoga.
Brian Graves, director of public sales for Gainesway, purchased the Into Mischief colt at Keeneland’s January Horses of All Ages Sale as Clear Ridge in partnership with George Bolton and agent John Moynihan. Practical Joke was consigned by Gainesway, agent, to the 2015 September Sale and purchased by Aquinnah Ventures for $240,000.
“I first saw Practical Joke at the Keeneland January sale,” Graves said. “He was a standout physically – he would catch the eye immediately. The best part was his walk, an effortless, unhinged way of moving, and he walked like that the entire time at the sale, and the entire time that we owned him for that matter.”
Click here to read more about Practical Joke, who trainer Chad Brown calls “our iron horse,” and watch him sell at Keeneland.
The Wests’ bloodstock agent, Ben Glass, bought West Coast, a colt by Flatter out of champion Caressing, for $425,000 at the 2015 sale from the consignment of Hermitage Farm, agent.
“Everyone on the team really liked him a lot,” Glass said. “He was so athletic-looking and had such a great athletic walk.”
Click here for more about how Glass selected West Coast, bred by CFP Thoroughbreds, at the September Sale and watch him sell. Trained by Bob Baffert, the colt is scheduled to make his next start in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx on Sept. 23.

JEFFERSON STREET SOIREE IS TONIGHT
Tonight from 6-10 p.m., Keeneland and VisitLEX’s Beyond Grits will present the fourth annual Jefferson Street Soiree to highlight the September Sale and one of downtown Lexington’s culinary and cocktail hot spots. Eleven area restaurants and bars will offer food and beverage tastings, accompanied by live entertainment from Tee Dee Young Band and The Kentucky Hoss Cats. The festival district on Jefferson Street stretches from Maryland Avenue to West Short Street.
Sponsors are Keeneland, Beyond Grits, WUKY, ESPN Sports Radio 1300 AM, LEX18, Country Legends Hank 96.1 FM, and Yelp.

SEPTEMBER.KEENELAND.COM IS USEFUL TOOL

Keeneland’s comprehensive September Sale microsite is an expansive digital platform that provides a unique range of tools and services to both sellers and buyers. The site offers an interactive index that enables users to browse and filter all six September Sale catalogs. Also available are profiles of September Sale graduates that have won graded stakes in 2017, featuring footage of their sale at Keeneland as a yearling and race replays, and details about Keeneland’s new September Sale Bonus Program and Week 1 sale format and events.

Keeneland.com/sales has a wealth of free and useful sales information for consignors, buyers and others, including a list of outs for the September Sale; searchable catalogs and results for Keeneland sales beginning with the 1999 July Selected Yearling Sale; and lists of stakes-winning Keeneland sales graduates that can be sorted by sale and are available by year back to 2010.