It was a successful Keeneland September Yearling Sale for Claiborne stallions this month with buyers taking home exciting six-figure yearlings by multiple sires.
BLAME’s 27 yearlings sold were led by a $275,000 filly purchased by John Ballantyne and NBS Stables from Lisa and Tim Turney. A half-sister to two winners from two to race, she is out of the stakes-placed Bianco Tartufo. That mare is out of the dual Grade 1 winner Stop Traffic, who also produced Grade 1 winner Cross Traffic and three other stakes performers in addition to this filly’s dam.
The page also received an update with Bianco Tarturo’s half-sister the dam of this year’s juvenile stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Gulfport. That mare also produced 2022 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) third Favor.
Ciaran Dunne also purchased a BLAME colt for $210,000 from Eaton Sales.
Selling during the first day of book one, the colt is out of a winning half-sister to WAR FRONT’s Grade 3 winner Journey Home with the duo out of the multiple Grade 1-placed Soul Search. Soul Search is one of four stakes producers for her own dam with one of her half-sisters producing BLAME’s Grade 1 winning Nadal.
Chad Schumer also signed for a $210,000 BLAME colt out of Estill from Stone Farm.
This is the first foal out of that Bernardini three-quarter sister to stakes winner Senada and full sister to Grade 1-placed Authur’s Tale. Senada produced Grade 2-placed Layla Noor with a second half-sister producing stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Gingham and stakes winner Blackadder. Estill’s dam Owsley is a multiple graded stakes winner as well.
In all, 10 of BLAME’s offerings sold for six figures with his offerings averaging over $90,000.
A colt named Young Pope led CATHOLIC BOY’s first-crop offerings at the sale when Maverick Racing and Siena Farm paid $300,000 for the yearling from St George Sales. He is the first foal out of a Candy Ride half-sister to champion Rushing Fall and stakes winning Milam with a half-brother placing in a stakes. Another half-sister has produced two stakes performers.
You can see more about CATHOLIC BOY’s top results here. The first crop sire had 10 of his yearlings bring six figures over the two-week sale.
FIRST SAMURAI’s yearlings were led by a $120,000 colt purchased by Star Racing from Darby Dan Farm.
The colt is a full brother to FIRST SAMURAI’s stakes-placed Synthesis and hails from the family of stakes winners Remember Ike, Crafty Schemer, R Angel Katelyn, My Sassenach, and more. The colt’s dam Trust In Hope has three winners from five to race with the winners also including BLAME colt Blame Eli.
RUNHAPPY yearlings were in demand at Keeneland, bringing up to $350,000, led by a colt named Storms Home.
Purchased by Mike McCarthy from Betz Thoroughbreds, he is the second foal out of the Bernardini mare Nella Vetrina. That mare is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Golden Domer and stakes-placed Golden Jaguar. This is also the family of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird, Grade 1 winners Dullahan and Bolo and more.
Case Clay signed as agent for a $210,000 RUNHAPPY filly from the Taylor Made Sales consignment half way through the sale.
The filly is a half-sister to this year’s Grade 1 winner Just One Time and stakes winner Black Stetson from four winners. Her two-time winning dam is also a half-sister to Grade 3 winner For Rubies, stakes winner Chasing Tiger, and stakes placed For Gold from her own dams five winners from six to race.
It was another successful Keeneland September for WAR FRONT, whose offerings were led by a $550,000 filly from the Lane’s End consignment.
Purchased by Belladona Racing and Cheri DeVaux, the filly is the first foal out of a Pioneerof the Nile half-sister to Triple Crown winner Justify. The duo is out of Stage Magic, whose yearling sold for $1.2 million during the first day of selling at this year’s Keeneland September Sale.
Stage Magic also produced Grade 3 winner The Lieutenant among her four winners from five to race and herself is a Grade 3-placed daughter of Grade 1-placed Magical Illusion. Magical Illusion is also the granddam of Grade 2-placed McLaren Vale.
A pair of $400,000 fillies were the second most expensive WAR FRONT offerings with Steve Young purchasing one out of Sassifaction from Bedouin Bloodstock.
This filly is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Cambodia and four other winners out of her three-time winning dam. That mare is a half-sister to Arch’s three-time champion sprinter Overarching, who produced Group 1 winner Lady of the House. Others out of her stakes winning dam also include Grade 3 winner Temeraine and stakes winners Dead Read and Alone at Last. Another half-sister is also the dam of BLAME’s Grade 1 winner Abscond.
BLAME is also the sire of Sassifaction’s daughter Sylphide, who produced this year’s juvenile Kentucky Downs stakes winner Danse Macabre after the catalog was released.
Purchased by Masahiro Miki, WAR FRONT’s daughter out of Grade 2 winner Deceptive Vision was also a $400,000 yearling.
Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales, the filly is a granddaughter of Canadian champion Eye of the Sphynx. That mare produced Canadian champion Eye of the Leopard, Wando Stakes winner Hotep, stakes winner Desert Isle, and the dam of Canadian champion Desert Ride.
This is the fourth foal out of her dam, who also has a WAR FRONT 2-year-old named Ancient Peace who is working regularly at Fair Hill.
All but one of WAR FRONT’s offerings sold for six figures with an average of $227,500 and median of $200,000.