$4.1m Curlin colt tops the bill as Maktoums splash the cash in second session

When the Maktoums fly their private 747 jets into the bucolic Lexington airport, they typically mean business of the most serious kind, and they demonstrated once again at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Tuesday that when they want a good horse, they let nothing or no one stand in their way.

In a flashback to the heady days before the full impact of the global economic crash, Sheikh Mohammed continued to dominate the sale with a trio of seven-figure purchases including a $4.1 million Curlin colt who became the new auction leader.

That price was the highest at this venue since 2010, when an A.P. Indy colt sold for $4.2m to Besilu Stables, and Godolphin agent Anthony Stroud said he was left "gasping for air" as the Coolmore contingent pressed Sheikh Mohammed for the bay son of Curlin bred by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Farms.

The ruler of Dubai would not be denied, and he urged Stroud to continue until the colt, the first foal out of New Zealand champion sprinter Bounding - a half sister by Darley stallion Lonhro to Coolmore’s 2019 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck - was secured.

"He’s a very athletic horse, a lovely, well balanced horse from a good farm and we liked him very much," Stroud said of the colt. "He just had wonderful movement and athleticism.

"I needed oxygen. We were gasping for air at that stage," he added of the bidding, which flew in $100,000 blasts toward the end and which Keeneland officials said seemed to involve only Coolmore and Godolphin after the $2m mark was reached.

"Luckily, we are under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed and he is a decisive man and he is completely in control. He’s the one who makes these decisions and in this particular case, he told me to continue,” Stroud said.

The Curlin colt who became the dearest yearling sold at Keeneland since 2010Credit: Keeneland photo

The colt was led into the Keeneland ring as hip 274 while consigned by Eaton Sales. No decision has yet been made about where he will be trained, but the female side of his pedigree points strongly to Europe, as well as offering major assets for possible future shuttle stallion duty.

While the Curlin colt, who Banke said has been "perfect since day one," proved to be a most memorable superstar, the overall session results yielded some "incredible" results, according to Keeneland vice president Bob Elliston, who noted that several key measures exceeded Monday’s strong numbers.

With 109 horses sold on Tuesday for a total of $49.15m, the average price reached $450,917 and the median hit $375,000, as compared to 107 yearlings sold on Monday for $46.231m, an average of $432,065 and median of $325,000.

Elliston again deferred strict comparison to the opening sessions of the 2018 September sale since that edition included 989 horses in a four-day Book 1 catalogue. This year’s Book 1 has been purposefully reduced to three days with 579 horses.

So far, there have been 12 horses sold for $1m or more, compared to 13 during the first two sessions of the 2018 sale. But, of course, the current sale leader far exceeds 2018’s top price of $2.4m, which Coolmore paid for a War Front colt out of Grade 1 winner Streaming who has been named St James’s Square and is with Aidan O’Brien.

The Maktoums have dictated the Keeneland pace this year, with Sheikh Mohammed breaking through high-price barriers twice on Tuesday, having previously hit a short-lived new top sale standard early in the session when capturing a $2.9m War Front colt out of Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can.

The War Front colt out of Believe You Can bought by GodolphinCredit: Keeneland photo

"Sheikh Mohammed really liked this horse; it was a great deal of money but he liked him. He’s obviously by a great stallion in War Front and out of a Group 1 mare. He had the conformation to suit and we thought he was a really, really good horse," Stroud said, noting that the price was higher than anticipated.

"Hopefully it will prove well worth it," he said.

The colt’s dam, by Proud Citizen, earned over $1.2m while racing for the colt’s breeder, Brereton Jones of Airdrie Stud. Believe You Can has already produced a stakes winner, Believe In Royalty, who is also Graded stakes-placed.

Whether the colt will race in Europe or America will be decided by Sheikh Mohammed when the Godolphin team has finished buying this week at Keeneland, Stroud said.

While Godolphin bought three seven-figure horses during the session, beginning with a $1m Union Rags half-sister to Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Point Of Honor who Stroud said was acquired to race in America, Sheikh Hamdan also proved a formidable adversary for opposing bidders.

His Shadwell team, which bids in a private area, bought seven yearlings including the two other seven-figures horses at the top of the day’s ledger.

The leading Shadwell purchase at $1.05m was, like Godolphin’s sale-topper, sired by Curlin and bred by Stonesteet. Offered as hip 368 by Denali Stud, the filly is the third foal out of Grade 1 winner Dreaming Of Julia and thus is a granddaughter of Grade 1 winner Dream Rush.

The Curlin filly bought by Shadwell for $1.05 millionCredit: Keeneland photo

Apparently seeking to bolster its filly ranks, Shadwell had earlier paid $1m for hip 351, a daughter of War Front and the first foal produced by Grade 3 winner Delightful Joy, a daughter of Tapit.

In looking at standings after the first two days of action, Curlin ranks as leading sire with 16 yearlings sold for a total of $12,625,000 and an average price of $789,063.

The 15-year-old son of Smart Strike who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms for a fee of $175,000 had led all North American sires prior to the beginning of the sale after two of his sons sold for $1.5m each to top the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Sale last month.

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s final Book 1 session, a highlight of the sale could occur when Clarkland Farm’s American Pharoah filly out of Broodmare of the Year Leslie’s Lady is led into the Keeneland ring.

The filly, hip 498, is a half-sister to top sire Into Mischief, multiple champion Beholder and Grade 1 winner and young stallion Mendelssohn.

Scat Daddy’s son Mendelssohn topped the September sale when MV Magnier took him home for Coolmore on a bid of $3m in 2016.

View Keeneland sale results

Read our Keeneland September Yearling Sale supplement