Tapit colt and Gun Runner filly head Keeneland day three trade at $1.05 million each

A filly by Gun Runner and a colt by Tapit topped the third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Wednesday at $1.05 million each. The momentum from the first two days carried into Book 2, proving a strong market for the top horses. 

Cormac Breathnach, director of sales operations at Keeneland, said: "We have a tremendously diverse buying bench. We're at 34 seven-figure horses for the sale already, which is the second most in history of the September Sale." 

Nearly three-quarters of the way through the third day of the sale, SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables went to $1.05 million for the joint-session topper, the Tapit colt consigned as hip 674.

"You know, it's a very deep family," said the partnership's Tom Ryan. "It's a beautiful piece of paper, out of a very good fast dirt mare. By Tapit. What else can we say about him? He just keeps on proving how good he is and age hasn't slowed him down."

The colt will be heading to trainer Bob Baffert, who Ryan said doesn't have much experience with Tapit's offspring. Though he noted that one who is currently under Baffert's tutelage, Fort Bragg, last year won the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.

Hip 674 is out of the Tale Of Ekati mare Verve's Tale, winner of the 2016 Comely Stakes. She has been bred five times, all to Tapit, most recently resulting in a live foal reported in May. Of hip 674's three older full-siblings, two have started but have yet to win.

The colt was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, for Charles Fipke, who bred the horse in Kentucky. The grey or roan colt's mare is a full-sibling to the Fipke-raced Tale Of Verve, runner-up in the 2015 Preakness Stakes.

The filly out of Always Carina became the seventh seven-figure yearling for Gun Runner at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling SaleCredit: Keeneland photo

"You never know if you're going to get to a million or not," said Hunter Valley managing partner Adrian Regan. "I think there were only 70 or so Tapits in this yearling crop, so there are not many of them any more. He was a lovely horse who showed excellently the whole week and it's brilliant to do for Mr Fipke. We have sold for him for years and he has been there for us."

SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables bought eight hips on day three for a gross of $4,545,000. In addition to the Tapit colt, they went to $950,000 for a McKinzie colt and $775,000 for a son of Uncle Mo.

Hip 695, the highest-priced filly of the day at $1.05m, was purchased by Doug Scharbauer from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Bred by Three Chimneys Farm, the Gun Runner filly is out the Grade 2-placed Malibu Moon mare Always Carina. She is the seventh seven-figure yearling for Gun Runner at this year's sale. Through day three, Gun Runner is the leading sire by gross in the Keeneland September Sale.

"Donny Denton [general manager of Scharbauer's Valor Farm] and Ken Carson [former manager], who retired two years ago, we all three looked at her and liked her very much," said Scharbauer. "I was hoping I could get her for less than a million dollars, but I could see why she brought that. We like her." 

Taylor Made's Frank Taylor said: "She was just a beautiful filly, had a good walk to her. Everybody was lining up for her. We knew she was going to sell well. Her mind is great. She showed really well at the barn. Things lined up and she sold well."

Scharbauer purchased three other horses on the third day of the sale. Hip 628 is a Gun Runner filly out of the Congrats mare Strive, purchased for $650,000. Scharbauer went to $500,000 for hip 678, by Not This Time out of the Graded stakes-producing mare Wealth Creation, and $600,000 for hip 719, a Medaglia D'Oro filly out of Belle Street. He bought two Gun Runner fillies on the opening day of the sale for $1.5m (hip 24) and $500,000 (hip 153).

Scharbauer said: "It's first class, the way they do it, it's first class. I'm extremely happy with what I bought this time. In fact, probably as happy this year as I've ever been with what I've bought."

Doug Scharbauer is congratulated by Steve Jackson after his purchase of the $1.05 million Gun Runner filly out of Always CarinaCredit: Keeneland photo

On the track, Gun Runner has produced ten Grade 1 winners and 13 millionaires, highlighted this year by Sierra Leone, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby. He is also the sire of Grade 1-winning millionaires Gun Pilot, Society and Vahva.

The average for the third session was $309,645, with a gross of $72,457,000, including private sales. The median was $255,000 from 234 horses to sell. 

Gainesway's Antony Beck said: "The market is very strong. They always want the right horse. Those are the ones that generally run. I think Keeneland has done an outstanding job bringing a really great group of athletes into Book 1 and now into Book 2 and beyond."

Tony Lacy, vice-president of sales at Keeneland, said: "It was probably again above our expectations because when you look at the figures, last year was very strong. They're up about seven per cent in the median over last year, and when you look at the $500,000 and above, we went from 39 last year, and we're 47 this year. That's consistently above the mark."

Taylor Made Sales Agency was the leading consignor for the third day of selling, with a gross of $10,580,000 from 25 horses sold. The leading sire was Taylor Made's stallion Not This Time, with 17 sold for a gross of $6,795,000, with first-crop sire Charlatan a close second at $6,770,000 for 21 sold. Repole Stables was the leading buyer with a gross of $4,780,000 from 13 yearlings purchased.

Lacy said: "The buyers found it tough in a very competitive environment. There was a lot of good horses on offer today, and I think it'll be the same tomorrow." 

The Keeneland September Sale continues on Thursday at 11am ET (4pm BST) with hips 761-1132 to go through the ring. As of Wednesday afternoon, Keeneland reported 30 outs for the fourth session.

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