Atreides filly highlights ninth session of Keeneland September

A gray filly from the first crop of dual stakes winner Atreides brought a winning bid of $175,000 from Martin Anthony to top Wednesday’s ninth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The Kentucky-bred lass is out of the unraced Deputy Minister mare Spooky Minister, making her a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Moe Candy, Grade 3-placed Holy Candy and multiple stakes-placed Silver Assault. Consigned as Hip No. 3077 by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, the filly’s second dam is the Silver Ghost mare Lunar Spook, who captured the 1993 Ashland Stakes (G1).

Hip 3213, a colt from the first crop of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero Mucho Macho Man, sold to Michael Neatherlin for $170,000 to be the second-highest price on the day. The Indiana-bred bay is out of the winning Cherokee Run mare Dusty Rose and counts as his third dam Amelia Bearhart, who received a Sovereign Award as the 1996 Outstanding Broodmare. Amelia Bearhart is best known for producing Eclipse Award winner, multiple Canadian champion and two-time Canadian Horse of the Year Chief Bearhart.

The colt came from the Select Sales, agent, consignment.

Keeneland sold 266 yearlings on Wednesday for $8,839,600, a 20.5 percent decrease over last year’s comparative session that saw 274 horses go for $11,120,100. Wednesday’s $33,232 average fell 18.1 percent on last year’s $40,584 average, while the $25,000 median dropped 16.7 percent on the $30,000 median recorded in 2016 for the day.

With three days left in the sale, 2,006 yearlings have been purchased for a total $297,708,600, an average of $148,409 and a median of $85,000. Those numbers represent jumps of 14.6 percent, 9.4 percent and 6.25 percent, respectively, over last year by this point, which had seen 1,916 yearlings gross $259,841,500 for an average of $135,617 and a median of $80,000.

The sale continues daily through Saturday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT). Full results can be found at keeneland.com.