Gio Ponti filly tops penultimate session of Keeneland September

Hip No. 3667, a bay filly by Gio Ponti, brought a final bid of $115,000 from John Brocklebank, agent for R 3 Stable, to top Friday’s 11th session of the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Consigned by Penn Sales, the Kentucky-bred miss is out of the Meadowlake mare Lac du Printemps, who is a full sister to Grade 1-winning sire Greenwood Lake and a half-sibling to Canadian champion Charlie Barley and 1987 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1)-scoring sire Success Express.

Friday’s topper is herself a half-sister to Grade 3-placed The Accuser and stakes runner-up Toulouse Lautrec.

The second-highest price on Friday was Hip 3803, a City Zip colt who was purchased by Calumet Farm for $87,000. Consigned by Lane’s End, agent, the Kentucky-bred dark bay is out of the Grade 3-winning Seeking the Gold mare Welcome Surprise, making him a half-brother to the dam of this year’s Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner, Guest Suite.

The colt’s second dam is the Secretariat mare Weekend Surprise, honored as Broodmare of the Year after foaling breed-shaping sires A.P. Indy and Summer Squall.

Friday’s session saw 159 yearlings bring $2,111,900, representing a decrease of 43.7 percent over last year when 262 sold for $3,749,400. The $13,282 average fell 7.2 percent on the corresponding session’s $14,311 average, while the median dropped 14.3 percent, from $8,750 to $7,500.

With just one day left in the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, a total of 2,420 yearlings have grossed $306,377,600, a jump of 13.3 percent over this point in 2016 when 2,477 horses had been purchased for $270,363,600. The $126,602 average has risen 16 percent on the cumulative $109,150 average last year. The median jumped 30 percent, from $50,000 to $65,000.

The sale concludes Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT). Full results can be found at keeneland.com.