Lion Heart colt leads the way in sixth session

A dark bay colt from the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Lion Heart brought a final bid of

$440,000 from Mayberry Farm to top Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland

September Yearling Sale in Lexington, Kentucky.

Consigned by Sue Vacek LLC, agent, as Hip No. 2067, the Florida-bred yearling

is the second registered foal out of the winning Whattacapote (Capote), who is

herself a daughter of Grade 2 victress Zealous Connection (Unreal Zeal).

Whattacapote counts among her half-siblings Grade 3 victor Here's Zealous

(Dehere), stakes winner and Grade 3-placed There's Zealous (Broad Brush) and

stakes heroine She's Zealous (Cozzene).

A dark bay filly by first-crop sire and champion sprinter Speightstown sold

for the second highest price on the day, and the top price for a filly, when BBA

Ireland made a winning bid of $360,000. The Kentucky-bred lass entered the sales

ring as Hip 1978 from the consignment of Lane's End, agent, and is out of

Sapphire N' Silk (Pleasant Tap), who captured the 1999 editions of the Prioress

S. (G2) and La Troienne S. (G3).

Sapphire N' Silk has already produced stakes winners in Shaniko (A.P. Indy),

hero of the 2005 Kentucky Cup Classic (G2), and Silky Smooth, victress of this

season's Alywow S. at Woodbine and, most recently, the Viejas Casino H. at Del

Mar.

A total of 288 yearlings were sold on Sunday, bringing a

gross of $28,302,500, an average of $98,273 and a median of $80,000. Those numbers

represent increases of 7.7 percent, 8.1 percent and 11.1 percent respectively over last year

when 289 yearlings sold for an aggregate $26,272,000, an average of $90,907 and

a median of $72,000.

With six days of the 15-day auction complete, a total of 1,409 horses have

changed hands for $303,573,700, down 8.2 percent on 2006 when 1,445 yearlings

had brought $330,578,500 by this point. The $215,453 average shows a decline of

5.8 percent when compared to the $228,774 average from 12 months ago, but the median

has increased 7.7 percent, from $130,000 to $140,000 in 2007.

The sale continues on Monday beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT).

For complete results, visit keeneland.com.