Pair bring $200,000 at Keeneland session

A colt by Medaglia d'Oro and a filly by War Front shared the top of the

leaderboard at the conclusion of Tuesday's trading at the Keeneland September

Yearling Sale. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, acting as agent, secured the

Medaglia d'Oro for $200,000. Offered by Adena Springs, the April 1 bay toured

the ring as Hip No. 2597.

Produced by the unraced Delve (Seeking the Gold), the colt counts as his

second dam French Group 3 winner Korveya (Riverman), the dam of French

highweight Hector Protector (Woodman), multiple English highweight and producer

Bosra Sham (Woodman) and Group 1 winner Shanghai (Procida). All three were

classic winners, with Hector Protector and Shanghai victorious in the French Two

Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1), while Bosra Sham scored one of her three Group 1 wins

in the One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1).

Korveya, a full sister to German highweight Keos and a half-sister to Italian

champion Proskona (Mr. Prospector), is also the ancestress of Grade 1 winners

Ciro (Woodman) and Internallyflawless (Giant's Causeway). Grade/Group 1 winners

Act One (In the Wings [GB]) and Red Giant (Giant's Causeway) also hail from this

female line.

Also selling for $200,000, to Glen Hill Farm, was an April 12 filly by War

Front. Consigned by Longfield Farm, agent, the Kentucky-bred was offered as Hip

2603.

The yearling was produced by the stakes-placed Dominica (Housebuster), a full

sister to stakes winner Find the Treasure (Housebuster). The yearling's third

dam, Grade 1 winner Past Forgetting (Messenger of Song), produced Grade 3 winner

Codified (Lear Fan). Others descending from this female line are Grade 2 winners

Concerto (Chief's Crown) and Sweet Fervor (Seeking the Gold), and Grade 3 victor

Illusioned (Woodman).

Adena Springs was also prominent on the buying end Tuesday as they went to

$175,000 to secure a filly from the first crop of champion and dual classic

winner Big Brown. Offered by Trackside Farm (Tom Evans), agent, the February 8

chestnut sported Hip 2640.

The filly is the first registered foal from the winning Galway  Lass

(Victory Gallop), a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Pure Clan (Pure

Prize) and Grade 2 scorer Greater Good (Intidab). All were produced by the Grade

3 winner Gather the Clan (Ire) (General Assembly), who is also the second dam of

2008 Frizette S. (G1) winner Sky Diva (Sky Mesa).

The Indiana-bred, whose third dam was 1977 champion sprinter What a Summer

(What Luck), was a successful pinhook having brought $10,000 at the Keeneland

January sale.

After surpassing last year's total gross during Monday's session, the sale

continued to climb on Tuesday as 302 yearlings sold for $9,579,400. That

represented an increase of 38.4 percent over the corresponding session a year

ago when 275 head sold for $6,921,900. The session average spiked 26 percent,

from $25,171 to $31,720, while the median rose 31.6 percent, from $19,000 to

$25,000.

Cumulatively, 1,933 horses have sold for $208,217,600, an increase of 10.4

percent from this point a year ago when $188,672,000 had been realized from the

sale of 2,093 yearlings. The average has risen 19.5 percent, from $90,144 to

$107,717, while the median is up 20 percent, from $50,000 to $60,000.

The 13-day sale continues Wednesday and runs through Saturday, with each

day's trade opening at 10 a.m. (EDT).

For the complete catalog, results and live video of the auction, log onto

www.keeneland.com.