Tapit colt highlights eighth session at Keeneland

Tapit, whose first crop includes presumptive juvenile filly champion Stardom Bound, sired Monday's top lot (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Weanlings reasserted their dominance during Monday's eighth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, accounting for six of the seven highest bids at the Lexington, Kentucky, auction. The session topper by a comfortable margin was a bay colt by Tapit, who went to Ben Glass, agent, for $250,000. Offered as Hip No. 2816, the Kentucky-bred was consigned by Elm Tree Farm (Mr. and Mrs. Jody Huckabay), agent. The February 24 foal is out of the Green Dancer mare Rumba Punch, making him a half-brother to Lyin' Heart (Lion Heart), winner this season of the T.T.A. Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park and runner-up in the Bashford Manor S. (G3) at Churchill Downs. Rumba Punch, a half-sister to the multiple Grade 2-placed stakes winner The Lady's Groom (Runaway Groom) and the stakes-winning Marina De Chavon (Exploit), is out of T. K. O. Lady (Two Punch), a full sister to the multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Punch Line.

The leader among broodmares was CORDOBA (Unbridled), who fetched $100,000

from H. Albina, agent. The nine-year-old chestnut toured the ring as Hip 2993

from the consignment of James M. Herbener Jr., agent. Out of the multiple Grade

3-placed Russian Flight (Ire) (Siberian Express), Cordoba is a half-sister to

the multiple Grade 1-placed filly Along the Sea (Anees). This is the family of

Grade 1 queen One of a Klein (Danzig) and Grade 3 victress Sulemeif (Northern

Dancer). A stakes-placed earner of $104,427 from a line of 8-3-1-2, Cordoba has

produced one winner from as many to race and is in foal to Dixie Union on a

February 26 cover.

Prices continued to decline compared to the same session last year. On

Monday, 192 horses sold for $5,579,600. This represents a drop of 50.5 percent from

the $11,270,200 realized from the sale of 244 head in 2007. The average dropped

37.1 percent, from $46,189 to $29,060, while the median fell 38.9 percent, from

$36,000 to $22,000.

Through the first eight sessions of the 15-day auction, 1,589 horses have

changed hands for $167,899,300, down 46.5 percent from 2007, when 1,873 horses

sold for $313,574,100. The average has declined 36.9 percent, from $167,418 to

$105,663, while the median is off 33.3 percent, from $75,000 to $50,000.

The sale continues Tuesday at 10 a.m. (EST). For more information, visit

keeneland.com