by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill WilliamsLEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which opened with a record-setting session Monday, continued with an action-packed second Book 1 session Tuesday, establishing yet another September session record average and median. Twenty horses sold for $1 million or more during the session, led by a colt by Gun Runner and a filly by Flightline who brought matching $2.2 million price tags.“It was a good day at the sale, for sure,” said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. “We built on what started yesterday. And we expect that to continue through Book 2 and through next week. It's just a really strong market.”A total of 217 yearlings grossed $144,185,000 during Book 1 for an average of $664,447 and an average of $550,000. The average is up 13.37% and the median is up 15.79% from 2024 figures when 204 yearlings sold for $119,565,000 for an average of $586,103 and a median of $475,000. The buy-back rate improved from 28.67% in 2024 to 21.09% this year.The third horse through the ring Tuesday sold for $1.1 million and four of the day's first 10 horses to sell attracted seven-figure price tags. By the close of business, 20 horses had sold for seven figures and, in total, 35 yearlings reached seven figures during the two Book 1 sessions, up from 30 a year ago.“We had 20 horses who brought seven figures and of those, 13 were different buyers,” Arvin said. “We like to see that diversity. It was a fabulous Book 1.”Gun Runner, who was represented by the $3.3-million session-topping colt Monday, was again in demand Tuesday at Keeneland. Trainer Wesley Ward went to $2.2 million to acquire a colt by the Three Chimneys stallion from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. LSU Stables paid the same amount for a daughter of Flightline who was consigned by Gainesway.Gun Runner had 10 yearlings bring seven figures during Book 1 and his 24 head sold during the section averaged a lofty $1,035,833. Champion Flightline, who had seven million-dollar yearlings, had 23 head average $880,435. Not This Time, with six million-dollar yearlings, had 22 sell for an average of $805,682.Mike Repole, who bought three million-dollar yearlings Tuesday, was the leading buyer in Book 1 with 23 head bought for $11.3 million. Repole purchased an additional $1-million yearling in partnership with St. Elias Stables. Taylor Made Sales Agency was the book's leading consignor with 44 sold for $26,000,000.The sales pavilion and back walking ring remained packed Tuesday and there continued to be a spark in the atmosphere.“It felt like the old July sale,” said Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy. “And that really is what we are trying to create. We are trying to create that theatre and that excitement. What we do can be very transactional, if we want it to be, but it also is a lot of fun, if you allow it to be. So having everybody in here and concentrated in the pavilion, it allows that energy to build.”Lacy continued to stress that, even with the lofty figures, he believes the market is fair and sustainable.“The horses are bringing what they are worth and at the end of the day, that's really, really encouraging,” Lacy said. “Consistency and a fair market. Prices are high, but they are really good horses. So people expect to dig deep for them.”The Keeneland September sale continues with the first of two Book 2 sessions Wednesday beginning at 11 a.m. Following a dark day Friday, the auction resumes Saturday and continues through Sept. 20 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.$2.2-Million Gun Runner Colt, Full-Brother to Early Voting, to Trainer Wesley Ward After Monday's first Book 1 session was topped by a $3.3-million Gun Runner colt, it was more of the same Tuesday when the dust settled and 10 Gun Runner yearlings had surpassed the seven-figure threshold over the two days. Led by hip 243 Tuesday, a full-brother to GI Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting–by the Three Chimneys wonder and out of the unraced Amour d'Ete (Tiznow)–fetched $2.2 million to co-top the second session. #KeeSept Book 1, Session 2 Results: Hip 243, a Gun Runner colt out of Amour d'Ete, sells for $2.2 million to Wesley Ward from the @TaylorMadeSales consignment. pic.twitter.com/M9nfJS8Dty— TDN (@theTDN) September 9, 2025“[Gun Runner is] the hottest sire going right now,” said trainer Wesley Ward, who signed the ticket.What was it about the Taylor Made-consigned colt that prompted Ward to go to $2.2 million?“Everything,” he said with a laugh, then continued. “His pedigree was outstanding. Beautiful colt. Fantastic female family.”Ward said he's excited about the partnership he's put together for the colt: “[It's] Goncalo Torrealba and the Three Chimneys team, and a client of mine named Roy Israel who's been in the business for a year now and is a wonderful guy.“He's a really, really exciting colt to get in with and as I'm starting to get the white hair now, I'm looking to get horses that go a little further. I've pretty much been centered in on fast horses and speed horses and I just thought it was time now to sort of get some horses into my barn that look like they can go in the Classic level. This looks like it could be one.”Bred by Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky, who stayed in as part of the new ownership, the bay colt's second dam is Canadian champion Silken Cat (Storm Cat), dam of champion and late sire Speightstown and MGSW & MGISP Irap, the latter a full-brother to Amour d'Ete. This year's GII Suburban Stakes winner Phileas Fogg (Astern {Aus}) is also part of the family. Three Chimneys acquired Amour d'Ete, an Aaron and Marie Jones-bred, for $1.75 million at the 2013 Keeneland September sale.“I'm excited to get this colt and get an opportunity to train a horse like this,” said Ward, who is most closely associated with multiple Breeders' Cup winner and first-crop yearling sire Golden Pal, although he's had a number of other Breeders' Cup winners, Royal Ascot winners, and other top scorers.Ward said he first saw the Gun Runner colt in person in July.“This was my pick. I fell in love with the colt and really look forward to his future and a partnership together. I told Roy how much I thought of the horse. Luckily he and Goncalo had enough faith in me to get behind me to where I was the one who signed the ticket. Fortunately we got him and I felt that was a very fair price for a colt with that pedigree and physical stature.”Ward bought several in Book 1, including a $1-million Constitution colt (hip 160) out of Super Tigress (Super Saver) Monday. In partnership with GRS, he also bred hip 311, a Gun Runner colt out of Dragic (Broken Vow). The half-brother to SW Saturday Flirt (Mendelssohn) is from the immediate family of champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and GISW Echo Town (Speightstown). He sold to Three Chimneys for $1.6 million. ––JillWilliamsTDNLSU All in On Flightline FilliesLarry and Randy Sarf's LSU Stables made three purchases during Book 1 of the Keeneland September sale, all of them fillies by champion Flightline. The operation went to a co-session topping $2.2 million via a phone bid to secure a daughter of the Lane's End stallion (hip 338) from the Gainesway consignment Tuesday at Keeneland. #KeeSept Book 1, Session 2 Results: Hip 338, a Flightline filly out of Four Graces, sold for $2.2 million to LSU Stables from the @Gainesway consignment. pic.twitter.com/r32yYe7p4V— TDN (@theTDN) September 9, 2025“They are big fans of Flightline,” trainer Miguel Clement, who will train the fillies for the Sarfs, said. “There is a lot of buzz about him and they decided to be firm supporters of the stallion from the get-go.”The $2.2-million filly–the most expensive of seven million-dollar yearlings by Flightline in Book 1–is the first foal out of multiple graded stakes winner Four Graces (Majesticperfection). The mare, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner McCraken (Ghostzapper), was bred by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, which purchased her for $2.3 million at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.“They loved the filly,” Clement said. “They did all their homework and all their research. They felt like she was the one that they really wanted to have. Whenever they get excited about one, they want it, and they tend to get it.”In addition to hip 338, LSU Stables went to $750,000 for a filly from the Clearsky Farms consignment (hip 294) and $600,000 for a filly from the Lane's End consignment (hip 329).Of the prices, Clement said, “It's very expensive, but that's the portion of the market we are playing in. You have to be a big boy to get in.”On behalf of LSU Stables, Clement trains GII Man o'War Stakes winner Far Bridge (English Channel) and GII Glens Falls Stakes winner La Mehana (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}).“The plan is to compete at the highest level in New York,” Clement said. “That has always been the plan of the entire Sarf family. They look forward to competing on the big stage, particularly in New York.”The three fillies will head down to Ocala to be broke at Mayberry Farm before joining the Clement stable.“We are a young stable, so it's very humbling to get three fillies from Book 1 sent to us,” Clement said. “We are just along for the ride.” @JessMartiniTDNLanz Adds to KAS Haul with $1.7-Million Not This Time ColtPedro Lanz continued his buying spree for the Saudi-based KAS Stable with a colt by Not This Time (hip 211) purchased for $1.7 million Tuesday at Keeneland. After signing the ticket on the yearling, who was bred by Albaugh Grand Stables and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the bloodstock agent confirmed all four horses he purchased so far at Keeneland will remain to race in the U.S.“All of them are going to race in the United States,” Lanz said. “We haven't decided on a trainer yet. The colts are going to Ocala to Scanlon Farm and then we will decide.”Lanz signed the ticket at $700,000 to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 147) during Monday's first session of the September sale. He also said he had acquired a colt by Constitution for the stable.KAS Stables currently has one runner in the U.S., the 3-year-old maiden winner Mazayaat (Bernardini).“We have Mazayaat here with Bill Mott,” Lanz said. “But it's kind of a new idea to be racing in the United States with top-class horses like this one [hip 211].”Hip 211 is out of Wembley (Bernardini), a daughter of Grade I winner Game Face (Menifee), who was purchased by Albaugh Family Stables for $550,000 while in foal to Gun Runner at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare's Gun Runner filly sold for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.“When I saw his physical and the way he behaves in the stall, it was amazing,” Lanz said of the yearling's appeal. “This was my favorite colt of all the sale. He's out of a Bernardini mare and by a hot sire. This is the one I really wanted.”Later in the session, Lanz acquired a colt by Curlin (hip 351) for $500,000.Hip 211 was Not This Time's fourth seven-figure yearling of the auction. By the close of Book 1, the Taylor Made stallion had six million-dollar yearlings. @JessMartiniTDNDouglas Scharbauer Strikes Seven Figures Twice TuesdayAiming for quality over quantity, Douglas Scharbauer, whose family has a long and successful history in both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing, picked up two seven-figure yearlings Tuesday. His top purchase was a $1.6-million filly by Flightline out of Immediate Impact (Into Mischief), who was bred and consigned by Clearsky Farms. Hip 364 is a granddaughter of Bubbler (Distorted Humor), who produced champion Arrogate.Douglas Scharbauer & Donny Denton | KeenelandScharbauer was full of praise for Flightline, Lane's End's first-crop yearling sire who was responsible for seven yearlings to break through the $1-million barrier in Book 1. “Flightline's foals are not far off [the mark],” he said. “He was unbelievable. Six for six. That Flightline filly just really stood out to us. We liked her a lot.”Less than two hours previously, Scharbauer also signed for hip 304, a $1.3-million Not This Time colt consigned by Gainesway. Bred by International Equities Holding and out of Delightful Joy (Tapit), the January colt is a half-brother to GSW Window Shopping (American Pharoah) from the same family as SW Quickick (McKinzie), who placed in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes.“Hips 304 and 364, they stood out of everything we've looked at the last couple of days,” said Scharbauer. “Those two today I like as much as anything I've seen both days, yesterday and today.”He added, “We bought 10 fillies last year, we spread it out. Now I'm trying to not buy as many. I'm going to have to pay more for quality.”Scharbauer said his purchases, which included hip 48, a $350,000 Golden Pal filly out of Monthly (Malibu Moon), would go to his usual trainer, Brad Cox. ––JillWilliamsTDN'I'm Patiently Aggressive': Repole Comes out with Guns Blazing at Keeneland TuesdayRepole Stable was hardly quiet during Monday's opening session of the September sale. In fact, the operation signed on nine yearlings for an aggregate of $3.075 million with a top price of $500,000.Jacob West & his son shopping for the next superstar with owner Mike Repole at Keeneland September | KeenelandHowever, it didn't take long for Mike Repole and co. to swing into the action Tuesday, haltering its first seven-figure horse of the sale with Hip 196, an Indian Creek-offered colt by Good Magic out of Twiga (Union Rags) who realized $1 million. With the gun still smoking, Repole's agent Jacob West swung for another $1 million yearling, offered as Hip 197, a filly by Not This Time.Later in the session, Repole collected a colt by Gun Runner (Hip 278) for $1.5 million, the highest priced youngster of Book 1 for the Repole team, in addition to a colt by Nyquist (Hip 266) purchased in partnership with St. Elias Stable for $1 million. The latter was consigned by Warrendale Sales.Repole's leading purchase Tuesday was consigned by Indian Creek, acting on behalf of breeder Stonestreet. The March foal is out of Cavorting (Bernardini), a three-time Grade I winner for Stonestreet, who purchased the daughter of Bernardini as a weanling for $360,000 at Keeneland November in 2012. For Stonestreet, 13-year-old Cavorting produced MGISW Clairiere (Curlin), dam of SW La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro).A colt by Curlin out of Cavorting sold for $5 million to Whisper Hill Farm at Keeneland September.“Todd has [the $5-million Curlin] now. It's been training against one of my horses, and it beats it so bad, I figured it must be a pretty good horse,” Repole explained. “They all liked it. It was our #1 draft pick. We had estimated it would go for about $2.5-3 million, so when it was stalling out at about $1.3-1.4 million, I thought we had to get this.”Repole also extended to seven figures for a filly by Not This Time out of Twinkling (War Chant). Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the May 8 foal-a half-sister to MGSW Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator)–was bred by Taylor Made Stallions, Ramspring Farm, Joel Politi, Brad King and Jim Cone III.“She has an incredible pedigree. The dam has Skippylongstocking and [GSP] Oliver Twist [Mshawish] and [GSP] Moonlite Strike [Liam's Map]. I look at the other sires [she was bred to] sometimes, and you are going to the hottest sire in the game right now. She already has residual value as a Not This Time, so we also look at that. With the fillies, residual value is important to us.”Despite enjoying success with colts in the Classic and older horse divisions with the likes of Fierceness (City of Light), winner of the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar and dual Grade I winner Mindframe (Constitution), Repole explained that he is keen to have diversity in his operation.“The last couple of years, with how good turf is getting, and our success with [turf] horses like [Grade III winner] Final Score [Not This Time], [maiden winner] Miss Picky [Uncle Mo], and Celebrity Warrior (Ire) [Saxon Warrior {Jpn}], I have been buying horses in Europe and internationally in general to add to the stable,” he explained. “I am trying to combine a lot of these. I am not afraid to buy sprinters now, or turf. Too many people here are looking for two-turn Classic horses. I think I am just trying to have a well-balanced stable. I want a six-furlong sprinter on the dirt and turf. I want two-turns on the turf and dirt. And now that Belmont is going to be Poly[track] I am looking for Poly horses also. I just love the game and I want to win at the highest level.”On Tuesday, Repole also secured another colt by Gun Runner (Hip 242) for $900,000. Consigned by Mill Ridge Sales acting on behalf of White Birch Farm, the colt is out of Curlin's American West.On Tuesday, Repole Stable purchased 15 yearlings for a total of $9,225,000, averaging $615,000.“One thing about what we do is we have a great team,” he said. “We are probably more prepared than the Jets and Giants. We take this very, very seriously. The team works really hard and coming off being the leading owner at Saratoga, having Fierceness and Mindframe, I want to win at the highest level and I take it seriously. I care and I'm passionate. I work the team hard and they work hard. It's a big family and a big operation and success is best when shared.”During Tuesday's session, Repole also scored as a breeder, selling Hip 296, a colt by Gun Runner out of GISW Dame Dorothy (Bernardini), for $1.6 million. Consigned by Lane's End, the colt was purchased by AMO Racing.Also the dam of GSW Spice is Nice (Curlin), Dame Dorothy was purchased for $900,000 with this colt in utero at this venue in November of 2023.–CBossTDNThe post ‘A Fabulous Book 1’: Records Continue to Fall at Keeneland September appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.