Keeneland's September Yearling Sale ended Monday afternoon as the highest grossing Thoroughbred auction in the world. Numerous other industry and sale records also fell during the 14-day auction.

Buyers from the United States and throughout the world traveled to Lexington and spent $384,349,900 during the last two weeks, far eclipsing the previous record of $324,904,300 set last year in September.

The long list of records spanned many categories.

* Number of horses sold, 3,545, set an industry record, topping the 3,461 horses sold at the 1999 November Breeding Stock Sale. The previous September Sale record was 3,370, set last year.

* Average price, $108,420, was a sale record, bettering the $96,411 in 2004.

* Median price, $40,000, was a sale record, surpassing $37,000 in 2004.

* Number of $1 million or more purchases, 40, set an industry record, bettering the 33 sold during the 1984 July Selected Yearling Sale, 28 sold during the 2000 September Sale and 39 sold during the 2000 November Sale.

* Highest price, $9.7 million, paid by John Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum for a colt by Storm Cat out of Tranquility Lake, set a sale record. It was the third highest price ever paid for a horse at auction. Mill Ridge Sales, agent for Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Wygod, sold the colt. The previous record in September was $8 million paid last year for a colt by Storm Cat out of Welcome Surprise.

* Sire average, $1,766,731 for 26 horses by Storm Cat, set a sale record. The previous mark was $1,756,538 for 13 sons and daughters of Storm Cat in 2001.

* Consignor gross, $60,997,400 for 360 horses by Taylor Made Sales Agency, set an industry record.

* Buyer gross, $41,875,000 by John Ferguson, set a sale record, topping the $33,930,000 he spent in 2004. Ferguson has been the leading buyer in September for seven consecutive years, dating to 1999.

The September Sale started strong on Monday, September 13, picked up added momentum on Tuesday and remained strong throughout the middle sessions.

Both the gross, $98,502,000, an average, $535,337, on Tuesday, September 14, were session records for the sale.

"The records have fallen one after the other", said Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. "With buyers here from all parts of the United States and every corner of the world, Keeneland September has firmly established itself as truly the global marketplace of Thoroughbred sales".

Russell was particularly pleased by the strength of catalogs 3, 4, 5-comprising days 5 through 10 of the sale. During that period Keeneland sold 1,723 horses for $99,472,200.

"Books 3, 4 and 5, which previously had their largest increase in 2004, were up another 23.3 percent this year", Russell continued.

The September Sale was the first held in the newly expanded and renovated sales pavilion, which drew compliments from all participants in the auction.

During Monday's final session, Keeneland sold 154 horses for $1,325,300, an average of $8,606 and a median of $5,850. Last year on the final day, 136 horses brought $1,160,500, an average of $8,533 and a median of $6,000.

Source: Keeneland Media release [distributed by Vin Cox Bloodstock (Australia)]