Dubawi flexes muscles at the Keeneland Sales

The big year for Dubawi just keeps getting bigger. His eighteen Group winners in 2014 have taken him to a total of 50 in that category, making him the fastest sire ever to reach that impressive number. Fifteen total G1 winners in his young career places him among the world’s elite stallions. And on September 10th at the third session of Keeneland’s September Sale, hip 508 showed his popularity extends beyond his Darley home in England, bringing $1.45 million, highest for any yearling filly thus far at the sale. Out of G1 Epsom Oaks winner Casual Look, Stavros Niarchos’s Flaxman Holdings was the purchaser with Lane’s End Farm the consignor. The price is second-highest for a yearling by Dubawi, surpassed only by the nearly $2 million filly sold at the Arqana Deauville Yearling sale in France last August.

Near the beginning of the third session of the sale, Bernardini’s strong showing continued with hip number 413 approaching seven figures. Consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, agent, the half-brother to G1W R Heat Lightning lit up the tote board at a final bid of $925,000 with Japanese buyer Teruo Ono the purchaser. It was the highest price paid of any colt in on day three. Hip 460, another son of Bernardini, was knocked down at a final price of $575,000, with Valkyre Stud, agent, as the consignor. A full brother to G3W Algorithms and a full to G1 winner Justin Phillip, Crupi’s New Castle Farm was listed as the purchaser. And yet another Bernardini rung the bell at the start of the sale’s third session with Marc Keller signing the ticket on hip 386 for $425,000, a half-sister to Discreet Cat's G2-winning son Discreetly Mine and Listed-winning daughter Sweet N Discreet. Hidden Brook Farm, agent, was the consignor of the dark bay or brown filly. With a total of 14 yearlings sold, Bernardini's average of $516,000 places him second among all sires at the sale.

The sale’s fourth session begins at noon tomorrow.