Market and sales
Keeneland announced the September Yearling Sale concluded Saturday with 3,070 horses sold for $531.5 million, the highest gross ever realized at a Thoroughbred auction worldwide, including 56 million‑dollar yearlings led by a $3.3 million Gun Runner colt to M.V. Magnier, White Birch Farm, and Winchell Thoroughbreds.
Coverage confirms the record gross and outlines a 23.99% year‑over‑year rise in through‑the‑ring sales to $510,544,900, with post‑sale transactions lifting the figure to $531,520,400 and widely hailed as a defining market milestone.
Weekend stakes recap
Baeza earned a breakthrough Grade 1 victory in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 20, rallying under Hector Berrios to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:48.03 for trainer John Shirreffs, marking a signature moment after classic placings earlier in the season.
Analyses note Baeza’s career‑best figures (including a 105 Beyer) and suggest a clear path toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic consideration for the McKinzie colt given his sustained triple‑digit form and six‑week spacing into Del Mar.
Jockey and safety updates
Brian Hernandez Jr. was injured in a Sept. 21 spill at Churchill Downs, sustaining seven broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a liver laceration, and was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital ICU, with a six‑to‑eight‑week recovery timeline expected.
Reports indicate surgery to stabilize displaced ribs is scheduled for Sept. 23, sidelining him from upcoming mounts including Mystik Dan in the Lukas Classic and Thorpedo Anna in the Spinster, with replacements to be determined by connections.
Santa Anita autumn meet
Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet begins Friday, Sept. 26, and runs through Oct. 26, featuring seven “Win and You’re In” qualifiers and positioning Southern California as a critical Breeders’ Cup prep pathway heading into Del Mar.
Handicapping notes highlight a new $1 Sunset Pick 6 with a 15% takeout combining the final three races from both Santa Anita and Gulfstream on overlapping days, alongside a stakes slate designed to feed the World Championships.
NYRA fall schedules
NYRA’s Belmont at the Big A fall meet (conducted at Aqueduct due to Belmont construction) runs Sept. 11–Nov. 2 with 45 stakes worth $9.45 million, including four Grade 1s and five Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events.
Following that, the Aqueduct fall meet (Nov. 6–Dec. 31) will offer 28 stakes worth $6.025 million, headlined by the Grade 2 $500,000 Cigar Mile on Dec. 6 on a card featuring the Remsen, Demoiselle, and additional rich supporting stakes.
Today’s sale to watch
The Fasig‑Tipton California Fall Yearling Sale is scheduled today, Tuesday, Sept. 23, with selling to begin at 11:00 a.m. PT at Fairplex in Pomona, offering Hips 1–266 from regional and national consignors.
California programs and farms highlighted the catalog in the run‑up, underscoring interest around local sire power and broader demand following Keeneland’s record‑setting September market.
