Yaupon weanlings on fire at KEENOV: $450,000, $400,000, $400,000, $300,000

Hip 551, 2023, Keeneland November Sale

Yaupon, the speedy Grade 1 winning son of Uncle Mo, is off to a stellar start with his first crop of weanlings at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

From seven weanlings offered through the first few days, all were sold for an average price of $260,000. The highest price was Hip No. 551, a colt out of the Bernardini mare Zetta Z. Consigned by Vinery Sales, the colt sold for $450,000 to AAA Thoroughbreds. His third dam is the Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Unbridled Elaine.

AAA Thoroughbreds have aggressively sought after the Yaupon weanlings, picking up two more hips so far. Hip No. 37, a colt out of the Majestic Warrior mare Lady Sabelia, sold for $400,000 in Book 1 out of the Taylor Made Sales Consignment. The dam herself is a Grade 2 winner of the Barbara Fritchie Handicap.

“I thought he was the best Yaupon on the ground,” said buyer Randy Hartley. “My goal was to come here and try to buy the best one.” Hartley said he had plenty of faith in the young stallion, who stands for $25,000 at Spendthrift. “My friend Hoby Kight bought [Yaupon] as a yearling, so I was around him when he worked :20 and change at Gulfstream,” Hartley said. “He was such a beautiful horse. And then he went off and won those graded races. We just felt like he could be a big up-and-coming stallion for us. We searched over there [at Fasig-Tipton] and over here and he was the best one we saw.”

The third Yaupon bought by AAA Thoroughbreds was Hip No. 733, a filly also sold by Taylor Made for $300,000 in Book 2. The filly is out of Lady Lumberjack, a graded stakes placed daughter of Forestry and sold for $300,000.

Starting out the sale strong on Wednesday, hip No. 5, a filly out of the champion Folklore sold for $400,000 to Haruya Yoshida from the Taylor Made Sales consignment. The filly is from the direct family of the Japanese Triple Crown champion Contrail, as well as Belmont Stakes champion Essential Quality.

“Yaupon is having an excellent sale with his first crop, along with the Good Magics and Gun Runners… the next wave of the best sires are being fought for strongly,” said Keeneland’s director of sales, Cormac Breathnach.