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A colt by City Of Light tops on Wednesday while a son of Coolmore Australia shuttler Justify makes US$1.55m
Two lots sold for seven figures at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Wednesday, taking the total number of million dollar lots to 13, with a colt by Lane's End Farm-based stallion City Of Light (Quality Road) the most expensive of the day, when Woodford Racing, Talla Racing and West Point went to US$1.7 million to secure Lot 612.
Sold by Rosilyn Polan's Sunday Morning Farm, the colt is out of the stakes placed Tapit (Pulpit) mare Anchorage, who has produced four winners to date including the stakes placegetter Chip Leader (Giant's Causeway).
"I have always loved this colt," said Polan.
"I have always known he was special, and I knew that people would like him, but usually people like a horse for a certain price. Nobody can ever dream of a million dollars.
"I am so proud of my horse and my crew," added Polan, who consigned three horses to this year's September Sale.
"The mare is my favorite mare – of course anybody would say that now. (This colt) is just a fabulous horse."
The other million dollar lot sold on Wednesday was a son of Coolmore Australia shuttler Justify (Scat Daddy) who made US$1.55 million and was bought by Talla Racing and West Point.
Sold by Stonehaven Steadings as Lot 580, the colt is out of Graded placed mare True Feelings (Latent Heat) who has produced three winners including the stakes winning filly Feeling Mischief (Into Mischief).
"We have a team together: (trainer) John Sadler, (agent) David Ingordo and West Point Thoroughbreds," Mike Talla said.
"We had had our eye on two or three of them and kept getting outbid. So finally, we had to make a stand somewhere.
We really liked this one, so we went in for him. We'll know next year if we made a mistake or not. Let's talk next summer."
The purchases were especially memorable to Terry Finley, West Point's Founder and President.
"After 30 years, I think about when I first came here, and I thought it was the best thing in the world when we bought a horse for US$12,000," Finley said.
"And now, we get a shot to buy horses like this with great partners and great people. It's just incredible. We've worked hard to evolve, and we're just part of a team.
We like to think we're good partners, and we bring on good partners. We all do our own thing, and it's a special thing.
These horses are very hard to buy, and I just couldn't do it without an immense amount of support and people who are in a position to take chunks.
"You just start dreaming with these kind of horses, and just hope you get lucky."
Justify had eight further lots sell on Wednesday at an average of US$475,555
. During the first three days of the sale, the sire has seen 36 of his progeny sell for a total of US$17,452,000, an average of US$484,778 and median of US$442,500.