Strong trade during Day 11 brought the curtain down on a very successful Keeneland September year sale on Friday. A Giacomo colt topped the final session at $50,000.

Giacomo (Holy Bull) defeated Closing Argument and Afleet Alex in the 2005 Run for the Roses and is the only Kentucky Derby winner active in California.  He transferred from Adena Springs to Magali Farms in the Santa Ynez Valley earlier this year.

The Giacomo – Slam’s Honor (Grand Slam) session-topper is a grey colt related to 1994 Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie.  He was sold as a foal for just $7,500 at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale.  He was a successful pin-hook for Joe Gillis after the winning bid by Garry Simms who was acting for Travis-Morgeson VI.

Day 11 grossed $1.80 million for 146 lots and the average jumped 31% to $12,363 while the median spiked 33% to $10,000.

Keeneland reported that demand for quality yearlings from a deep global buying bench drove strong commerce throughout the September Yearling Sale, producing double-digit increases in average and median prices.

Gross receipts for 2,516 horses that changed hands reached $219.78 million.  The cumulative average of $87,354 increased 14% while the median surged 50% to $45,000.  The overall clearance rate increased 8 points to 81%.

“This was an extraordinary sale that was driven by the sheer number of people who attended and the high volume of trade they generated,” Keeneland vice-president Walt Robertson said.  “It continues to be a highly competitive, highly selective market.”