The upcoming Keeneland September yearling sale is the bellwether for the North American marketplace and essentially marks a midway point to the season. Yearling sales began with one auction in July and picked up steam through August, with sales rebounding from the market chaos of 2020 to post strong figures across the board. The market will look to continue that momentum over the next two months. Here’s a snapshot look at this season’s remaining sales, presented by Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Keeneland September yearling sale Sept. 13-24, Keeneland, Lexington, Ky. Keeneland has cataloged 4,034 yearlings for its September yearling sale, which will take place over 11 sessions from Sept. 13-24. The sale’s elite Book 1 portion will open the sale over two sessions. A two-session Book 2 will follow Book 1. Following a dark day on Friday, Sept. 17, the Keeneland sale will continue with its remaining three books. This will be the first September auction for Keeneland’s new vice president of sales, Tony Lacy, and director of sales operations, Cormac Breathnach. Longtime director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell remains on the team in a consulting role. Last year’s September sale, led by a $2 million Tapit colt, experienced a shift to a largely domestic marketplace due to the pandemic. The sale finished with some declines that were not unexpected, as it failed to top $300 million in gross for the first time since 2016, the average dipped 25 percent, and the median dropped 18 percent. Keeneland is continuing to conduct several stand-alone mixed digital auctions annually, in which yearlings may be entered. A digital sale is scheduled for Oct. 26, near the end of the season. Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Alberta Thoroughbred sale Sept. 17, Westerner Park, Red Deer, Alberta The Ontario division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society hosted the country’s biggest yearling sale on Sept. 1 at Woodbine. The Manitoba division of the CTHS conducted its yearling sale Aug. 22 at the Red River Exhibition Grounds in Winnipeg. Those are followed on the country’s calendar by the CTHS Alberta Thoroughbred sale on Sept. 17 at Westerner Park in Red Deer and the CTHS British Columbia yearling and mixed sale on Sept. 14 at Thunderbird Show Park. Fasig-Tipton California fall yearlings and horses of all ages Sept. 28, Fairplex, Pomona, Calif. This sale is a potent source of California-bred yearlings and a showcase for the state’s sires, and it also accepts yearlings bred in other jurisdictions. Fasig-Tipton’s California sales are essentially still in their infancy, as the company took over the state from Barretts in 2019. There are 267 yearlings cataloged for this year’s sale. Prominent California sires Bluegrass Cat, Square Eddie, and Sir Prancealot are represented, along with leading Kentucky sires Distorted Humor, the late Bernardini, and more. Breeders Sales Co. of Louisiana yearling and mixed sale Oct. 2, Equine Sales of Louisiana facility, Opelousas, La. The Equine Sales Co. of Louisiana has opted not to conduct its sales in 2021, with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s Breeders Sales Co. stepping in to provide a marketplace for local horses and horsemen. The outfit will conduct a yearling sale, followed by a mixed-sale session. Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearlings Oct. 4-5, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic auctions, which typically feature a variety of yearlings eligible for lucrative regional programs in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, have grown in size and prominence in recent years. The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale posted a record renewal in May. The expectations for this sale are high, with local operations and pinhookers potentially ripe for success in what could be a microcosm of national trends. Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. yearling sale Oct. 12-13, Ocala, Fla. OBS also is coming off a strong slate of juvenile sales in the rebounding 2021 marketplace. “While we expected a rebound from last year’s disrupted schedule, it was great to see the 2-year-old sales have broad participation at all price ranges,” OBS president Tom Ventura said. “The market was strong throughout the OBS 2-year-old sales season, with results at or near record levels across the board. With racing back in full swing and purses climbing at many racetracks, hopefully that bodes well for the upcoming yearling sales.” Its annual yearling sale is structured with a selected session on Oct. 12, followed by an open session Oct. 13. Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale Oct. 25-28, Newtown Paddocks, Lexington, Ky. The final stop on the North American yearling sales tour, the October auction has expanded to four sessions in recent years to meet increasing market demands, with a growing reputation in the industry.