LEXINGTON, Ky. – The young broodmare Sebago Lake sold for $700,000 to lead Tuesday’s session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, which hit its midway point with year-to-year declines. Keeneland reported that 430 horses sold during the first two sessions of the January sale, making up the auction’s Book 1 portion, for gross receipts of $31,596,700. In last year’s comparable two-session Book 1, 475 horses sold, with that greater number grossing $36,126,900. All figures reported indicate horses sold through the ring, prior to any private transactions later factored in to Keeneland’s official figures. Book 1’s cumulative average price was $73,481, down 3 percent from $76,057 at the comparable point last year. The median is $30,500, down 24 percent from $40,000. The cumulative buyback rate is relatively steady, at 28 percent compared to 27 percent. “It started off very healthy, through the day there were a couple of spots that got a little slower, but it ended really strong,” said Tony Lacy, Keeneland’s vice president of sales. “Quality was to the fore. You saw some of the young mares that were bred to some of the exciting young stallions were selling extremely well. Farms are reloading again. . . . Foals that were by the right stallions, that had the right physicals, and vetted well, there was a very strong and competitive environment for it. There’s a lot of confidence out there. “Speaking with the sellers, they feel that it is a very strong market,” Lacy continued. “The buyers found it very competitive to try and buy the stock that they were interested in. I don’t think it’s inflated at all or depressed in any way, it feels like a very healthy and fair environment. If you brought the right stock to market, you were going to get rewarded for it. It was a continuation of the momentum we saw yesterday.” Prank, sold for $1.6 million, and $1 million Curlin's Voyage led Monday’s opening session of Book 1, marking the first time since 2019 the seven-figure mark was achieved at Keeneland January. Sebago Lake, purchased for $700,000 by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm during Tuesday’s session, was still ahead of the $650,000 sale-topping price from last year’s Keeneland January sale. Sebago Lake, a 5-year-old daughter of Tapit, was consigned by Eaton Sales, as agent. She sold in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify, the breakout leading second-crop sire of 2023. This will be the second foal out of the mare. “She’s a beautiful mare, in foal to the right horse,” Eaton’s Reiley McDonald said. “She’s by Tapit and looks like a Tapit. I think that it also helped with the limited supply at the upper levels. We’re really pleased with it.” Out of the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Susie’s Baby, Sebago Lake is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Family Way. Susie’s Baby is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Caravaggio and to Grade 2 winner and stakes producer My Jen. Caravaggio is by Scat Daddy, the sire of Justify. A pair of yearlings sold for $430,000 each to tie for the top price in their market segment. A Candy Ride filly sold to John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock, and later in the session, a Not This Time colt matched the price when purchased by Cherry Knoll Farm. The Keeneland January sale concludes with a two-session Book 2, with sessions Wednesday and Thursday. For hip-by-hip results, click here. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.