Average price up at Keeneland sale

Keeneland officials say sales were strong at the 11-day September Yearling Sale that ended Friday, with total receipts down only 1.66 percent from last year's 13-day sale.

The average price for the 2,516 horses sold this year was $87,354, a 14.17 percent increase from the 2011 average of $76,511. Sales totaled $219,781,500, compared with $223,487,800 for last year's longer event.

Seven yearlings brought $1 million or more, compared with six last year. The top price of $1.65 million was paid for a colt by Distorted Humor out of Grade 1 winner Mushka. The colt was one of 17 yearlings purchased for $8.25 million by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate Co. Ltd., the sale's leading buyer.

Friday's average of $12,363 was up 30.88 percent from last year's $9,446.