Horse of the Year Authentic’s first yearlings in high demand

2020 Horse of the Year, Kentucky Derby winner & Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Authentic is off to a quick start with his first crop of yearlings in high demand during the premier early sessions of the 2023 Keeneland September Sale.

The highest priced Authentic yearling so far is Innovator, a $900,000 colt out from the Bridie Harrison consignment, agent for breeder Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds – also the breeder of Authentic himself. Authentic sold for the very same connections at the very same sale five years prior.

Innovator is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Inspired, which makes him a half-brother to graded stakes-placed Carmel Road. Under the second dam is the 2023 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure and a number of graded stakes performers. This colt was the winner of Spendthrift’s & MyRacehorse’s 2021 #FoalDerby, which highlighted some of Authentic’s best foals from his first crop.

Also in Book One, hip 67, a colt out of the Smart Strike mare Classic Strike, got things started for his sire, selling for $500,000 to Donegal Racing, J. Crawford, West Paces and L. Connolly from the Clearsky Farm consignment.

Hip 533, a chestnut colt by Authentic out of For Royalty sold for $700,000 to agent Donato Lanni for SF, Starlight, and Madaket from the Lanes End consignment. Known affectionately as the Avengers, the ownership group also purchased Authentic at Keeneland September as a yearling and campaigned him early on in his racing career.

They went back to the well as couple sessions later, acquiring hip 1511 – and Authentic colt out of Sweetgrass – for $875,000 from the Eaton consignment.

China Horse Club and Qatar Racing also went to $875,000 to purchase hip 1046, an Authentic colt out of Sass and Class from Taylor Made Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

Spendthrift Farm dipped in to acquire Authentic’s priciest filly of the sale so far, buying hip 922 for $800,000 from the Indian Creek consignment.

Another notable colt from the first couple books in the sale is hip 917 which sold for $700,000 to Mayberry Farm from the consignment of Hinkle Farms.

Through Book Three, Authentic boasts a $340,514 average from his first crop of yearlings, which is over a hundred thousand more than the second leading freshman sire.