There’s no other yearling sale in the world like the Keeneland September Sale, and the 2025 edition is proving to be no exception. The most elite offerings are found in the first two books, and the same Centennial Farms acquisition team that selected stars like Wicked Strong, Preservationist, Rocketry, and Antiquarian at this very sale were able to pour through hundreds of colts to find a quartet of truly elite offerings. The four sires represented include two of the nation’s top 7 stallions and the #3 leading freshman in addition to one of the most exciting first-crop youngsters in the country. Of course, they also sport the athletic physicals and deep female families that we are accustomed to purchasing. They are:
Hip 562: Constitution – Trenchtown Cat, by Discreet Cat
Hip 664: Maxfield – Cover Model, by War Front
Hip 676: Twirling Candy – Divergent Thinking, by Mizzen Mast
Hip 679: Jack Christopher – Dolce Lemone, by Lemon Drop Kid
UNNAMED BAY COLT
CONSTITUTION – TRENCHTOWN CAT by DISCREET CAT
Purchased for $325,000
By the leading stallion son of Tapit, this colt is out of a young multiple stakes winning and grade two placed mare.
Winner of the Florida Derby (G1) and Donn Handicap (G1) – now the Pegasus World Cup Invitational – Constitution has emerged as the leading sire by generational sire Tapit. He is already the sire of 77 stakes winners, 39 graded and 13 grade one, including Tiz the Law, successful in the Belmont Stakes (G1), Travers Stakes (G1), Florida Derby (G1), and Champagne Stakes (G1), and a promising young sire; 2025 standout Mindframe, winner of the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) and Churchill Downs Stakes (G1); Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) victor Americanrevolution; and grade two scorers Independence Hall, Laura’s Light, Neat, Webslinger, Surveillance, Steal Sunshine, Catching Freedom, Treason, and Amalfi Sunset.
This colt is the third foal out of his dam and both older half-siblings have shown considerable promise. Three-year-old Ibuki won a maiden special weight before finishing second and then first twice against allowance foes in her last four starts. The dam’s second foal, the exciting Mr. A. P., has been second in two Del Mar maiden special weight events in his first two starts, most recently beaten less than a length by the highly-rated Bob Baffert trainee Kristofferson while running a 100 Equibase E-Speed Figure in what was the fastest two-year-old maiden in the nation that week.
The dam herself, Trenchtown Cat, captured the Sanibel Island Stakes and Ana T. Stakes, the latter by open lengths, at Gulfstream Park. She also took second in the Princess Rooney Stakes (G2). Trenchtown Cat is a sister to Air Khalifa, winner of the Tokyo Negishi Stakes (G3), Oasis Stakes, and Coral Stakes, and to graded stakes placed Princess Princess.
The granddam, Chez La Femme, is a winning half-sister to Highwayman and Dead Heat, both three-time stakes winners, to stakes placed Hot Money, and to Ecstatic Girls, the dam of stakes placed Ultimate Class, and granddam of multiple graded stakes placed Bad Beat Brian.
The third dam, stakes winner She’s Ecstatic, is a half-sister to graded stakes placed Switch Point (dam of grade one placed Dig for It) and to Forewarned, dam of graded stakes winner Lupine Lady and stakes winner Last of a Legend, third dam of graded winner Vars Vicky, and fourth dam of graded winner Ameena. She’s Ecstatic is out of She’s Armed, a daughter of Armed Venus, ancestress of 24 stakes winners, including grade one winner and Three Chimneys resident Newgate and other graded stakes winners Beboppin Baby, My Majestic Rose, Denim and Pearls, Callide Valley, and Victress.
This colt is bred on the prolific cross of Constitution with Storm Cat line mares which has already produced a remarkable 18 individual stakes winners, including six grade one winners.
UNNAMED DARK BAY/BROWN COLT
MAXFIELD – COVER MODEL by WAR FRONT
Purchased for $425,000
By the exciting young stallion Maxfield, here is a colt out of a winning War Front mare from a spectacular female family.
Maxfield, a son of Street Sense, won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by 5 1/2-lengths at two, and went on to add six other black-type victories, including the Clark Stakes (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G2). Maxfield’s first crop are two-year-olds of 2025 and, through the second week of September, he is #3 on the Leading Freshman Sire list. He already has four black-type juveniles, including Max Ciao, winner of the I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar, and two Thoroughbred Daily News “Rising Stars”.
The dam, Cover Model, was a 3 1/2-length maiden special weight winner at Gulfstream Park. She is a half-sister to Imagining, winner of a trio of graded stakes races, highlighted by the Man o’ War Stakes (G1), and four times grade one placed. Cover Model is also half-sister to multiple stakes placed Reflecting, to stakes placed Browse, the dam of two-year-old stakes winner Pipit, and to Snooze, the dam of the Frizette Stakes (G1) heroine Chocolate Gelato. Another half-sister, Sabbatical, is the dam of exciting two-year-old Quiet Power.
Cover Model’s dam, Daydreaming, won the Top Flight Handicap (G2), Next Move Handicap (G3), and Indiana Breeders’ Cup Oaks (G3), and earned places in the Gazelle Handicap (G1) and Spinaway Stakes (G1). By A.P. Indy out of the graded stakes winning Mr. Prospector mare Get Lucky, Daydreaming is a sister to Vosburgh Stakes (G1) victor Girolamo, to graded stakes winning and grade one placed Accelerator, and a half-sister to stakes winner Harborage. Daydreaming is also a full or half-sister to mares from whom descend 25 other stakes winners, including Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Super Saver and grade one winners Bluegrass Cat, Got Lucky, and Callback (by Street Sense, the grandsire of this colt).
Get Lucky is a sister to both Champion Two-Year-Old and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Rhythm and terrific sire Not For Love, in addition to being a three-quarters sister to Champion and outstanding sire Woodman, and is out of Dance Number, a grade one winning daughter of Northern Dancer and Champion Numbered Account, also ancestress of grade one winners Private Account, Assatis, and Frost Giant. This is the Striking branch of the family of the legendary La Troienne, the most important mare imported to the U.S. in the 20th century, and through Striking’s three-quarters sister, Busanda, also ancestress of Maxfield. In fact, Maxfield’s dam and Daydreaming, the grade one placed granddam of this colt, are both from the A.P. Indy line and from the La Troienne family.
We can note that there are already two stakes winners by Street Sense and sons out of War Front mares, as here, and the broader Street Sense/Danzig cross has produced grade one winner Hallowed Crown and graded stakes winners Vilana, Sensible Princess, Tower of Texas, and La Passe. Maxfield himself is off to a strong start with these lines – stakes winner Max Ciao and TDN “Rising Star” Magna Victor are both from the A.P. Indy line, while fellow “Rising Star” Five Bars is out of a mare by a son of War Front.
UNNAMED BAY COLT
TWIRLING CANDY – DIVERGENT THINKING by MIZZEN MAST
Purchased for $320,000
There are few more consistent sires of quality stakes winners than Twirling Candy, and here is a son of that sire who is a three-quarters brother to a Twirling Candy grade one winning millionaire.
A track-record breaking son of Candy Ride who won graded stakes on dirt, turf, and all-weather, Twirling Candy has developed into an outstanding sire. He currently sits fourth on the North American Leading Sire list – trailing only Into Mischief, Not This Time, and Gun Runner – and has been represented by ten stakes winners in 2025, including grade one winners Kilwin, Fionn, and Ag Bullet. Overall, Twirling Candy is the sire of 60 stakes winners, 26 graded, including Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Rombauer, and grade one winners Gift Box, Concrete Rose, Beyond Brilliant, Collusion Illusion, Finley’sluckycharm, and Pinehurst.
The dam of this colt is the winner producing Mizzen Mast mare Divergent Thinking. She is a full sister to the outstanding sprint mare Stonetastic, winner of five black-type events, including the Prioress Stakes (G1) and Inside Information Stakes (G2), and seven times graded placed, including second in the Distaff Stakes (G1).
Divergent Thinking is also a half-sister to Gift Box, a son of Twirling Candy, and therefore a three-quarters brother to this colt. This outstanding runner, now a young sire, captured the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) defeating McKinzie and Mongolian Groom, and took back-to-back editions of the San Antonio Stakes (G2).
In addition, Divergent Thinking is a half-sister to Gina Romantica, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) and two editions of the First Lady Stakes (G1), and to Special Forces – a son of Twirling Candy’s sire Candy Ride – successful in the Autumn Stakes (G2) and Durham Cup (G3).
Divergent Thinking’s dam, Special Me, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song, is a half-sister to Golden Shaheen (G1) victor Our New Recruit, who is by a son of Cozzene, as is Divergent Thinking.
This colt is bred on the same cross as Twirling Candy’s grade one winner Iscreamuscream.
UNNAMED DARK BAY/BROWN COLT
JACK CHRISTOPHER – DOLCE LEMONE by LEMON DROP KID
Purchased for $240,000
From the first crop of the sensational sprinter/miler Jack Christopher comes a half-brother to a stakes winner from a powerful family.
Undefeated in races at a mile or less, Jack Christopher captured the Champagne Stakes (G1), H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), and Pat Day Mile (G2).
This Jack Christopher colt is half-brother to four winners, including Dolce Lili, winner of the South Beach Stakes and third in the Forever Together Stakes. Centennial Farms selected and purchased Dolce Lili’s now two-year-old filly at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale on behalf of Centennial co-owners Peter and Peggy Horvitz. Now named Imperatrice, she has gone through her early training with Paula Parsons, joined trainer Todd Pletcher’s string in Saratoga, and shows considerable promise.
The dam, Dolce Lemone, a winning daughter of the tremendous broodmare sire Lemon Drop Kid, is a half-sister to Noble Strike, a terrific producer in her own right. She is the dam of Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Inglorious, who defeated colts in Canada’s premier classic, the Queen’s Plate, and took the Canadian Oaks, La Lorgnette Stakes, Fanfreluche Stakes, and Ontario Lassie Stakes, and the dam of Dixie Strike, a graded stakes winner and grade one placed performer who defeated males in the classic Prince of Wales Stakes, and is herself the dam of stakes winner Forever Dixie.
The second dam of this colt is the multiple stakes winner Green Noble, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Skybound, and to Abigailthewife, winner of the La Prevoyante Stakes (G2) and dam of graded winner Krieger.
Green Noble is out of four-time stakes winner Hattab Voladora, a half-sister to graded placed Lopokova, the dam of stakes winner Lake Baikhal, and to Bless the Bride, the dam of stakes winners Blizz Bless and Blameitonrio, and granddam of the stakes winning and grade one placed Bless My Destiny. The dam of Hattab Voladora, Wonderful Gal, is a sister to ten-times stakes winner and successful sire Al Hattab.
Rated A++ by TrueNicks, this mating represents the cross of Munnings over Lemon Drop Kid which has produced grade one winner Eda and stakes winner Late September.
A compilation video of all four colts in the ring at the sale can be viewed here. At this time, our minimum subscription amount is 2.5% ($57,500) with a total capitalization of $2,300,000. That accounts for all of their expenses through 2026 and includes contributions to our Equine Retirement Fund. All four colts have settled in well in Middleburg, where they will undergo their early training and be made eligible for the lucrative Virginia Residency Program. Please contact the office for more information or if you would like a hard copy brochure.
