For a second consecutive year the bulk of million-dollar yearlings during Book 1 for the Keeneland September sale came during the third session.

Maybe buyers begin feeling additional pressure as the availability of yearlings selected for exceptional conformation and pedigree starts waning. This week six of the eight horses bringing a million dollars or more sold during the third session compared with six of 11 in 2015.

Another constant was the dominating presence of leading North American sire Tapit   and top international sire War Front   among the seven-figure purchases. Gainesway's Tapit had the edge on War Front this year with four millionaires to War Front's two. These power buys gave Tapit a hat trick as the leading sire by gross sales ($18,560,000), by average ($612,500), and by median ($612,500) for 28 sold of 35 offered.

Claiborne Farm's War Front was the only other Book 1 sire with gross sales exceeding $10 million and an average above $600,000. War Front had gross sales of $11,865,000 for 18 sold of 26 offered and a $659,167 average.

The averages for both Tapit and War Front exceeded what their yearlings brought during the first three sessions of the 2015 September sale. Tapit's average increased 23% compared with 2015, and War Front's average rose 4%.

The next three leading sires by average for 2016 all had yearling values jump appreciable from a year ago.

WinStar Farm's Speightstown   and Adena Springs Kentucky's Ghostzapper   both made big leaps up the stallion ranks without the benefit of a million-dollar sale.

Speightstown, who was the ninth-leading sire by average in 2015 jumped in rank to the third spot with a $428,667 average from 15 sold. The son of Gone West and 2004 Eclipse champion sprinter had his average increase 36% from a year ago.

Ghostzapper, an Adena Springs homebred by Awesome Again and 2004 Horse of the Year, is the fourth-leading sire by average for this year's Book 1, with an average of $417,857 for seven sold. In 2015 Ghostzapper was the 18th-leading sire by average for the first three sessions of the September sale. His average grew by 57% between 2015 and 2016.

Ashford Stud's Scat Daddy  , who tragically died at age 11 in December 2015, made headlines Sept. 14 when his son out of Leslie's Lady, the dam of multiple champion Beholder and sire Into Mischief  , sold for $3 million to Coolmore associate M.V. Magnier. It was the highest September purchase since Mr. Besilu sold for $4.2 million in 2010.

The sale-topping purchase made Scat Daddy the fifth-leading Book 1 sire by average at $410,833 for 24 sold. The grade I-winning son of Johannesburg had a much stronger sale overall than a year ago, the $3 million purchase aside. This year he had four yearlings sell for $500,000 or more compared with none in 2015.