Flavien Prat, on top of Bourbon Breeze, won the 3rd race Thursday at Keeneland. April 10, 2025 Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Icon Racing Goes All In At Keeneland September Sale

Originally posted on Horse Racing on SI | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 11:53 AM ET

The Keeneland September Sale continues as the industry’s gold standard, offering over 4,000 yearlings across multiple books and two full weeks of action. Book 1 delivered the expected fireworks, with bidding battles on elite pedigrees, while Book 2 opened opportunities to uncover equally exciting prospects.

Prices were extremely strong again this year, driven in part by the tax incentives from the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which has clearly opened up pocketbooks across the industry.

Icon Racing's Jayson Werth commented after the action. "We were in heavy on a Quality Road filly — stopped at $300,000, only to come back with a buzzer-beater strike at $350,000 to land her. That dramatic finish captured the intensity of Book 1 perfectly."

In Book 2, the Icon Racing Team stretched for Hip 582, a Yaupon colt out of Wealth Creation, ultimately landing him for $475,000 after an exciting bidding war. A beautiful May foal with the physical and presence to match his pedigree, he embodies our “big dreams, big aspirations” approach. "Our partners at Legion Racing LOVED him from the start, and we’re thrilled to have him in the Big Brown fund" Werth added.

Icon Racing Positioning For 2025

With this purchase, the Big Brown fund now has 5 horses totaling $1.5 million in acquisitions.
Icon Racing has proven it can compete shoulder-to-shoulder with established syndicates, making bold moves in both Book 1 and Book 2.

Unlike traditional syndicates, Icon Racing continues to operate with no fees and no markups — every dollar goes into the horses. Investors are truly aligned, standing alongside us in every purchase.
Icon Racing's Affirmed and Big Brown vintages now firmly positio nthemselves as a cornerstone in modern ownership.

Werth was excited after the bidding ended. "We’re showing that a fresh approach can go toe-to-toe with industry giants, while staying true to our model: accessible ownership, bold acquisitions, and horses with the class to compete at the highest level"

The energy around this year’s Keeneland sale proves Icon Racing is not only here, but here to stay — rewriting the ownership playbook.

This article first appeared on Horse Racing on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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