Just two days after the Thoroughbred industry lost one of its pillars in Arthur Hancock III, his Stone Farm found a moment of triumph. The historic farm sold its highest-priced horse of the 2026 Keeneland September Yearling Sale Sept. 20, when a homebred colt by Nyquist brought $825,000 from Pin Oak Stud.
Since founding Stone Farm in 1970, Hancock has spent more than half a century breeding world-class, highly sought-after Thoroughbreds and cementing a legacy of producing elite racehorses. Stone Farm is best known for co-breeding the breed-shaping stallion Sunday Silence, who won the 1989 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1), and was second to his rival Easy Goer in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Carrying the torch at Keeneland, Stone Farm vice president Lynn Hancock mirrored the resilience and integrity she learned from her late father at the September sale.
READ: Stone Farm Founder, Industry Shaper Hancock Dies at 83
"It means a lot (to have such a successful day)," Hancock said. "He was always just trying to put the horse first and do the best thing, and run it as a business, but take care of the horse first. That's what we're going to try to carry on."
The Hancock family continues to reap rewards from Nyquist, most recently highlighted on the racetrack by Growth Equity's victory in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3). Growth Equity was purchased by Klaravich Stables for $425,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale.
Hip 1773 is out of the First Samurai mare Dilly, who has produced six winners from seven foals to race, including graded stakes-placed runners Script and Traipsing. Dilly is out of the Mr. Prospector mare Especially, who produced multiple graded stakes winners Boston Common and Storm Surge.
"He's always been really straightforward, a good-looking, balanced colt, and he showed great up here," she said. "We love the mare and the family, and this was her upgrade.
"We decided to try and breed her to a proven stallion in Nyquist, and she's rewarded us so we're really happy with that."
Arthur Hancock purchased Dilly's dam, Especially, in foal to Bernardini for $350,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
"(Dilly) has been so good to us, and she's old Stone Farm family, and we've been really proud of her, and we're really proud today."
Through the sixth session of the September Sale, Stone Farm had sold 11 horses from their draft for gross receipts of $4,570,000.
Earlier in the week, Stone Farm sold a colt (Hip 887) by Into Mischief for $700,000 to RTM Racing and a colt (Hip 938) by first-crop sire Cody's Wish for $675,000 to CHC, Maverick Racing, and Light Post Ventures.
Hip 887 was bred by B. Flay Thoroughbreds and Hip 938 was a homebred for Stone Farm.
Hip 938 is out of the Candy Ride mare Continually, who is a full sister to grade 1 winner Mastery. Hancock also purchased Steady Course, the dam of Continually and Mastery, for $20,000, in foal to Yes It's True at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale.
Stone Farm is set to offer 17 more yearlings throughout the remainder of the September Sale, including a colt from the same family as Hip 1773. During the second day of Book 4, Stone Farm will offer Hip 2715, a colt by Essential Quality out of Dilly's daughter Leeway.
"The sale has been super strong, and we've got some nice horses coming up. We're hoping (the momentum) carries over to the later books as well," Hancock said.
