The ongoing Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, Ky., is the premier event each year in the Thoroughbred world for those in search of future superstar racehorses. It’s a 12-day-long event from Sept. 8-20 with roughly 4,700 horses cataloged and it offers owners many opportunities to test their skill at identifying next-gen standouts while backing those opinions up with dump trucks filled with dollars.

Much of the big spending occurs during the first week of the sale, which is happening right now – although many top-shelf racehorses have been bought for relatively bargain prices in the later sessions. One example: the last filly to win a Triple Crown race, 2020 Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver, was purchased well into the 2018 Keeneland September sale by trainer Ken McPeek as agent for owner Peter Callahan costing … well, see below.

How do Keeneland September sale figures measure up to expenditures in sports, business, and other realms? Here’s a quick look to give you an idea of the dollars at stake:

$3.3 million vs. $3.3 million

Day 1 session topper. (Keeneland photo)

The top-priced yearling from Keeneland’s opening session Sept. 8, bought by Coolmore, Peter Brant, and Ron Winchell

– vs. –

The fourth-highest sale price for a home in Lexington so far in 2025, located just northwest of Keeneland and the sale grounds

$428.097 million vs. $348.867 million

Otani at bat. (Wikimedia Commons)

The total proceeds of the 2024 Keeneland September sale through 12 sessions

– vs. –

The 2025 payroll for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the highest in Major League Baseball (Shohei Otani earns $28.2 million)

$147,926 vs. $148,700

Electric Benz power. (Wikimedia Commons)

The average price of a yearling bought at the 2024 Keeneland September sale

– vs. –

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for a fully-loaded 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS (electric-powered) Sedan – which gets an estimated 98 miles per gallon

$13.1 million vs. $17.7 million vs. $13.9 million

Taylor's Eras Tour. (Wikimedia Commons)

The highest-priced yearling ever sold at Keeneland, Seattle Dancer, went through the auction ring in July 1985 (Keeneland discontinued the July sale in 2003)

– vs. –

The 1985 sales price adjusted for inflation (through July 2025)

– vs. –

The average gross of a Taylor Swift concert from her 2023-24 Eras Tour (total gross: $2.077 billion, the highest ever for a tour)

$35,000 vs. $30,000

Swiss Skydiver (Eclipse Sportswire)

The auction price for a yearling filly named Swiss Skydiver, who sold in 2018 and earned more than $2.2 million on the track

– vs. –

The cost of a high-end bathroom remodel in 2025.

So, the next time you see one of those ubiquitous “done in a day” commercials for walk-in showers and such … how ‘bout splurging on a potential Preakness winner instead?