A chestnut son of Mr. Greeley went to Ahmed Zayat’s Zayat Stables for $875,000 midway through the third session of the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale Sept. 10 at the Central Kentucky auction house.

Sobhy Sonbol, representing Zayat Stables, signed the ticket for the colt who was consigned by Gainesway, agent. Jezebel Farm, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Bell III, and et. al., bred the colt in Kentucky.

The colt was produced from the Old Trieste mare Chinoe Road, who is out of champion Epitome (by Summing) and is from the family of grade II winner Essence of Dubai (by Pulpit) and stakes winner Danjur.

“He was a beautiful horse, looked exactly like his father, and we just loved him,” Sonbol said. “He wasn’t a very big horse but he has a lot of room for improvement. We hope he is as good as his Daddy.”

Concerning his price tag, Sonbol said, “We thought he was going to be between $500,000 to $700,000, but the good ones are fetching good money. I also think a lot of horses are falling between the cracks. The horses that we were on brought what we thought they were going to bring, some of them brought more than we thought and we just got out bid on some. That is the way it goes.”

Through 730 hips and three days of selling, Zayat has purchased seven yearlings out of the 15 they have attempted to purchase. “You can’t get them all,” Sonbol said.

The Mr. Greeley colt will be sent to the McKathen Brothers in Florida for his early training. No trainer has been decided for him.