Racehorses Help Keeneland January Sale End On High Note

The closing session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale kept buyers on the edges of their pavilion seats until the last moments Jan. 14 as the final racing and stallion prospects consigned to the four-day sale went through the ring. The addition of the race-ready prospects boosted action on the grounds Thursday, with the title of session-topper going to 3-year-old Carillo on a final bid of $875,000. 

Thursday's session saw 255 horses from 288 offered sell for receipts of $5.729 million at an average of $22,467 and median of $7,000. The 33 that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 11.5%. In total, 990 horses from 1,223 offered changed hands for $46,236,600. The overall average was $46,704, the median $15,000, and the 233 unsold horses represent an RNA rate of 19.1%. 

With COVID-19 still forcing some patrons to bid remotely, internet bidding saw an overall boost with more than $3 million in sales conducted online. 

"It was popular," said Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin. "One hundred and nine horses sold on the internet, and there were more than 1,200 bids on the internet, so it did prove popular again. As we've said, I think that technology is important in 2021 and beyond." 

"While we appreciate the ability to do that for the people who can't be here, we are looking forward to the day when we can welcome everybody back to Keeneland," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of sales operations. "We enjoy having them here, and as I said in September, we miss having the hustle and the bustle." 

Carillo (Hip 1566) was one of a handful of horses consigned by Lane's End, agent for the complete dispersal of the estate of Paul Pompa Jr. The 3-year-old son of Lane' End stallion Union Rags  broke his maiden in impressive fashion Jan. 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer Chad Brown, coming from last to first to win the one-mile dirt test by 2 3/4 lengths. 

"We were very impressed with his race, and he will be going to (trainer) Tom Amoss," said bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle, who signed the winning ticket on behalf of an undisclosed client. "Really, that's about it. He's an exciting 3-year-old colt, and hopefully, he improves off that effort, and we will try to go longer with him. 

    

"We didn't want to spend that much, but if you're in the market for a 3-year-old colt before (the Kentucky) Derby, you're going to have to spend. We knew that but we were hoping for just a bit less. We're happy to get him." 

Carillo is out of the Bernardini  mare Proper Mad, who was purchased earlier in the sale for $260,000 by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm in foal to Lane's End stallion Connect . The mare is out of the stakes-winning mare Private Gift, who also appears as the granddam of Alabama Stakes (G1) winner Dunbar Road. 

"Currency is the most important thing in the marketplace," said Russell. "He was a very impressive maiden winner 10 days ago, and the sky is the limit for a horse like that." 

Including Carillo, six of the top 10 sellers on Thursday were racehorses from the Pompa dispersal. Taking second billing was Hip 1563, Turned Aside, a grade 3 winner on the grass by American Pharoah  out of Sustained (by War Front ), who was purchased for $725,000 by West Point and D.J. Stable, L.E.B. agent. 

Third-highest price went to Hip 1564, a 3-year-old colt named Untreated (Nyquist ) who is out of the grade 2-placed Unbridled's Song mare Fully Living. The bay was purchased by Steve Young, agent, for $300,000. 

In total, 38 horses from the Pompa dispersal were sold for $6,790,200. 

"The January sale 2021 went off very, very well. We appreciate the trust given to us by the people who had dispersals in here," said Russell. "Mr. Pompa's racehorses sold exceptionally well today which we expected, and they were well-received in the marketplace." 

Lane's End's Allaire Ryan said the opportunity to sell the horses in January was a conscious decision made by the family and their connections, who were intent on finding the right market and the right homes for all of the program's horses. 

"Of course Mr. Pompa passed away in October," said Ryan. "With them having the entry deadline the first part of November, this sale gave the estate the opportunity to say that this is where the breeding and racing stock might be better placed, and then any 2-year-olds or short yearlings at that time in pre-training could go to a proper 2-year-olds in training sale late this spring. The timing was the main reason (we sold them here), and it gave everybody the opportunity to make a concerted effort to get all the parts in the right places and going in the right direction." 

Lane's End ended the sale as the leading consignor with 78 horses sold for $8,741,200. 

The Pompa dispersal was one of a handful that generated incredible interest from buyers across the four-days of trade. In addition to Pompa, one of the more popular offerings were 21 mares sold by Sam-Son Farm. The highly respected and award-winning Canadian operation announced in the fall of 2020 that they would cease breeding after nearly 50 years in the business. 

"All dispersals are bittersweet," said Russell. "Mr. (Ernest) Samuel started Sam-Son Farm more than 50 years ago, and a lot of time and effort has been made by the Sam-Son operation in developing these strong families that very rarely get put on the public marketplace. It was an opportunity for major breeders. Everybody had the family that they liked. To watch people develop a breeding operation so successful, it's a great testament to them and the longevity of the operation."

"This is a relationship business like so many, and a relationship business like no other," echoed Arvin. "We really appreciate that those families trusted us to handle their dispersals. It's an indication of their legacy, and we were happy to be able to provide the marketplace for that."