'Pushing Boundaries' at the Keeneland April HORA Sale

The Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale held on the final day of Keeneland spring race meet pushed past the boundaries of what's possible for the world's largest auction house. The April 29 sale had a special update when the Rodolphe Brisset-trained Summer Anthem  surged home a winner in the fourth race on Friday's card before entering the evening's sale ring.

This year's Carousel Stakes winner, Acting Out , headlined the evening after fetching a price of $600,000 to Will and Sarah Farish from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Consigned as Hip 23, the 5-year-old daughter of Blame   has bankrolled $323,840 from 12 starts. The versatile mare was also stakes-placed on the turf in last year's Camilla Urso Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. 

"Acting Out is a six-furlong specialist, so she will be sprinting, and we hope to be back here at Keeneland for the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) in the fall," said Will Farish, who signed the ticket. "She won two in a row and looked fabulous. She's a beautiful filly, very correct, and she goes back to Stuart Janney's family—which we like and hope to breed her one day."

The standout mare has been on Farish's radar since the catalog came out, hoping that the spring purchase will pay off later this season and then down the road in the foaling barn. Farish was the day's leading buyer with his single purchase.

"You hope with buying them in April they can earn some money back between now and November, and with her being 5 the plan would be to retire her at the end of the year," Farish said. "Hopefully, we can make a little of the purchase price back; we thought we could get her for a little less than that ($600,000)."

This year 70 horses went through the ring, with 57 changing hands for gross receipts of $4,899,000, an increase of 100% over last year. An average price of $85,947 and a median of $50,000 were set for the single day of selling. An RNA rate of 18.6% represents the 13 horses who failed to meet their reserve.

"From start to finish, the energy was strong with enthusiasm all the way through at all levels; it was very encouraging. We tweaked the sale; last year it was held in the afternoon on a Monday and lacked energy from the race meet. Joining the racing and sale on the same day really worked," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "Witnessing what was going on here today, especially in the first hour, was incredible. Like the old days, there was a real buzz, which we want to keep, replicate, and build on not just for the April sale but all the sales."

Last year 48 horses went under the hammer with 37 head changing hands for gross receipts of $2,440,000. A median price of $45,000 was established and an average of $65,946. There were 11 horses who failed to meet their reserve to represent an RNA rate of 22.9%.

"The sale was good for us; we are delighted. We sold three of four and have seen a healthy market," Derek Mackenzie, co-owner of Vinery Sales, commented. "The traffic was good in the barns and had a nice momentum, and I'm not surprised you could feel it coming."

ELiTE Sales was the day's leading consignor after selling 13 of the 15 on offer for gross receipts of $1,676,000, at an average price of $128,923.

"We had a great sale, and the market was as good as any horses in training market that we have participated in," Brad Weisbord, managing partner of ELiTE Sales, said. "I think Keeneland did a great job moving the sale from the beginning of April to the end. It's uniquely positioned right before (the Kentucky) Derby (G1) and at the end of the race meet."

Weisbord added: "It's a great time in the horse business for all sellers. ELiTE has found its niche in the Horses in Training market, and there has never been a better time to sell a racehorse. This year we didn't have a sale topper, but we had a lot of 'trade' horses that were eligible for the maiden races. There was lots of action well above the reserves, over $100,000. I can tell our sellers were very happy and we had lots of action at the barn all week."

The last offering of the night, a share in the Airdrie sire Upstart  , landed as the second-highest purchase of the evening, selling for $450,000 to Mike Freeny.

"We are looking at flexibility and pushing the boundaries. It's important for us to have a catalog to present to people," Lacy said. "To get the critical masses of horses out there and for people to say this is an interesting catalog and have the flexibility to enter the horses that show current form during the spring meet especially."

Summer Anthem was a surprise late addition to the sale when the decision was made by his connections to supplement the Temple City   gelding after his maiden victory that afternoon.

"It takes a lot of people. It's not simply cool the horse out, vet it, and lead it in the ring. Rudy Brisset is a great guy, and when the horse was about to walk in the winner's circle today, we had a laugh about if it was too late to get in the sale and it wasn't. We printed pedigrees, alerted the media, made signage for the barn, they had the horse vetted and in the repository," Breathnach, director of sales operations, recanted. "We got the information in people's hands and said, 'Let's do it!'"

Gainesway Farm sent Summer Anthem through the ring, and the 3-year-old was acquired for $150,000 to Three Diamonds Farm.

Another highly anticipated buy was El Camino Derby victor Blackadder, who was consigned by ELiTE. Also trained by Brisset, the sophomore son of Quality Road   had earned a berth to this year's Preakness Stakes (G1) on the back of his El Camino Real Derby triumph. A full brother to stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Gingham , Blackadder most recently finished a disappointing ninth in the April 9 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) over the Keeneland oval.

Claiborne Farm signed the ticket on Blackadder for $250,000.

"It's hugely rewarding to work with a team like this and everyone deserves a ton of credit," Breathnach said. "From having a joke in the winner's circle to having the horse sell a few hours later and to go off to a great owner in Kirk Wycoff of Three Diamonds Farm is what it's all about. We are tickled."

The spring sale showcases the brick-and-mortar around the race meet on closing day.

"The horses of racing age sector of the market are in high demand and we want to try and support that sector," Lacy commented. "It allows people who are interested in getting into the game to get a few people together and enter into ownership in an informed way."