Prominent Bloodlines Offered at Keeneland November

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale begins Nov. 5 and will run through Nov. 13 in Lexington. A total of 3,373 horses have been cataloged for the nine-day sale that consists of five books, including some of the world's top-class broodmares, broodmare prospects, and weanlings. The sale will include four dispersals of some of the most coveted breeding stock in the industry.

"I think we have to be very optimistic about a good, healthy environment for the November Sale," said Tony Lacy, vice president of sales at Keeneland. "A lot of people did well from their yearlings, a lot of the breeders and pinhookers, so the intention for a lot of them is to reinvest and rebuild, whether it be broodmares or weanlings again this year."

Coming just after the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Nov. 1-2, there are many weanlings on offer who received timely page updates. Breeders' Cup participant Anisette  also will go through the ring. 

Anisette will be there Tuesday as Hip 229, consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent. The multiple grade 1 winner, who finished ninth in the Filly & Mare Turf (G1), has earned just under $1 million. She was campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Leonard Powell.

Empire of My Own, a half sister to record-setting sprinter Cogburn  , is cataloged as Hip 172 for Nov. 5. The 4-year-old Classic Empire  mare is in foal to Curlin   and consigned by Claiborne Farm. Cogburn finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 2, and a stallion share in him sold for $475,000 to Richard and Connie Snyder during Keeneland's inaugural Championship Sale at Del Mar. Cogburn will stand at WinStar for the 2025 season.

A mare sure to attract some attention is Hip 148, Charlee O , a half sister to Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner and Horse of The Year candidate Thorpedo Anna . She dominated the field leading gate to wire and easily held off grade 1 winner Raging Sea . The Tourist   mare is offered in foal to Volatile   and will be consigned by Grovendale Sales, agent.

Other Breeders' Cup connections in the sale include an Army Mule   half brother to Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Soul of an Angel , consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, agent, as Hip 979; and Hip 2859, a half brother by Union Rags   to Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Gaming , selling with Lane's End, agent.

Many sires will have their first crop of weanlings on offer, including 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline  . Epicenter  , Life Is Good  , and Mandaloun   are among the other stallions represented in the catalog.

"It's a very strong group of first-season sires. I think that's going to be a very strong driver for the weanling market," said Lacy. "A lot of those weanlings, we've had very high feedback, very strong feedback, from everything we've heard and seen. I think everyone is very excited about the Flightline weanlings, and that has been exciting and also drove the price of the share ($2.5 million) at the Championship Sale the other night.

"There are a lot of others that are very promising, exciting young stallions that have great promise in the future. And, there's mares in foal to first-season sires like Horse of the Year Cody's Wish. So, you've got this next generation. I think we're in a very fun time in the marketplace, because of the crops that are coming through now. The stallions are probably some of the best crops we have seen from first-season sires in recent memory."

The sale will include the dispersal of the Estate of John Hendrickson. Gainesway will consign 12 broodmares and seven weanlings.

Claiborne Farm will handle the complete dispersal of the Stuart S. Janney III breeding stock, including 13 broodmares and two broodmare prospects.

Taylor Made Farm will represent the complete dispersal of Siena Farm breeding stock, made up of 31 broodmares and one broodmare prospect, including one of their top homebreds, grade 2 winner Isabella Sings , who is in foal to Flightline, who was campaigned by Siena Farm and partners.

The complete dispersal of Solera Farm will be split between Taylor Made Sales Agency and Lane's End Farm. It will include 23 broodmares, 14 weanlings, six broodmare prospects, two racing or broodmare prospects, and one stallion.

"Dispersals are a bittersweet environment, because you see dissolution of programs that have been very successful over the years," said Lacy. "However, it's a great opportunity for somebody to capitalize on their great programs. We're very proud to represent the sellers in this endeavor."

Last year's sale produced a gross of $188,891,000, including private sales from 2,221 horses to change hands. The average was $85,048, with a median of $32,000. An 18.6% RNA rate represented the 507 horses who failed to meet their reserve. 

Puca , the dam of 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage   and 2024 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch  , topped the sale at $2.9 million, selling to Gavin O'Connor on behalf of John Stewart. The Big Brown   mare sold in foal to Good Magic   and was consigned by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management, agent.

Taylor Made Sales Agency sold 271 horses for a total of $23,709,900 to be the leading consignor. West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable, spent $5,220,000 on nine head to be the sale's leading buyer. 

"I think you have sort of a growing sense of optimism in the marketplace, from many perspectives," Lacy said. "We see a lot of international people walking the grounds here. We've been very aggressive in our recruiting over the last two or three years on the international front. Keeneland is a strong brand across the world, so this has become very much a mark on everybody's calendar to be here, which is very important with the success of a lot of the American pedigrees over the last number of years. It has created a real demand for American stock."

The first session of the sale begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET, with 254 horses cataloged for Book 1. The following nine sessions will begin at 10 a.m. ET.  As of Monday afternoon, Keeneland has reported 58 outs for the first session.

"We've got a very deep bench of broodmares, broodmare prospects, weanlings, for the vast majority of the market, and at the top end of the market," said Lacy. "There are a lot of people looking to invest in that next group. We've got a great catalog for what people are looking for, and people are excited about it."