Keeneland Has Momentum Entering November Sale

When Keeneland launches its November breeding stock sale Nov. 8, the Lexington sales company will be riding a wave of momentum that includes Breeders' Cup World Championships victories by eight of its graduates, three of which were sold as weanlings in previous fall sales.

The three Breeders' Cup (all grade I) winners that sold as weanlings at Keeneland November are TwinSpires Sprint winner Drefong, 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies winner Champagne Room, and Filly and Mare Sprint winner Finest City. 

The Keeneland November Sale begins Tuesday, Nov. 8 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 20. Sessions for the Nov. 8-9 Book 1 start at 11 a.m. ET, with the remainder of the sale sessions beginning at 10 a.m. each day.

In addition to its graduates that won Breeders' Cup races, 2016 Keeneland November offerings include siblings to Sentient Jet Juvenile winner Classic Empire and Juvenile Fillies winner Champagne Room. Uptown Twirl, a 4-year-old stakes-winning half sister to Classic Empire, is consigned as Hip 2305 by Lane's End, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect. Denali Stud, agent, consigns as Hip 2150 a weanling half sister to Champagne Room by Drosselmeyer.

"We are very proud of graduates winning eight races that included three pinhooks from our November sales," said Keeneland sales director Geoffrey Russell. "People come here to buy stock to perform on the big stage."

Keeneland's 2016 catalog consists of 2,287 broodmares and broodmare prospects, 1,836 weanlings, 544 horses of racing age, and three stallions. Among the grade I winners are My Conquestadory (in foal to leading sire Tapit  ), Celestine, Paola Queen, Peace and War (also in foal to Tapit), Personal Diary, and Street Fancy. The sale will include the dispersals of Conquest Stables, VinMar Farm, and Rosemont Farm.

Topped by the $6 million sale of champion Take Charge Brandi—the most expensive Thoroughbred sold at public auction worldwide last year—Keeneland's 2015 sale saw 2,575 horses gross more than $218.9 million for an average price of $85,033, both the highest since 2007. In Book 1 alone, the gross exceeded $108.8 million, with the 279 head sold averaging $390,244.

Also at the sale, a North American record price for a weanling was set for the second year in a row when a filly by War Front   out of grade I winner Take Charge Lady (Take Charge Brandi's second dam) sold for $3.1 million.

"There is great interest across the board," Russell said. "Book 1 is very good with broodmares and broodmare prospects as it always is, but there are more foals this year in that book. The foal market last year was very strong and foal-to-yearling pinhooks did very well."

The Keeneland sale will also include dispersals of Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell's Conquest Stables, Marc Ferrell's VinMar Farm (St George Sales, agent); and Jim Eigel's Rosemont Farm (Trackside Farm, agent).

Expected to attract considerable attention is the Conquest dispersal in which more than 110 horses are being offered without reserve. The dispersal is headed by grade I winner My Conquestadory, in foal to leading sire Tapit  , and her 2016 Tapit colt.

The dispersal also includes five weanlings, 41 racing and broodmare prospects, 61 racing and stallion prospects, 42 3-year-olds, and 44 2-year-olds.

Semersky announced earlier this year he would be leaving the racing and breeding industry and enlisted Lane's End to handle the dispersal. Lane's End handled the 2011 dispersal of the late Edward P. Evans' Spring Hill Farm that grossed a record $62,364,000.

Ranked 32nd in 2014 by annual purses won, Conquest rose to 18th last year and, with more than $2.4 million to date in 2016, ranks 15th as 42 of its 240 starters have found the winner's circle for an 18% strike rate. Lane's End's Bill Farish said the Conquest group is unique because of the large number of horses in training that will be up for sale, providing a boost to the second week of the auction when Keeneland catalogs the racing stock.

"I think there are seriously nice horse opportunities in this group," Farish said. "Any group of racing stock assembled this quickly is obviously going to have some lesser lights due to minor injuries or maybe in hindsight they wouldn't have bought, but everything is here so people can sort through them and find the needles in the haystack.

"We hate to see someone like Ernie and Dory getting out. I do feel like once he takes a breather he will consider getting back into the business. I think he likes the business a lot. He's not bitter at all. He's a very practical, highly intelligent guy."

Russell does not make pre-sale forecasts, but said he would be surprised if there is any deviation from the stable market seen in juvenile and yearling sales earlier this year.

“We’re in a good, solid marketplace at the moment,” Russell said. “Stability is a very good thing. There is nothing that has happened this year that would change your opinion (on possible market fluctuations).”