Building Keeneland January, Some Assembly Required

[Wandering Eyes]

Through three sessions of next week's Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, over 1,300 broodmares, short yearlings, racing and stallion prospects will cross through the ring en route to new beginnings. And while it may be a fresh start for many of them, the sale marks the end of a process that dates back to September for Keeneland's new Sales Recruitment Manager Josie Mattmiller.

“We consider the January sale an extension of the November sale and there are some real advantages to January because there is a lot of good racing between the Breeders' Cup and year end to create fresh updates,” said Mattmiller of how the January Sale begins to take shape through the preceding year.

The sales team at Keeneland works hand in hand with their partners in the industry each season to keep their finger on racing's pulse and a spider web of owners, breeders, trainers and consigners keep in constant communication to find the best spot for each particular horse regardless of its stage in life.

“We are always seeking mares in foal to and short yearlings by attractive sires. We have an eye on anything catching action on the track that there might be an opportunity to capitalize on.”

While a different sort of beast when lined up against Keeneland's marquee events in September and November, the January Sale catalog reflects a continuation of the same recruiting process that has led to Keeneland's success across the board. Mattmiller acknowledged subtle differences in the way the catalogs come together but admits the core of the team's style stays much the same.

“The owner of a yearling we want to feature in the September sale may also own a race filly we want to feature in the November sale. It is imperative that we maintain the relationship with not only the owner but the breeder, consignor, trainer, agent so that we can all work together to achieve the shared goal of buying and selling horses. Consistency is key in recruitment.”

And though this year's January Sale was shortened from four days down to three, Mattmiller highlights the steady quality of the catalog and expressed optimism as momentum carries on from 2024.

“The sale is smaller than normal this year, but we are selling more horses a day, which adds to the excitement. The best thing about a brick-and-mortar sale, no matter the time of year, is that the horses are in one place for you to connect with. [We have] young mares in foal to leading sires like Into Mischief and Gun Runner [and] to hot young sires like Vekoma, McKinzie, and Complexity. And mares in foal to freshman sires like Elite Power, Forte, Cody's Wish, Gunite, Arcangelo and Arabian Lion. A half-sister to Breeders Cup Champion Straight No Chaser that is in foal to Vekoma will be offered, plenty of horses of racing age, stallion prospects, and a few dispersals are being presented as well. There is a horse here for everyone. The market has been very strong and consistent for recent sales, and we expect the same to take place at Keeneland next week.”

Even as seemingly relentless snow and cold weather continue to plague central Kentucky, Keeneland stands ready to put on a show as buyers, sellers and horses arrive through the weekend for Monday's opening session.

“It's all hands-on deck at Keeneland right now. Everyone is doing their part to prepare in order to give participants the best experience possible. A special thanks go to the maintenance crews who have gone above and beyond to make sure the grounds are accessible and safe. They have been working their tails off all week only with more inclement weather on the horizon. It is never easy when you're hit with a snow and ice storm so close to a sale, but we have the best team in the world, and they have done this before, many times. We are dedicated to making the January sale go off without a hitch.”

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