Keeneland November Sale Kicks Off in Lexington Tuesday

[Wandering Eyes]

Following a busy week in racing, Keeneland picks up the mantle with its marquee bloodstock auction of the season, the November Breeding Stock Sale.

Last week's Keeneland Championship Sale at Del Mar was highlighted by the $3-million final price paid by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa for a share in hot Taylor Made stallion Not This Time. This week, the attention is directed squarely on broodmares and weanlings, and Keeneland has catalogued over 3,086 spanning eight days of selling.

Among the headliners in this year's catalog are GI Derby City Distaff Stakes scorer Vahva (Gun Runner), GISW Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) and recently added supplement Super Simple, dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora (Gun Runner).

Vahva, an earner of over $2 million, finished runner-up in the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint last weekend.

“Vahva is a high-class competitor who has faced and defeated many of the sport's most talented female sprinters in each of the past three seasons,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “She was bought at Keeneland, she was trained here and she won at Keeneland. It is full circle that she comes back here to sell as a broodmare.”

“She is a Grade I winner by Gun Runner who is a tough, hard-knocking filly that is beautiful. She shows up every time,” he continued. “And I think she is one of those fillies, if anyone is looking for a tough, high quality progeny, she has all the credentials to meet those needs. The market is really hungry for young fillies with pedigree with race record and have the physical and she fits the bill.”

Late supplement Super Simple, Lacy explained that timing of her juvenile filly's victory in Del Mar factored heavily in bringing the mare to market for the November sale.

“She was actually going to be in the January sale as part of the Woodford Thoroughbreds Dispersal,” explained Lacy. “As a result of the Breeders' Cup, it was discussed what was the better option. It was a little bit of a 50/50 call, but the timing was great. The mare is not prepped and she shows up here straight out of the paddock. But she's in foal to Gunite. With only her second foal, she gets a Breeders' Cup winner. You can't get a greater opportunity than this. It's a great opportunity to come here with a young mare in foal to a young, hot stallion and coming off a Breeders' Cup win.”

Lush Lips, trained by Brendan Walsh, also received an important update of late, winning Keeneland's GII Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Oct. 11.

“She is a filly that just keeps improving,” he said. “She has a lot of racing in front of her. Anybody who wants to play at the highest level, she can bring them back to the Breeders' Cup next year. She is on the improve and has a pedigree that backs her up as well.”

This year's November Sale catalog also includes:

• Dispersal of Bonne Chance Thoroughbreds — Gainesway is consigning seven broodmares and six weanlings. Hidden Brook is consigning 10 broodmares, one broodmare prospect and one weanling.
• Dispersal of Woodford Thoroughbreds (Phase 1) —
• Denali Stud is handling the sale of seven broodmares and one broodmare prospect. Taylor Made Sales Agency is consigning three racing or broodmare prospects.
• Previously announced curated reduction of bloodstock owned by Leonard and Jon Green'sJ. Stable. Taylor Made Sales Agency is consigning 31 broodmares, racing or broodmare prospects and one broodmare prospect. Hill 'n Dale at Xalapa is consigning one mare in foal to Curlin.

“Dispersals are generally well received because there is a genuine reasons for doing it,” Lacy said. “People know that they pretty much get what is on offer, so they do a bit of a premium.”

“Keeneland has been successful with a number of dispersals over the years and it is a great way for us to represent a solid breeding program that have some times been developed over generations. People know we can showcase them here in front of a world audience.”

Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish will have his first weanlings pass through the ring at Keeneland | Horsephotos

Among the horses in the catalog are the first mares in foal to such stallions as GI Preakness winner Seize the Grey, GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch and Breeders' Cup winner More Than Looks along with the first weanlings by stallions including Horse of the Year Cody's Wish and Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

“Weanlings that come here by first season sires are usually good representations of each of those stallions,” he said. “Obviously, they come here with the expectation that they will showcase here. It creates a benchmark for buyers for what these horses have coming next year. It also allows pinhookers to buy [weanlings by] young stallions that will be heavily sought after in the yearling market. So it can be a more stable market for those stallions. We are also seeing some really quality sires being developed and everyone is trying to get in at that point. They want horses that look like their father and the qualities of the dam.”

The November Breeding Stock Sale will open with a single-day Book 1 with a select group of broodmares, broodmare prospects and weanlings in the catalog.

• Book 1 (Session 1) – Tuesday, Nov. 4. Session will begin at 2 p.m. (224 hips catalogued plus supplementals)

Every remaining session begins at 10 a.m.

• Book 2 (Sessions 2-3) – Wednesday-Thursday, Nov. 5-6. (389 & 401 catalogued)
• Book 3 (Sessions 4-5) – Friday-Saturday, Nov. 7-8. (422 & 415 catalogued)
• Book 4 (Sessions 6-8) – Sunday-Tuesday, Nov. 9-11. (414, 415 catalogued; Nov. 11 – 290 & 117 catalogued)

This year, Keeneland has adjusted the format of Book 4 to include three sessions. Sessions 6 and 7–which comprise the regularly scheduled Book 4–will sell Sunday, Nov. 9 and Monday, Nov. 10.

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Sessions 8 and 9 will be combined into a single day of selling. Horses cataloged to Session 8 will sell in the morning and will be immediately followed by horses cataloged to Session 9. Consignors with horses in Session 9 will sell those horses in the afternoon of Session 8 with the morning hours available for showing.

“It's trying to consolidate as many books as possible,” said Lacy, explaining the adjustment. “What we are trying to do is make sure that we get as many of the horses in front of the right people. That has always been our focus.”

He continued, “People's time and the time they spend with us is valuable. The more we are able to accommodate the buyers and the time they spend with us and we are not drawing it out longer than it needs to be, the better. Because of the diversity of our buying base, we want to make sure there is enough diversity in front of our buyers, like those coming from Europe, the Far East or Australia and all over the U.S. We want to make sure that there is something for everybody and at all price points.”

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