Keeneland November Stays Strong Into Book 3

[Wandering Eyes]

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued Friday into Book 3 with young mares and weanlings by young, exciting stallions bringing a premium.

“Today's session exceeded expectations, and it felt more like a continuation of Book 2 than the start of Book 3,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “The energy here has been tremendous, and we continue to see an incredible diversity of buyers eager to reinvest after such a strong year. There's a real sense of optimism and momentum that's carrying through every session and I think that's reflective of the buyers' confidence in the market.”

On the first day of a two-day Book 3, 270 horses sold for $25,416,500, a 39.69% increase from the same session one year ago where 244 horses brought $18,195,500. In keeping with current strong sales trends, the median and average were both up by double digits with the average rising 26.23% to $94,135 and the median up 25% to $75,000. 72 horses failed to meet their reserve Friday, just a tick up from the 70 that RNA'd last year.

So far through the 2025 Keeneland November Sale, 866 horses (up 8.52% from 800 last year) have sold for a gross of  $189,542,500, a marked 31.81% year over year increase. To date, the average sits at $218,871 and the median is at $150,000. Last year's median through the same point in the sale was $179,753 and the average was $115,000. Nine horses sold Friday for over $300,000, easily eclipsing the two that sold in the Book 3 opener in 2024.

Hip 1423 | Keeneland

Unchained Elaine (hip 1049), a 3-year-old American Pharoah filly who placed in the Any Limit Stakes at Gulfstream earlier this year for owner/breeder/trainer Patrick Biancone, co-topped the session bringing $375,000 from CF Farms. Consigned by Grovendale Sales as agent, Unchained Elaine was entered as a racing or broodmare prospect with earnings over $170,000. Last raced in July at Gulfstream, her race record stands at 12-3-2-1.

A trio of mares brought over $300,000 including a pair of Street Sense mares, both offered in foal. Calle Amanda (hip 1134), consigned by Claiborne Farm and in foal to Tiz the Law, went to Trinitas Place LLC on a final bid of $360,000 while East Bloodstock picked up Encourageachother (hip 1188) from the Woods Edge Farm consignment for $310,000 in foal to Muth. Another young mare, Ember Lynn (hip 1185) sold in foal to Elite Power and went to Iapetus Racing for $300,000.

Joining Unchained Elaine at the top of the session was a $375,000 weanling filly (hip 1423) by leading first-crop sire Yaupon who provided some last-session fireworks as one of the last horses through the ring Friday. Out of a Belmont course record-setter in Southern Gem, the filly is a half to GSW Ole Crazy Bone (Ghostzapper). Moreau Bloodstock, who consigned her Friday, purchased her stakes-placed first dam in foal to War of Will for $75,000 at Keeneland November three years ago. That resulting filly, now named Bird the Banker, was a $180,000 Keeneland September yearling last year for BSW/Crow Colts Group.

Pick View added a $310,000 Yaupon colt (hip 1161) from the Pope McLean (Crestwood Farm) consignment while the top-priced filly of the day was a daughter of Blame (hip 1346) who went to Tracy Farmer on a final bid of $300,000.

Weanlings from first-crop sires continued to be in demand in the Book 3 opener with Cherry Knoll Farm signing for three on the day, two colts and one filly. The $310,000 paid for a colt (hip 1090) from the crop of Kentucky Derby winner Mage matched the highest price paid for one of his weanlings to date.

Peter Pugh, who signed the ticket for all three weanlings, also added an Elite Power colt for $300,000 and a filly from the second crop of Jackie's Warrior for $100,000, bringing the farm's total allotment to seven for the sale.

“Two nice colts,” said Pugh of the day's top two purchases. “It was extremely difficult buying colts, especially. There's not a lot of availability for the proven sires like a Not This Time. There's no availability now. We did get a Vekoma over at Fasig [the November Sale] but those proven sires are very, very tough to come by. You have to get in behind what you think is a nice horse, like Cody's Wish and Mage.”

Cherry Knoll paid $320,000 for that Cody's Wish filly (hip 45) during Tuesday's opening session and Pugh was keen to add a weanling from the Horse of the Year's debut crop to the farm's pinhooking roster.

Hip 1090 | Keeneland

“There's a lot I like about Cody's Wish and he was such a cool horse,” Pugh said. “We were in Saratoga and a friend of ours was getting on Cody's Wish. He used to ride him by the barn all the time and he was the coolest horse you ever saw in your life. And of course, he ended up who he is. I said 'you know something, if he goes to stud, I'd love to have one of him'.”

Pugh found plenty of competition in the market both Friday and earlier in the week as pinhookers battle to stock up ahead of the 2026 yearling sales.

“It's almost impossible [to buy],” Pugh continued. “It's not that we're timid. We're in there as good as we can be but sometimes you just have to pull back. The whole market across the board is difficult to buy and that goes with broodmares too. It's tough. In support of the breeder, they're the backbone of the business. I'm sort of glad it's happening for them. There were a lot of people on the horses that we bought. It's happened over and over again. You end up spending probably 20-25% more than what you value the horse at. That's just the way it goes. At this point, if you want a nicer horse, and nothing's promised in this business but I'm hoping that we bought [nicer horses], you have to do that. That's all there is to it. You have to step up.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Tuesday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

The post Keeneland November Stays Strong Into Book 3 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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