Keeneland Auctioneer Cris Caldwell Passes Away

[Wandering Eyes]

Cris Caldwell, who continued the legacy of his late father Tom Caldwell as an integral part of the Keeneland auctioneering team for decades, has passed away.

“Cris was known for his work ethic, keen wit and, like his father, his ability to command the sales ring, and he presided over some of the most memorable events in Keeneland sales history,” Bill Thomason, President and CEO of Keeneland, said. “Within approximately three hours at the 2006 September Yearling Sale, he was the auctioneer for both Meydan City, who brought an auction-record $11.7 million, and Plavius, who sold for $9.2 million. At the November Breeding Stock Sale, Cris sold Playful Act (Ire) for a record $10.5 million, and he sold [GI] Kentucky Derby winner and future Hall of Famer Winning Colors for $4.1 million. Keeneland extends its sincerest condolences to Cris’ brother, Scott, also a longtime member of Keeneland’s auction team; his daughters Alden and Laurel; and his entire family. He will be greatly missed.”

John Henderson worked alongside Caldwell for the past 30 years.

“Sitting on the stand across from him, it was always amazing to me how Cris was able to get the last dollar for every horse–he worked very hard for each and every horse. Cris had the innate ability to quickly appraise a horse from the auction stand before selling it and that enabled him to get the last dollar on any horse that he auctioned,” Henderson said. “He was one of the hardest-working auctioneers I’ve ever been around. Cris had a lot of confidence. That came through in his voice and in his chant from the auction stand. This is a loss to the whole auctioneering fraternity. ”

A release from Caldwell’s family was pending as of Saturday afternoon.

This story will be updated.

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