$100K mare tops Keeneland day

A $100,000 broodmare was the top seller Thursday as the Keeneland November breeding stock sale wound toward its Nov. 17 conclusion in Lexington. But Thursday's 11th session ended with declines, following the auction's general trend since its Nov. 3 opening.

The declines were less severe than in recent sessions, but Thursday's numbers were down 35 percent in gross receipts, 27 percent in average price, and 29 percent in median. The session sold 230 horses for $2,993,700, compared with a gross of $4,622,200 for 259 horses last year on the equivalent day. The 2008 average was $13,016, and the median was $10,000. Session buy-backs were 21 percent, up from 19 percent in 2007.

Through the 11th session, the auction had sold 2,229 horses for $178,869,000, a drop of 46 percent from last season at the same point, when 2,666 had sold. The cumulative average of $80,246 was off 36 percent, and the $31,000 median was down by 38 percent. Buy-backs rose from 22 percent last year to 30 percent.

Marty Takacs's Belvedere Farm agency consigned the $100,000 session-topper, the 5-year-old Gold Legend mare Quick Command. E-Stable was the buyer. Quick Command was cataloged in foal to Bernstein.