2022 yearling sales calendar

The North American yearling sale season got off to a strong start at the Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale in Lexington, Ky., as the auction posted double-digit gains in both average and median compared to 2021. Fasig-Tipton, one of the nation’s major auction companies, continues the season in early August with its Saratoga selected yearling sale, a boutique auction that will be the first to test the upper reaches of this year’s marketplace, as well as its New York-bred yearling sale.

After that, the yearling season will continue with sales hosted by a variety of companies and breeders’ associations across the United States and Canada. Take a look at the calendar in these quick snapshots.

CTHS Manitoba yearling sale

Aug. 21, Red River Exhibition Grounds, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Kicking off the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s four divisional sales across the Canadian provinces is this auction, which boasts a major recent graduate. Manitoba-bred Escape Clause, purchased by Barry Arnason for $3,792 in 2015, went on to win 20 of 35 starts, including 18 stakes. She ventured beyond her home province, where she won two divisions of the incentive-based CTHS Sales Stakes, into deep graded company, winning the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes and finishing second by a nose to champion Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap.

WTBOA summer yearling and mixed sale

Aug. 23, Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion, Emerald Downs, Auburn, Wash.

This year’s 55th anniversary edition of the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s sale will look to build off a solid edition in 2021. The sale was led by a $47,000 Liam’s Map gelding as it posted an 18 percent gain in gross, 21 percent gain in average, and a 43 percent spike in median.

Texas summer yearling sale

Aug. 29, Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie, Texas

Last year, a number of prominent Kentucky stallions were represented in this sales catalog, but it was ultimately a Texas stallion who shone. Too Much Bling, who resides at Valor Farm, sired a $175,000 Texas-bred colt who led a trio of six-figure horses sold at this sale.

CTHS Ontario Canadian premier yearling sale

Aug. 31, Woodbine Sales Pavilion,

Etobicoke, Ontario

The Ontario division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society hosts the country’s most high-profile yearling sale. A number of the runners in the Queen’s Plate, to be contested just 10 days prior to this sale, will be graduates of this auction.

Following the Ontario sale, the CTHS’s sales will be rounded out by the British Columbia division’s yearling and mixed sale on Sept. 8 at the Thunderbird Show Park and the Alberta division’s Thoroughbred sale on Sept. 16 at Westerner Park.

ITBOA fall sale

Sept. 1, Iowa State Fairgrounds,

Des Moines, Iowa

The Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s sale is a mixed auction, but will include a number of yearlings. One highlight of this sale will be yearlings foaled, raised, and consigned by the students in the equine program at Iowa State University, which stands prominent Thoroughbred stallions Anchor Down, Blueblood, Stroll, and Timeline.

Keeneland September yearling sale

Sept. 12-24, Keeneland, Lexington, Ky.

The Keeneland September sale is considered the bellwether for the North American marketplace, as it will test a number of different market levels, for both end users and pinhookers, and offers a catalog of thousands through nearly a two-week run. The sale, which essentially marks a midway point to the season, begins with the elite Book 1 portion, which, along with the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, offers the nation’s highest-ticket yearlings. As it continues through the following books, the Keeneland sale will be a strong indicator of the strength of the middle market, a key factor in the industry’s health.

Fasig-Tipton California fall yearlings and horses of racing age sale

Sept. 27, Fairplex, Pomona, Calif.

A small but well-bred group of new stallions entered stud in California in 2020, including Om, a son of rising sire Munnings who once defeated American Pharoah; Pavel, a Grade 1 winner; and Faversham, a full brother to dual classic winner and champion California Chrome. Their first yearlings will likely be represented at this sale.

Breeders Sales of Louisiana yearling sale and mixed session

Oct. 1, Equine Sales Company facility, Opelousas, La.

After not conducting a sale from 2015 through 2020, the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association stepped up to host a sale last year, when Equine Sales Company decided not to conduct any sales in 2021. The auction posted results considered a success in the marketplace, averaging just more than $13,000 with a median of $8,000. It now hopes to carry on that momentum, with purses for accredited Louisiana-breds set to rise in coming years thanks to sports betting and historical horse racing machines.

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale

Oct. 3-4, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Md.

The Midlantic fall yearling sale typically offers a vibrant marketplace in a racing-rich region, representing yearlings from breeding programs and stallions in host state Maryland, as well as nearby New York and Pennsylvania. All are eligible for their home state’s respective lucrative statebred programs, as well as for certification programs and incentives in nearby states such as Virginia and Delaware.

OBS October yearling sale

Oct. 11-12, OBS sales pavilion,

Ocala, Fla.

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co., a valuable site for Florida-based pinhookers, hosts a selected yearling session Oct. 11, followed by an open session on the second and final day of the sale.

Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale

Oct. 24-27, Newtown Paddocks, Lexington, Ky.

The final stop on the North American yearling sales tour, the October yearling sale, has developed into a leading auction, expanding to four sessions in recent years to meet increasing market demand and providing a fine showcase for later-developing horses.