Keeneland horses of racing age sale catalog remains in flux
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The Keeneland November horses of racing age sale, which has kept a strong profile since its decoupling from the November breeding stock sale, is set for Wednesday afternoon with a catalog that is still fluctuating.
Keeneland initially cataloged 184 horses for the horses of racing age sale. Supplemental entries, seeking to strike while the iron is hot, drove that up to 215 cataloged hips as of Monday morning. But since plans for racing stock can be fluid and private deals often take place before the sale – particularly on stallion prospects – there were 84 withdrawals from that group as of Monday morning, some coming in just in the preceding 12 hours.
Shoppers will still find a wide selection of prospects. The majority are 2- and 3-year-olds well-poised to head into winter meets around the country, but there also are proven older runners who could continue racing or join a breeding program. Domestic buyers often snap up stakes-quality fillies at this sale, while regional and international buyers are known to shop for stallion prospects.
Racing or stallion prospects cataloged as of Monday morning include Bishops Bay, who has won three Grade 3 stakes this year, most recently the Forty Niner on Nov. 2. World Record won the Grade 2 Amsterdam last year and is Grade 1-placed this year, while stakes winner Crudo was second in the Dwyer last Saturday. The catalog also includes Grade 3 winner Fort Bragg, Grade 3 winner Mo Stash, and Grade 2-placed Tuscan Gold.
Prominent fillies cataloged include stakes winners Dancing N Dixie, third in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf on Sunday; and Hollygrove, third in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness.
After a selection of racehorses in the second week of the Keeneland November mixed sale became steadily more popular, Keeneland broke the horses of racing age sale out into its own single session in 2022. Recent graduates include Phileas Fogg, purchased for $55,000 in 2023. He won this year’s Grade 2 Suburban and placed in two other graded events this season.
Captain Cook was the second-highest price of the 2024 sale at $410,000. He won this year’s Withers and placed in four other stakes, including a runner-up effort by a nose in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.
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