Keeneland November sale passes halfway mark amid solid gains

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Keeneland November breeding stock sale soared past its midway point showing continued gains, including strength in the middle marketplace.

On Saturday evening, the Keeneland November sale concluded its fifth of nine sessions, with the single-session Book 1 and the two-session Books 2 and 3 now concluded. Keeneland reports that to this point, 1,055 horses have sold for gross receipts of $163,353,500. At this same point of last year’s sale, under the same formatting, 1,058 horses had traded for $154,748,000. Both sets of figures include only horses sold through the ring, not including private sales that Keeneland will later factor in to official results.

Although there were solid figures in the average and median earlier in the week in Books 1 and 2, Book 3, as the sale moved more into the middle marketplace, showed a surge in the figures. The Book 3 opener on Friday posted gains of 21 percent in the average and 20 percent in the median from the comparable session in 2023. The book's second and final session on Saturday saw the same gains of 21 percent in the average and 20 percent in the median.

Fueled by that, Keeneland November's cumulative average price through five sessions overall is $154,837, up six percent from $146,265 at this same point last year. The cumulative median is up 19 percent, at $95,000 compared to $80,000.

The cumulative buyback rate - which, along with the median, is considered the most crucial figure in assessing the overall health of the marketplace - is improved to 25 percent, compared to 27 percent.

Book 3's highest price was the $600,000 broodmare prospect Adoptable, purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm in the Friday session. The unraced 3-year-old daughter of Curlin was consigned by Claiborne Farm, as agent.

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Adoptable is out of the Grade 2-placed Ghostzapper mare American Story, whose six winners from seven starters are led by multiple Grade 1 winner American Gal. She is also the dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Americanize and Grade 3-placed Magic Tap. Grade/Group 1 winners Reynaldothewizard and Seventh Street also appear on the catalog page.

Keeneland November now continues with Books 4 and 5, consisting of two sessions each, running with no break through Nov. 13. The single-session November horses of racing age sale, which was broken out into its own session with separately reported figures in 2022, follows on Nov. 14.

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