Keeneland November: Upward trajectory continues on Wednesday

The horses kept up their parade through the sales ring on Day 10 of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale on Wednesday, with total receipts and average price for the session well above those of the 10th session last year.

On Wednesday, Keeneland sold a total of 242 horses from 312 passing through the sales ring, for an average price of $16,379, which was up 44.8% over the $11,308 average from the comparable session last year. Total receipts at the Wednesday session were $3,963,600, up 35.9% from the $2,917,500 from last year’s corresponding session. The session median of $10,000 was up 48% over the $6,750 median last year. The buy-back rate for this year’s session was 22.4%, compared with 16.5% at the 10th session last year.

For the first 10 days this year, 2,200 horses have been sold for total receipts of $215,985,500, for an average price of $98,175 and a median price of $40,000. Receipts are up 5.5% from 2014 through 10 days, the average price is up 12.6% compared with last year’s average of $87,162, and the median is even with last year. Total receipts this year surpassed last year’s total of $205,899,500 in the session on Tuesday.

The action Wednesday was strong for mares, with nine of the 11 highest-priced horses at the session being broodmares or broodmare prospects, though a weanling by first-crop sire Graydar was the session topper at $190,000.

The weanling colt was purchased by Twin Creeks Racing from the consignment of Shawhan Place, agent for Glendalough. He is out of the unraced First Samurai mare Karate Gal.

The first foals of Graydar, a son of Unbridled’s Song who stands at Taylor Made Farm for a fee of $15,000, have been well received at sales. Through Wednesday’s session, 15 weanlings by Graydar have sold for an average price of $120,000. Graydar, now 6 years old, raced at ages 3 and 4, and won 5 of 6 starts. Graydar won all three of his starts at 4: the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap, and Grade 2 Kelso Invitational Handicap.

The highest-priced broodmare or broodmare prospect at the session was Judy Legend, at $180,000. The 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly was sold as a broodmare prospect. Consigned by Sheltowee Sales, agent, Judy Legend is a half-sister to stakes winner Marion Ravenwood and Abstraction, and was purchased by Ashview Farm. The first dam is Grade 2 stakes winner Andujar, by Quiet American, and it is the immediate family of stakes winners Going Wild and Nureyev’s Best.

The second-highest-priced mare was Nile Queen, from the consignment of Glendalough, agent. Purchased for $95,000 by Kingswood Farm and in foal to Yankee Gentleman, she is by Pioneerof the Nile out of the stakes-placed Vindication mare Dawn Raid, dam of 2015 Saratoga Special Stakes winner Exaggerator.

The 2010 Blue Grass Stakes winner Stately Victor, who has been standing at stud in Ohio since 2013, was the last horse through the sales ring and sold for $60,000, purchased by Triple T Ranch and reportedly being sent to the Philippines for stud duty. Consigned by Eaton Sales, the son of Ghostzapper out of Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer, had stood the 2015 breeding season for an advertised fee of $3,000 and covered 18 mares this year.

The leading buyer at the Wednesday session was Calumet Farm, purchasing four horses for a total of $242,000. Calumet is the leading buyer overall by number purchased, with 71.

The sale continues on Thursday, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern, and the 12-day sale ends Friday.
Complete results of the sale can be found here.