Keeneland prices stay high

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Bloodstock prices at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale remained high Friday as the auction, with six days of selling yet to come, blew past last year's 10-day total.

Although prices were no longer at the multimillion-dollar levels seen at the sale's opening two sessions earlier in the week, buyers were still bidding aggressively for stock on Saturday.

By 5 p.m. Saturday, the sixth session's top price was $340,000 for the 6-year-old Gone West mare Widady. Hopewell Investments bought the mare, who sold in foal to Officer. Hopewell also bought the next lot, Widady's weanling Royal Anthem colt, for $32,000. Mill Ridge, agent, sold both horses.

On Friday, the fifth session sold 269 horses for a total of $15,386,500. That was up 28 percent from last year's equivalent session. That brought this year's five-day auction total to $201,790,500, up 8 percent from 2002's grand total of $187,230,000 for 10 days and 2,377 horses.

Friday's average price of $57,199 and median were well up from last year's fifth day, which rang up a $44,435 average and a $32,000 median.

The Friday session-topper was the $400,000 broodmare West is West, in foal to Maria's Mon. Copperhead Stable bought the Gone West mare from Robert Courtney's Crestfield Farm.

The sale is to continue through Nov. 13.

* A $150,000 share in Deputy Commander and a $100,000 no-guarantee season to Seeking the Gold were the top lots Friday night at Stallion Access's November auction of shares and seasons at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, Ky. Stallion Access does not identify the buyers at its auctions, but it reported that it sold 36 seasons for a gross of $827,200 and an average price of $22,978. It also sold six shares for $195,500, an average of $32,583.