Keeneland rebounds from Day 1

LEXINGTON, Ky. - After posting solid returns at its second session Tuesday, the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale continued Wednesday with a $250,000 early leader in Sweet Nanette. Offered as a racing or broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Sweet Nanette, a 5-year-old You and I mare, at first appeared to be a buy-back when Taylor Made representatives signed the ticket. But they said that a partnership of Taylor Made clients, operating under the name of Rainbow Stable, had bought the mare to breed.

Sweet Nanette, still the leader as of 5 p.m., is a stakes winner who placed in the Grade 3 La Troienne and has earned more than $356,000.

At Tuesday's session, the second of five days' selling, the $370,000 broodmare Dellagrazia was the top-selling lot on a final bid from Tony Ryan's Castleton Lyons Farm in Lexington.

After posting sharp declines on Monday, the sale rebounded Tuesday with 246 lots grossing $11,233,500. That was only slightly off last year's second-day gross of $11,260,600 for 269 horses. The average price actually rose, climbing from last year's $41,861 to $45,665, and the median fared even better with a 40 percent gain to reach $28,000.

The sale was to continue through Friday.