Keeneland sale goes into final session with even trade

The Keeneland November breeding stock sale entered its final segment on Saturday with relatively even trade, led by the $42,000 broodmare Lady Susan.

The 12th session was the second-to-last day of this year’s auction.

Saturday’s trade saw 149 horses sold for revenues of $918,900, down 25 percent compared with last year’s comparable session, when 200 horses brought $1,219,400.

The average sale price rose 1 percent to $6,167 from $6,097, while the median went unchanged at $3,700. Saturday’s buyback rate closed at 30 percent, up sharply from 23 percent during last year’s 12th session.

No horses surpassed the $50,000 price point on Saturday, down from one last year. The number of horses sold for $25,000 or more was steady at six.

Adel Alatawy bought session-topper Lady Susan for $42,000.

The 8-year-old Peasant Tap mare sold in foal to Point of Entry on her first pregnancy. She won eight of 44 starts over five campaigns in Kentucky and the Midwest for earnings of $114,196.

Bred in Kentucky by Franklin Kling Jr. and Taylor Asbury, Lady Susan is out of the stakes-placed Regal Classic mare Georgiana Lake, whose five winners from seven foals to race include steeplechase stakes-placed Call You in Ten. She sold as property of Adena Springs, and is from the family of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Lake George.

A colt from the first crop of Can the Man topped the weanling market, going to Patrick Hoppel for $19,000. The chestnut colt is out of the unplaced Crafty Friend mare Miss Cheektowaga, whose two winners from six runners includes stakes-placed Razmataz.

Bred in Indiana by Deann and Greg Baer, the colt is from the family of champion Hidden Lake and Grade 3 winner More Smoke. He was consigned by Warrendale Sales, as agent.

Point of Entry, a resident of Adena Springs, was the session’s top covering sire by both gross and average, with three in-foal mares selling for a combined $74,500 and an average price of $24,833.

Adena Springs was Saturday’s leading consignor by gross, with 17 horses sold for $189,700. K.O.I.D., the buying entity for the Korean Racing Authority, was the day’s top buyer, with six purchases totaling $52,500.

At the end of 12 sessions, a total of 2,531 horses changed hands for $214,603,100, down 2 percent compared with last year’s final gross of $218,959,400 from 2,575 sold.

The cumulative average was down 0.3 percent to $84,790 from $85,033, while the median was unchanged at $30,000. The buyback rate with one day to go finished at 27 percent, up from last year’s final figure of 25 percent.

The Keeneland November sale concludes Sunday with its 13th session, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern.