Keeneland sale: Strong gains at next-to-last session

The Keeneland November breeding stock sale continued ahead of pace with massive gains in its penultimate session on Thursday, and continues to appear poised for a strong finish.

Thursday's session - the first of two Book 6 sessions and the 11th session of the sale overall - finished with 175 horses sold for gross receipts of $1,754,500, the latter figure a 64 percent year-to-year increase. In the comparable 2014 session, which was the final day of last year’s sale, 162 sold for $1,069,400. Thursday’s average price, $10,026, and median, $6,000, were gains of 52 and 33 percent, respectively, from $6,601 and $4,500 in 2014.

As the sale approaches its close, Keeneland November’s cumulative average, $91,680, is tracking 12 percent ahead of 2014’s final figure of $81,955. The sale’s current median is $34,000, a slight 3 percent drop from the record-tying $35,000 of last year. The sale’s total gross, $217,740,000, had already, earlier this week, surpassed last year’s final mark of $205,899,500.

Thursday's session leader was Orabella, sold for $62,000 to Hidden Brook, as agent. A daughter of More Than Ready, Orabella sold in foal to Violence and was consigned by Three Chimneys Farm as agent for the dispersal of Nat Rea’s Regis Farm.

Orabella, who was unraced, is out of the stakes-placed Trippi mare Hot Trip, a full sister to Grade 1 winner R Heat Lightning. It is the family of Grade 1 winner and sire General Assembly.

The day’s highest-priced weanling was a $35,000 colt from the second crop of Astrology, sold to Back to Work Stable. The colt, consigned by Taylor Made Sales, as agent, is out of the unraced Saint Ballado mare Lively Ballad, dam of three winners from four starters. It is the family of multiple Grade 1 winner High Yield.

The Keeneland November sale’s final session begins 10 a.m. Friday.

For complete sale results, click here.