Plenty of star power up for grabs at inaugural Keeneland Championship sale
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It’s the dream of many owners to have a horse in the Breeders’ Cup. Some will get a chance to grab on to that dream at the eleventh hour, as interests in a handful of horses prepared to run at the Nov. 1-2 event at Del Mar are on offer at the inaugural Keeneland Championship sale, to be held Wednesday evening in the paddock at the Breeders’ Cup host track.
Keeneland announced plans for this pilot sale, intended to continue at future Breeders’ Cup sites, in the summer, and has been working to build the catalog and buying bench since then, with participation on both ends by invitation only. The catalog focused on racing and breeding stock with ties to this year’s Breeders’ Cup, and a curated catalog of a dozen high-end offerings does include several chances to participate. On offer are 25 percent interests in Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants Gold Phoenix (Turf) and Kilwin (Juvenile Fillies Turf); a 50 percent interest in Mufasa (first preference in the Dirt Mile); and outright ownership of Pandora’s Gift (first preference in the Filly and Mare Sprint). A stallion share in Turf Sprint favorite Cogburn is also on offer. Broodmare prospect She’s Got a Way is a half-sister to unbeaten Japanese prospect Ecoro Sieg, among the favorites for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
“The star power of this catalog, its quality and diversity will appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “There’s a renewed interest in racing that is very encouraging, and the Championship sale is a gateway for new investors as well as current owners to participate at the highest level.”
Sales officials mentioned that enthusiasm for racing, bolstered by robust purse structures and other factors, as a driving force in a strong yearling marketplace this summer and fall. Additionally, the ability to buy into a horse and immediately participate in one of the sport’s biggest events plays into a desire for immediacy seen in horses of racing age sales over the past year.
While focusing on Breeders’ Cup connections, the catalog also accepted other high-end offerings. For example, a 25 percent interest in Grade 1 winner Book’em Danno will be offered, as well as a stallion share in unbeaten 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline.
Given the logistics of the offerings, all cataloged horses will be offered remotely, having been available for inspection in their respective locations. Walking a horse in training from their racetrack barn to the paddock for an evening sale in a robust environment disrupts their routine and presents the risk of something going amiss in the lead-up to a major race. Likewise, shipping an active stallion across the country and back is impractical and creates risk.
However, rather than being a fully remote sale, each offering will be presented in a live format, with Keeneland auctioneers presiding over the bidding from buyers both on-site and via phone or online means, and the sale company and the Breeders’ Cup seeking to create a party atmosphere.
Like with all sales, buyers must have registered and been approved for credit in advance. Given the unique circumstances of this sale, Lacy said Keeneland officials also will be working very closely with the California Horse Racing Board, which will be present on the night, to ensure that full or fractional buyers of horses entered at Del Mar are properly licensed to participate in California racing. The final entry deadline for Breeders’ Cup races was Monday, Oct. 28, two days prior to the sale.
Cogburn will be one of the strongest favorites on Breeders’ Cup Saturday when he comes in the Turf Sprint having won all three of his starts this year, including a record-setting performance in the Grade 1 Jaipur. He will stand at WinStar Farm in Kentucky for 2025, with his fee to be announced after the Breeders’ Cup. The share in him being offered at the Championship Sale is an original share in the stallion, and does not need to clear syndicate approval. The new shareholder will be entitled to 1/40 of all stallion income and associated expenses. Cogburn’s future as a stallion garnered additional interest when WinStar recently entered into an agreement with Widden Stud to shuttle the prospect to Australia.
The other stallion share on offer, in Flightline, is likely to give the inaugural Championship sale a major boost in its figures, judging by the other time an interest in the champion came on offer.
Flightline retired to Lane’s End Farm for the 2023 breeding season after winning all six of his career starts, including, in his championship season, the Metropolitan Handicap, Pacific Classic, and Breeders’ Cup Classic by a combined 33 1/2 lengths. Two days after the Classic, a 2.5 percent interest in the horse sold for $4.6 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. His advertised stud fee was subsequently set at $200,000 for his introductory season, and 13 mares carrying foals from that first crop sold at public auction last season for an average price of $1,074,231. Flightline stood for $150,000 in 2024.
Keeneland said in a release that the share in Flightline is offered by an original owner of the horse “who retains multiple shares in the stallion and wishes to support the inaugural Championship sale with this unique opportunity.”
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