The opening session of the Keeneland January Horses of all ages sale was practically devoid of headline-grabbing fireworks, but the consistency of the middle market helped propel gains in average sale price and a steady median.
The overarching theme of the 2014 auction calendar was steadiness at a competitive level following three years of rapid growth in the commercial marketplace. That trend began with last year’s Keeneland January horses of all ages sale and is expected to continue during the 2015 renewal.
With the global Thoroughbred market thriving and the American economy in its best shape since the global economic meltdown of 2008, there is every reason to think that the January 2015 sale will more than hold its own with recent editions.
Don Alberto may not be a household name in the United States yet – but give it some time. It’s been just over a year since Chilean-based interests purchased Tom Simon’s former Vinery property in Lexington, Ky. The group is led by Liliana Solari, who founded the famed Haras Don Alberto in Chile, and her son Carlos Heller, president of the family’s Bethia Holding, a conglomerate that holds interests in a wide variety of fields. They re-christened Vinery as Don Alberto, expanding the family’s brand.
Following are horses to watch in Book 1 of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale based on their pedigrees, produce records, race records, and past auction performance of notable family members. Conformation, physical characteristics, veterinarian records, and late pedigree updates were not taken into consideration. This list reflects withdrawals from the catalog through Jan. 8.
The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale will continue a two-day format in 2015, with a catalog of 534 entries.
The Keeneland April 2-year-olds in training sale will be put on hiatus for 2015 and its future viability will continue to be reviewed, the racing and auction organization announced Tuesday.
The catalog for the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. winter mixed sale is now available online.
The catalog for the 2015 Barretts January Mixed sale is now available online, featuring 335 offerings.
A day after running third in a maiden special weight race, the 2-year-old filly Sly Okie topped the Thoroughbred winter mixed auction at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City on Saturday. She brought a final bid of $20,000 from Ed Melzer to help lift the sale to a 29 percent increase in average over the corresponding auction in 2013.
