After posting competitive results through the first two sessions, returns at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale plummeted across the board on Wednesday as the auction moved into Book 2.
After a workmanlike opening day of trade, all eyes were on Group 2 winner Up and her yearling War Front filly to make waves heading into Tuesday’s session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. The duo delivered in spades, taking the sale’s respective top spots among broodmares and yearlings, while helping propel a slight rise in average sale price on the day.
Multiple group stakes winner Up, whose page combined two popular commercial sires, and her first foal created long-awaited fireworks during Tuesday’s second session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale Tuesday in Lexington, Ky. The broodmare sold for $2.2 million to RanJan Stable, while her newly-turned yearling War Front filly fetched $800,000 to Ellen J. Foxwood.
Fasig-Tipton Co. will adjust the dates for two of its regional sales in 2015 from their original spots on the calendar.
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.
