Horse of the Year Gun Runner was, in racing parlance, a “Saturday afternoon horse,” competing in many of the sport's high-level events with distinction. Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan sees the potential for the same in the young Three Chimneys stallion's first offspring.
Triple Crown winner Justify faced one of his first commercial bars to clear at the November breeding stock sales in Kentucky, with mares carrying foals from his first crop on offer. So far, he is sailing over that bar with room to spare.
Clarkland Farm led Thursday's trade at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale with the $650,000 purchase of Conquest Eclipse as the sale moved into its Book 2 portion with steady figures.
Champion Take Charge Brandi led another edition of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, taking another trip home to Hill 'n' Dale Farm for a $3.2 million price tag, as the auction opened with its select Book 1 portion on Wednesday.
The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale showcased the unpredictable dual nature of the mixed sales that make up this portion of the North American auction calendar, with active race fillies and mares among the highlight offerings. These runners may give themselves major catalog updates on the racetrack – but at the same time, based upon how those cataloged lots are performing, owners may elect to withdraw their horses from sale and continue racing.
The major Kentucky mixed sales in early November annually ride the wave of the Breeders’ Cup, with fillies and mares coming directly from the races to the sales, perhaps with major catalog updates, to be sold as racing or broodmare prospects.
Midnight Bisou, the favorite for today's Breeders' Cup Distaff, will be withdrawn from next week's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale and will continue to race in 2020, majority owner Jeff Bloom said Saturday morning.
Broodmares and prospects, weanlings, and additional racing prospects or stallion prospects will be showcased in Kentucky's major mixed auctions in November, with the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale set for Nov. 5 and the Keeneland November breeding stock sale beginning its run Nov. 6. Both sales feature fillies and mares expected to contest the Breeders' Cup the prior weekend, as well as the dams or other close relatives of contenders. Take a closer look at these sales and some of the notable participants in our special edition.
Gun Runner and Arrogate's stars were tied together on the racetrack as rivals, each taking his turn to rise. Both champions entered stud in the same year in Kentucky, and the pair are now commercial rivals as both will be represented by their first weanlings offered at the Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland November breeding stock sales.
With a steady stream of broodmares, racing prospects, and weanlings offered to a global marketplace over nearly two weeks, the Keeneland November breeding stock sale provides a barometer for various marketplaces at many levels.
