Tuesday session gives Keeneland November big boost

As it moved into its penultimate book, the Keeneland November breeding stock sale turned in a session of massive gains on Tuesday and appears poised to conclude on a high note later this week.

A total of 243 horses sold during Tuesday’s session for gross receipts of $6,844,900, a gain of 64 percent from 242 for $4,165,200 in the comparable session last year. The session’s average price, $28,168, and median, $15,000, were significant gains of 64 and 25 percent, respectively, from $17,212 and $12,000 in 2014. The session’s buyback rate was 20 percent, a tick down from 21 percent in last year’s ninth session.

With three sessions still remaining in Keeneland November, Tuesday’s strong trade pushed the auction’s total cumulative gross to $212,021,900 – already surpassing last year’s final gross of $205,899,500. The 2014 sale ran over 11 sessions, while this year’s edition will comprise 12. Tuesday’s session was the first of two days of Book 5, which took a single session last year. Through nine sessions, Keeneland’s cumulative average ($108,285) is tracking upward 12 percent from this point of the 2014 sale ($96,517), while the median ($45,000) is unchanged.

Tuesday’s session got a boost from a number of racing or stallion prospects cataloged late in the day, and they accounted for four of the session’s top five prices. Leading the way was Donworth, who sold for $550,000, with Dennis O’Neill signing the ticket. The 3-year-old Tiznow colt, consigned by Three Chimneys Farm as agent for the dispersal of Nat Rea’s Regis Farm, has won twice from four career starts, all this year, and has never been worse than third. After his maiden victory, he immediately graduated into stakes company, finishing second in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes and third in the Sir Barton Stakes. He then won the Stanton Stakes by 11 lengths in his most recent outing, which came in June.

Donworth is the first starter out of the Grade 1-placed Street Cry mare Temple City. She is from the extended family of champion Pleasant Stage and Grade 1 winners A Phenomenon and Marsh Side.

The session’s leading female also emerged from the Regis dispersal, as Chantelaine was purchased for $200,000 by bloodstock agent Ben McElroy. The 3-year-old filly, from the first crop of Majesticperfection, has won two of seven career starts and has never missed the board, most recently romping by seven lengths in a Keeneland allowance on Oct. 30. Chantelaine is out of the unraced Indian Charlie mare Listen to Libby, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Your Bluffing; graded-stakes-placed Nacho Friend; stakes-placed Yachats (the dam of graded-stakes-placed La Song); and Echo Bluff, the dam of Grade 1 winner Currency Swap.

Tuesday’s highest-priced weanling was a colt from the first crop of Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow purchased for $105,000 by John Stuart. Sold as the property of Fairlawn Farm, the colt is out of the stakes-winning Air Forbes Won mare Art Fair. She is the dam of four winners from as many starters, led by stakes-placed Mr Artistic M D.

The Keeneland November sale continues with daily sessions through Nov. 13.

For complete sale results, click here.