KEENELAND’S November Breeding Stock Sale ended on Wednesday after 10 consecutive sessions. The smaller numbers catalogued and sold inevitably led to falls in the key metrics, allied to the fact that the sale was conducted at a time of great global upset and unease.

“Keeneland ends this fall with a sense of gratitude for the hard work of everyone who participated in the success of the September Yearling and November Breeding Stock Sales, the fall race meet and Breeders’ Cup,” said Keeneland president and CEO Bill Thomason, who will retire at the end of 2020.

“Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global horse industry, the fact that we were able to conduct our fall events on the dates originally scheduled is a major accomplishment that should be celebrated by all involved.”

Thomason will be succeeded by Shannon Arvin who was also very relieved. She said: “We owe the strength of the September and November Sales to the tremendous efforts of our consignors, buyers and their staffs, who, despite the challenges associated with the pandemic, brought quality horses to market and fully participated at every level.

“We have all moved mountains this fall, and during these tough times we are pleased that so many buyers from around the world made arrangements to be here or be represented and that they took advantage of the various bidding platforms Keeneland made available to them.”

This year’s November sale grossed $151,019,300 for 2,198 horses, for an average of $68,708 and a median of $23,000. The 2019 November Sale, which spanned 12 sessions, had 2,570 horses sell in the ring for $193,316,100, for an average of $75,220 and a median of $25,000.

Online bidding, which Keeneland introduced at the September Sale, saw 279 horses sold over the internet for $16,274,300. More horses sold each day online during the second week of the auction than during the first. Leading the online purchases was Grade 1 winner Ollie’s Candy who sold to K I Farm of Japan for $1.65 million.

“The enthusiasm for quality horses and the participation of major domestic and foreign buyers, many of whom remained active well into the second week of the sale, is a testament to the resiliency of this industry,” Keeneland’s Irish-born director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell said. “There was a healthy mix of US and international interests representing Europe, Japan, Korea, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, among others, as well as several new buyers emerging on the scene. Hats off to consignors, who were very good about marketing their horses, either directly or via Keeneland’s website, to remote buyers.

“We know this hasn’t been an easy environment to navigate, and we appreciate the efforts all have made to participate either in person or through use of the available technology.”

Millionaires

Book 1 produced nine horses who brought $1 million and more, led by two offerings purchased by the auction’s leading buyer, Larry Best’s OXO Equine: Concrete Rose and Indian Miss. Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose, a four-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy, sold for $1.95 million, while Indian Miss, an 11-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie who is the dam of champion Mitole, realised $1.9 million. She was sold in foal to Into Mischief. Best bought 17 horses for $7,965,000.

The global appeal of the November Sale was evident when Narvick International paid $1.85 million for Cherokee Maiden, a three-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor from the family of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Essential Quality.

Hidden Scroll

At $525,000, the top price at the penultimate session of the marathon sale was graded stakes performer Hidden Scroll, a winning four-year-old Hard Spun colt who sold to Fergus Galvin, agent for Marc Detampel. WinStar Racing consigned the colt on behalf of Juddmonte Farms. “We’ve been working on the racehorse segment of our catalogue for the last couple of years,” Geoffrey Russell said. “WinStar was the first to come to us and try to design a portion of the sale around racehorses, and it has grown exponentially since. Going forward, we’ll be looking to improve on it.”

Triple Crown foals

Colts by the two most recent winners of the Triple Crown, Justify and American Pharoah, sold for $600,000 each to tie as the most expensive weanlings. Donati Lanni purchased the son of Justify, while MV Magnier acquired the son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Jackie’s Warrior. Represented by his first crop, Justify was the leading sire of weanlings by average with five colts averaging $427,000. They also included the top-priced weanlings of the second ($475,000) and third sessions ($435,000).

“Fewer foals were catalogued this year, and the bidding for them was more competitive,” Russell said. “The strength of the foal market surprised many consignors who didn’t enter their foals in the November Sale. Several major end users are now participating in the foal market, and that has pushed the pinhookers back a little. They probably haven’t fulfilled all their orders, so we hope to see them at the January Horses of All Ages Sale.”

The number of horses sold privately, 88 horses for $6,796,000, was another feature of trade. One was Book 1 offering Con Te Partiro, the globetrotting Group 1 winner who sold for $1.6 million to David Redvers.

Taylor Made Sales Agency was the sale’s leading consignor for the fourth consecutive year and the 24th time since 1987. They sold 208 horses for $18,957,600.