Keeneland officials Aug. 10 announced that 4,319 horses have been cataloged for its September yearling sale, to be held Sept. 11-24.
Of the total 4,319 yearlings cataloged for the 13-day sale, 2,230 are colts and 2,089 are fillies.
“The number of yearlings cataloged this year has been reduced about 11% from 2010, primarily with regard to horses offered during the latter days of the sale,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales, in a release. “Breeders have done a very good job of being proactive; the contraction in the size of the foal crop will produce better quality.”
According to the auction company, so far this year, 20 September sale graduates are grade/group I stakes winners: Animal Kingdom , Shackleford , Ruler On Ice, Tizway , Sean Avery, Dream Ahead, Morning Line , Pool Play, C. S. Silk, Havre de Grace, Switch, Nereid, Lilacs and Lace, Archarcharch , Game On Dude, Zazu, Sassy Image, California Memory, Edubai Del Ocho, and Obeche. September sale alumni have accounted for a total of 102 graded/group stakes.
“The September sale is the industry convention; its ‘star power’ attracts the largest group of influential buyers of any sale in the world,” said Keeneland vice president of sales Walt Robertson in a statement. “They know this is where they will find the extraordinary individuals, the very best horses that the market has to offer.”
In 2011, yearlings by 253 different stallions have been cataloged.
Book 1, the two-evening select portion of the sale, will feature yearlings by A.P. Indy, Arch , Awesome Again , Bernardini , Big Brown , Candy Ride , Cape Cross, Curlin , Danehill Dancer, Distorted Humor , Divine Park, Dixie Union, Dynaformer, Elusive Quality , Exchange Rate , Galileo, Giant's Causeway , Harlan's Holiday, Henrythenavigator, Indian Charlie, Invasor, Lemon Drop Kid , Malibu Moon , Medaglia d'Oro , Midnight Lute , Mr. Greeley, Pivotal, Pulpit, Raven's Pass, Rock Hard Ten, Smart Strike, Street Cry, Street Sense , Tale of the Cat , Tapit , Tiznow , Unbridled's Song, and War Front .
Among the consignments highlighting this year’s sale will be yearlings from the dispersals of the estates of Edward P. Evans and Prince Saud bin Khaled.
As earlier announced, Keeneland has worked extensively with its customers to ‘fine-tune’ the 2011 sale format in an effort to help consignors and buyers better navigate the first week, and to further encourage buyers to stay deeper into the sale.
The format for the 2011 September sale is as follows:
• Book 1 remains unchanged: A select sale of 211 yearlings on Sunday and Monday evenings, Sept. 11-12; sessions start at 7 p.m. ET
• Book 2: 935 yearlings selling Tuesday – Thursday, Sept. 13-15; roughly 311 horses per day, once again in alphabetical order by dam in a single catalog. Each Book 2 consignment will be stabled in a single barn. Sessions start at 11 a.m. on these days.
• Friday, Sept. 16, will be a “dark” day in which no selling will take place.
• Book 3: Begins Saturday, Sept. 17; sessions start at 10 a.m. daily through the remainder of the sale.
September sale catalogs are available online at Keeneland.com. Print catalogs will be mailed the week of Aug. 22.
Live coverage of the entire sale will be streamed at Keeneland.com.
Keeneland additionally noted that the Tax Relief Act allows buyers to fully depreciate the purchase price of a yearling in 2011. Through 100% bonus depreciation, buyers may reduce their federal income tax liability by the total cost of their purchase if they also put the yearling in training this year. Click here for more details about bonus depreciation and other tax benefits for 2011.
Keeneland also continues to match all buyer and seller contributions made to the NTRA’s ¼ % Check-off program. The Check-off supports the NTRA’s federal lobbying and government relations work on behalf of the Thoroughbred industry. A buyer’s ¼% contribution ($2.50 for every $1,000 in sale price) is doubled with Keeneland’s match.
