A strong mix of international and domestic buyers was active Nov. 11 at the seventh session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. A dark bay daughter of champion broodmare sire Dixieland Bandbrought $285,000 early in the day to top the session and close the fourth catalog of the 15-day auction.
The winning 5-year-old mare, named Tally Ho Dixie, is carrying her first foal by Grand Slam.
Keeneland realized increases in gross, average, and median this year, with the exact same number of horses went through the ring during the same session a year ago.
For the session, the sale company reported 257 horses sold to gross $13,819,200. The average was $53,771 and the median was $40,000.
With 68 RNAs, the buy-back rate was 20.9%, down 4.6% from last year's session rate of 21.9%.
Compared to the same session one year ago, the gross increased 19.3% when the same number of 257 horses sold brought $11,579,200. The session average of $53,771 was also up 19.3% from $45,055 in 2006, and the median increased 14.3% from last year's $35,000.
"It was very lively today—full of spirited bidding," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of sales. "Today had a lot better feel than yesterday—it was very strong from start to finish. There was a good cross section of domestic and a wide range of international buyers today from all four corners of the world, as well as our domestic market, so it was an excellent Sunday."
Cumulatively, 1,629 horses have been sold for $302,303,900, an average of $185,576, and a median of $87,000. Gross was up 7.7% and average was up 10% from last year, while the median was flat through the first seven sessions. At this point in the sale a year ago, 1,664 horses had been sold for $280,628,700, an average of $168,647, and an identical median of $87,000.
The cumulative buy-back rate was 22.7%, a decrease of .9% from last year's 22.9%.
Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, acquired the session-topping Dixieland Band mare out of the Capote mare Tally Ho Annie. Taylor Made bought Tally Ho Dixie from the consignment of Lantern Hill Farm, agent.
A stakes-placed runner, Tally Ho Dixie retired from racing with earnings of more than $100,000. Tally Ho Dixie's granddam, To the Hunt (by Relaunch), is the producer of millionaire grade I winners Stellar Jayne (by Wild Rush) and Starrer (by Dynaformer).
A daughter of Forest Dangerbecame the top-priced weanling of the day when 4T Stable bought her for $200,000 from the consignment of Nancy and Fred Mitchell's Clarkland Farm.
The bay filly is out of the Boston Harbor mare Jeddah Harbor, who is a daughter of the grade III winning Private Account mare Social Business. Now the dam of a stakes winner and two stakes producers, Social Business retired from racing with earnings of $128,850.
The sale continues Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. (EST) with hip 2587.