Billed as the "greatest season auction of all time," Friday night's auction of stallion seasons to benefit the Kentucky Equine Education Project raised more than $2.2 million.Topped by a season to Storm Cat purchased by Frederick Herterich for $370,000, the live auction of seasons in 37 Thoroughbred stallions and one jack stallion netted $2,234,500. The Storm Cat season was sold with a provision that in the event the 2005 mating did not produce a live foal, the season buyer could breed back to the Overbrook Farm stallion in 2006 for free, provided the stallion was available. Storm Cat stands for a $500,000 fee.The seasons were sold on a no-guarantee basis. The auction total did not include a Gone West season that was not auctioned Friday night but which was sold by the Gone West syndicate for $100,000, the proceeds of which went to KEEP.The live auction figure will be bolstered by the money generated from a silent auction and the private sale of an additional 100-plus all-breed seasons donated to KEEP."I think we have made history here tonight," said KEEP founder and board chairman Brereton C. Jones, noting that the total from the auction in Lexington, Ky. Friday night will continue to grow over the next several months. "From now on, we will be the most important lobby in Frankfort."According to its mission statement, KEEP was formed to build "broad-based education and grassroots initiatives to increase awareness of the benefits of Kentucky's horse economy and to promote and preserve jobs and economic opportunities within the equine industry."Noting that seasons were donated in Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Standardbreds, and other horse breeds, Jones said the most important part of the KEEP auction was that the entire horse industry was united.When all the money from the silent auction and private season sales are included, the total to KEEP could reach the $3.5 million level, Jones said.
Prices for Thoroughbred seasons sold at KEEP (live auction only; no-guarantee, unless otherwise noted):A.P. Indy -- $230,000Aldebaran -- $33,000Awesome Again -- $90,000Buddha -- $10,000Congaree -- $20,000Distorted Humor -- $45,000Dixie Union -- $28,900Dynaformer -- $57,000El Corredor -- $17,000El Prado -- $72,000Elusive Quality -- $97,000Forest Wildcat -- $30,000Fusaichi Pegasus -- $105,000Giant's Causeway -- $135,000Glitterman -- $7,500Kingmambo -- $225,000Maria's Mon -- $18,000Mineshaft -- $70,000More Than Ready -- $20,000Mr. Greeley -- $37,000Proud Citizen -- $22,000Pulpit -- $60,000Rahy -- $50,000Sky Classic -- $8,000Sky Mesa -- $23,000Speightstown -- $60,000Storm Boot -- $12,000Storm Cat -- $370,000 (with free season in 2006 if no live foal was produced from the 2005 mating)The Cliff's Edge -- $17,000Theatrical -- $30,000Tiznow -- $25,000Touch Gold -- $30,000Unbridled's Song -- $92,000Victory Gallop -- $20,000Vindication -- $55,000Yonaguska -- $8,000
Brereton C. Jones, KEEP founder and chairman.
Anne M. Eberhardt