Following blockbuster September yearling and November breeding stock auctions, Keeneland has catalogued a record number of horses to its annual January sale.There are 2,073 horses catalogued to the Jan. 10-15 auction, besting the record 1,992 catalogued in 2001. Last year, 1,917 were catalogued to a sale that saw dramatic growth. At the 2004 January sale, 1,258 horses were sold for $49,344,900, an increase in gross of 58.2%. The average of $39,225 was up 49% and the median of $13,000 jumped 30%.The sale topper was the mare Becky's Shirt, the dam of breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Cajun Beat, who brought $850,000 in foal to Woodman.
This year's catalogue consists of 996 broodmares and broodmare prospects, 796 yearlings, 255 horses of racing age, and 26 stallions or stallion prospects. Sires represented by broodmares in foal or yearlings include Cherokee Run, Deputy Minister, Dixie Union, Dynaformer, Forestry, Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant's Causeway, Gone West, Storm Cat, Tale of the Cat, Thunder Gulch, Tiznow, Unbridled's Song, Wild Again, and Yes It's True. Stallions whose first foals arrive in 2005 represented in the sale include Aldebaran, Empire Maker, Harlan's Holiday, Hold That Tiger, and Vindication.
