Keeneland Sale Ends With Fourth-Highest Gross in History

From Keeneland, staff reports
Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale ended Thursday with the fourth highest gross in sale history along with a world record for a broodmare and a North American record for a weanling colt.

Auctioneers sold 2,614 horses during the 11-day auction for $236,070,900, which represented a 26.1% gain over the $187,230,000 paid for 2,377 horses last year.

With broodmares, broodmare prospects and weanlings making up the largest majority, the sale averaged $90,310, up 14.7% from $78,767 last year.

The median price--$32,000 -- matched the highest for November since records were first kept in 1987 and was up 14.3% from $28,000 in 2002.

"The numbers held up amazingly well throughout the entire sale," said Keenelan director of sales Geoffrey Russell. "What is selling is the young and beautiful. There is weakness in the market for the older mares, as people are retaining them to get the foals out of them and then will move on."

Russell said there were several factors that impacted the November market, including the recent changes in tax laws.

"The market for yearlings in September got a boost from the new tax depreciation schedule and that appeared to carry over to November," Russell said. "We had a very optimistic group of buyers."

During the sale, Coolmore Stud's John Magnier paid a world record $7.1 million for Cash Run, a 6-year-old broodmare carrying a foal by Storm Cat. Taylor Made Sales Agency sold the mare. This topped the previous record of $7 million paid for Miss Oceana at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in 1985 and matched the $7 million paid for Korveya during Keeneland's 1998 November Breeding Stock Sale.

The North American record for a weanling colt was eclipsed when Dromoland Farm bought a young son of Storm Cat and Spain for $2.4 million from Three Chimneys Sales, as agent. The previous record was $1.5 million for King Charlemagne, a son of Nureyev-Race the Wild Wind, purchased during the 1998 November Breeding Stock Sale.

A total of 23 horses -- 20 broodmares and three weanlings -- brought $1 million or more compared to 20 last year.

Seven of the 20 broodmares that sold for $1 million or more this year were consigned by Mill Ridge Sales on behalf of the late Ahmed bin Salman's The Thoroughbred Corp.

"Book 1, encompassing the first two days and including the Thoroughbred Corp horses, helped fuel the entire 11 days of the sale," continued Russell. "The jewels at the top definitely set the tone for the sale. Even the top ones surprised us. Going into the sale we didn't expect to break the records that we did."

During Thursday's final session, Keeneland sold 191 horses for $1,262,600, an average of $6,610 and a median of $3,500. There was no comparable session last year.

Leading Consignors
Consignor -- Number Sold/Average/Gross
1. Taylor Made Sales Agency -- 249 -- $140,211 -- $34,912,700
2. Mill Ridge Sales -- 84 -- $332,976 -- $27,970,000
3. Three Chimneys Sales -- 87 -- $270,258 -- $23,512,500
4. Lane's End -- 143 -- $96,974 -- $13,867,400
5. Denali Stud -- 82 -- $167,484 -- $13,733,700
6. Eaton Sales -- 131 -- $102,706 -- $13,454,600
7. Fred Seitz/Brookdale Farm -- 58 -- $148,077 -- $8,588,500
8. Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency -- 64 -- $125,825 -- $8,052,800
9. Paramount Sales -- 93 -- $61,247 -- $5,696,000
10. Four Star Sales 114 41,923 4,779,300

Leading Buyers
Buyer -- Number Bought -- Average -- Gross
1. John Ferguson Bloodstock -- 5 -- $2,730,000 -- $13,650,000
2. ClassicStar LLC -- 15 -- $700,666 -- $10,510,000
3. John Magnier -- 2 -- $4,550,000 -- $9,100,000
4. Dromoland Farm -- 7 -- $1,135,714 -- $7,950,000
5. Shadwell Farm LLC -- 2 -- $3,150,000 -- $6,300,000
6. WinStar Farm -- 4 -- $1,087,500 -- $4,350,000
7. Dell Ridge Farm -- 6 -- $613,333 -- $3,680,000
8. Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds -- 14 -- $246,785 -- $3,455,000
9. Courtlandt Farm -- 1 -- $3,150,000 -- $3,150,000
10. Aaron U. Jones & Marie D. Jones -- 1 -- $2,900,000 -- $2,900,000

Results, catalog, additional information from Keeneland