Lane's End Returning To Keeneland July Sale

William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm is returning to Keeneland's July yearling sale in 2002. A former leading consignor in July, Lane's End switched the focus of its marketing program for young horses to Keeneland's September yearling sale in 2000 and continued that strategy in 2001.

"We said all along that we would take a look each year, evaluate things, and make a decision based not only on the market but on the horses we had," said Bill Farish, Lane's End's director of sales. "We have a very nice group of horses this year that fit it the July market, and the sale's average has continued to improve. July is a good place to sell horses that were foaled in January or February or that are early-maturing. As we went through our yearling crop this year, we had quite a few early-maturing-type horses that had the pedigree to justify selling them in July."

Farish said Lane's End would probably nominate 15 yearlings to the July auction and would end up with about 10 in the sale.

Also expected to sell in July are Claiborne Farm, Stone Farm--which has entered a half-sister to Fusaichi Pegasus by Unbridled--and several new consignors including Newsells Park Stud, Shadwell Farm, and Gaines-Gentry, which previously had marketed most of its horses as weanlings.

"We're very pleased that Lane's End has chosen to market a portion of its yearling crop in July," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of sales. "Already committed to this year's sale is a large group of consignors who annually sell in July along with several new consignors."

Entries for the July select yearling sale close on March 1. Last year in July, the average soared to an all-time record $710,247. It was an increase of 14 percent from the previous high of $621,015 set in 2000.