Claiborne To Sell Juveniles At Public Auction

Kentucky's historic Claiborne Farm, which announced last year that it would gradually reduce the numbers in its racing stable, plans offer to up to a dozen of its 2-year-olds at public auction in 2002. The Claiborne sale prospects will be prepared at the Holly Hill Training Center in South Carolina by longtime Claiborne trainer Jane Dunn and will be consigned by Kip Elser's Kirkwood Stables.

Seth Hancock, president of Claiborn, has been publicly critical of the pressure some 2-year-olds face when asked to breeze for sales in the early months of the year. In accordance with the time-tested Claiborne training program, none of the farm's sale prospects will be breezed until after March 15. Prior to that, they will be offered off gallops and "two minute licks."

The Claiborne 2-year-olds will be offered at Fasig-Tipton's Calder sale in February, Barretts in March, Keeneland in April, and the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale in May. The juveniles' sires include Boundary, Coronado's Quest, Danzig, Pulpit, and Tale of the Cat.