Keeneland January Auction Will Be Smaller

Keeneland's 2002 January horses of all ages sale will be 30% smaller than it was in 2001. The catalogue has 1,392 lots compared to this year's record total of 1,992. The auction's 2002 edition will run for four days, Jan. 7-10. In 2001, the sale was six days long.

The main reason for the decline in numbers was mare reproductive loss syndrome, according to Keeneland's director of sales, Geoffrey Russell.

"People prefer to sell mares in foal and not to sell mares when they are empty," he said.

The good news is that recession, war, and terrorist attacks apparently aren't forcing people to sell off large numbers of horses.