Keeneland Starts Taking Online Sales Entries Saturday

Keeneland will begin posting on its Website Saturday afternoon some of the yearlings available through its Internet RNA auction.

A year ago, the Lexington, Ky., sale company began offering buyers a second chance at horses that did not meet their reserve prices during the live September yearling auction. Out of 230 horses offered through three separate sessions, 13 horses found new homes and sold for a total $500,200.

Keeneland is consolidating the online auction into one session this year. The online auction could only be extended if the number of horses entered requires it.

Consignors get their first opportunity to registered their RNAs for the online auction Saturday morning. Horses can also be registered the mornings of Sept. 19 and Sept. 24. The final deadline for registration is noon on Sept. 24.

Stephen Koch, Keeneland's Internet sales administrator, said it benefits consignors to register early.

"I've already had buyers asking me about the RNAs," he said. "The sooner you register, the longer people will see your horse posted."

Online bidding begins at 9 a.m. Sept. 26 and the closes horse-by-horse at five minute intervals by hip number starting at 2 p.m. on Sept. 27.

Keeneland added a new feature to the online auction that extends the bidding time as long as live bids are coming in. For example, if a bid comes in three minutes before the sale on a particular horse is schedule to close, the bidding time is extended by three minutes. The auction on that horse won't close until three minutes have passed without a bid.

If the auction is not completed by 6 p.m. on Sept. 27, then it will resume at 2 p.m. Sept. 28.

Another change from last year is the availability of veterinary statements online. If a statement accompanies a horse, a link to that statement is provided on the horse's Web page.

The Keeneland Internet auction site can be accessed at https://www.keenelandsales.com/koa/koa.cfm.