Category Archives: Breeding

Today kicks off the Keeneland September Yearling Sale – one of the most prestigious sales events in the Thoroughbred industry! Over 4,000 Thoroughbred yearlings are cataloged for the sale, which runs from Sept. 12 – 24. 

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale is an annual event that brings some of the biggest names in Thoroughbred breeding and racing from all around the world to Central Kentucky. Sales are the culmination of many years of work, from choosing a sire and dam, to breeding, raising and preparing the horse from the foaling barn to the sales ring. 

The sale is broken down into six ‘books’, or catalogs, which are separated by sale date and perceived value. Book 1 horses are typically those that are seen as premium sales prospects, and each subsequent book includes horses more suited for lower budgets. 

A number of factors go into appraising horses, including their pedigree, conformation, athletic ability and more, and the Keeneland sales team travels to farms to see these horses in the months leading up to the auction to assess their possible value. Each horse is then assigned a hip number which corresponds to the approximate date of their sale as well. 

Employees have worked to prepare these horses for the big stage by grooming, exercising and handling them daily for the past few months to ensure their manners and physique are at their best. Horses will arrive at Keeneland a few days prior to their scheduled day in the sales ring to be shown to potential buyers. Buyers will then analyze a horse’s pedigree and physical appearance before bidding. 

When it comes time for a yearling to head to the auction ring, the yearling, their handler, and an additional groom (or more than one!) will head to the ‘back ring’. The back ring gives buyers one last chance to view a horse as they are showcased prior to heading to the auction ring. Horses will be in the ring for just a few minutes at maximum, as they are bid on and hopefully sold. Once a horse is sold, it will head to its new home and prepare for the process of learning to be a racehorse!

A bit overwhelmed with all of the sales terminology? Check out Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale Dictionary, or even better – take a Behind the Sales tour at Keeneland to see the action firsthand! 

The sale can be watched live here, starting at 1 p.m. ET on 9/12. The catalog can be viewed online here. 

A number of Horse Country members are involved in the sale as consignors, breeders, stallion owners and even sales host! We’re wishing the best to all participants, especially our members and the host of the sale, Keeneland.

The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearling Sale was held this week in Lexington, and served as the kickoff to the yearling sales season in North America. 

A boutique sale, with around 300 entries in one day, the Fasig-Tipton July Sale featured exciting yearlings by first crop sires along with some of the most popular stallions in the country. Seven Horse Country members had consignments, and ten members had stallions that were represented with yearlings. 

Farms that have consignments at these sales work with the yearlings for months in advance to get them prepared for the sale. Yearling prep, as it is known in the racing industry, involves daily exercise to keep the fitness levels up and build muscle tone, handling the horses to ensure they are easy to work with and grooming to ensure that the horses look great for potential buyers! 

Once horses arrive at the sale grounds, they will be shown to potential buyers who view the horses as they are walking and examine their conformation to determine if they are interested in purchasing the horse. Along with viewing the ‘physical’ of the horse, buyers will analyze their pedigree and the race records of their maternal and paternal families. 

The following Horse Country members offered consignments at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale. 

• Airdrie Stud – 3 horses sold for a total of $280,000, including a $130,000 colt by Summer Front. 
• Darby Dan – 4 horses sold for a total of $322,000, including a $160,000 colt by Copper Bullet. 
• Denali Stud – 4 horses sold for a total of $770,000, including a $320,000 colt by Munnings. 
• Gainesway Farm – 8 horses sold for a total of $2,035,000, including the sales-topping $600,000 colt by Curlin.
• Lane’s End Farm – 1 colt by Catholic Boy sold for a total of $10,000. 
• Mill Ridge Farm – 1 colt by Practical Joke sold for a total of $20,000. 
• Taylor Made Sales – 26 horses sold for a total of $2,833,000, including a $225,000 colt by Candy Ride. 

The Fasig-Tipton July Sale is the first time that yearlings by a number of new stallions have been available for public offering. These stallions entered stud in 2020, and currently stand at a Horse Country member farm. 

• Audible (WinStar Farm) – nine yearlings sold for a total of $1,230,000. 
• Catalina Cruiser (Lane’s End Farm) – five yearlings sold for a total of $385,000. 
• Copper Bullet (Darby Dan Farm) – three yearlings sold for a total of $288,000. 
• Enticed (Godolphin at Jonabell) – three yearlings sold for a total of $180,000. 
• Flameaway (Darby Dan Farm) – five yearlings sold for a total of $427,000
• Maximus Mischief (Spendthrift Farm) – ten yearlings sold for a total of $700,000
• Mitole (Spendthrift Farm) – five yearlings sold for a total of $542,000
• Omaha Beach (Spendthrift Farm) – five yearlings sold for a total of $1,180,000
• Preservationist (Airdrie Stud) – one yearling sold for a total of $50,000
• Vino Rosso (Spendthrift Farm) – eleven yearlings sold for a total of $1,490,000

For more information on Fasig-Tipton, please visit their website.