Bob Elliston

Thursday was supposed to be opening day at Keeneland's spring meet, which has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, officials who oversee the association's racecourse and sales company spent their afternoon on a video conference call with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC)'s race dates advisory committee explaining how Keeneland will face a situation that is markedly different from the state's other four Thoroughbred tracks when emergency public health mandates are relaxed enough to allow live racing to resume. Bob Elliston, Keeneland's vice president of racing and sales,...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale concluded its five-day run in Lexington Friday with results off slightly from a record-setting 2019 renewal which was held over four days and featured the breakout $5-million sale of champion Abel Tasmen (Quality Road). "To me, if you take one horse out of 2019, 2019 and 2020 look remarkably similar," said Keeneland's vice president of racing and sales Bob Elliston. "Abel Tasman was a $5-million purchase and in excess of 10% of our total gross last year. If you...

Keeneland kicks off the 2020 sales season with a five-day renewal of its January Horses of All Ages Sale in Lexington Monday, with bidding slated to begin at 10 a.m. Temperatures are expected to be unseasonably warm during sales week and Keeneland officials hope the action inside the pavilion matches the weather outside. "There haven't been a significant number of external changes," Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said of his expectations for the January sale. "The economy is still solid, purses continue to rise domestically, the...

Keeneland has released the catalogue for its upcoming September Yearling Sale. A total of 4,644 yearlings have been catalogued for the auction, which will run from Sept. 9-22. The sale begins with a three-session Book 1--190 yearlings have been catalogued for the first two sessions and 189 for the third session--beginning daily at noon. Book 1 will be followed by a dark day Thursday and the auction resumes with a two-session Book 2, with bidding beginning at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday. A total of 569 yearlings are cataloged in...