Keeneland November

A colt from the first crop of champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya) (Hip 3154) topped the penultimate session of the Keeneland November Sale Thursday, bringing $100,000 from Rexy Bloodstock during the second of three Book 5 sessions. Hip 3154 was consigned by Hill 'n' Dales Sales Agency on behalf of Vinny Viola's St. Elias Stables, which purchased his dam Waltzing (Candy Ride {Arg}) with this colt in utero for $37,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton February Sale. Waltzing is a half-sister to GSW Dancing Solo (Giant's Causeway) and hails from the family...

Three-year-old De la Soul (More Than Ready), offered in foal to fast-starting freshman sire Gun Runner, topped all returns Tuesday as Book 4 of the Keeneland November Sale concluded. A total of $9,455,400 changed hands for the session at an average of $31,623 (up 60.07% year over year compared to last year's auction conducted in the pre-vaccine era of the pandemic) and median of $23,000 (up 91.67%). The buyback rate was 11.54% compared to 13.11% 12 months ago. The cumulative gross now sits at $186,168,500--it was $140,214,700 through the same...

Keeneland has added three horses to the horses of racing age portion of Friday's final session of the 78th November Breeding Stock Sale. A total of 290 horses of racing age have been cataloged to the closing day of the November Sale. They will sell following the conclusion of the breeding stock sale, which has cataloged 148 offerings. Horses in the final round of supplements are: Furia Vikinga (Chi), a winning, Group 1-placed 5-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Out of Cheeky, by Lemon...

Pop a Choc, a daughter of the increasingly influential broodmare sire Bernardini, was hammered down for $265,000 as the last few grains of sand were passing through the hourglass during Monday's opening session of Book 4 at the Keeneland November Sale in Lexington. The 4-year-old filly was consigned to the sale by Meg Levy's Bluewater Sales LLC and topped yet another day of exceptional trade in the Bluegrass. A total of 271 horses sold for $10,507,100 Monday, an increase of 67.4% over last year's COVID-affected sale, while the average of...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which reached its halfway mark Sunday, has already surpassed the total gross of its 10-day 2020 renewal. At the conclusion of Sunday's session, 1,120 horses had sold for $166,206,000. The auction's total 2020 turnover was $151,017,300. At the halfway point in the sale, the average of $148,398 is up 13.23% from last year's $131,060, while the median of $95,000 is up 26.67% from $75,000. The buy-back rate stands at 20.90%. It was 25.66% a year ago. The auction's Book 3 section...

LEXINGTON, KY - With Godolphin's Belle Street (Street Sense) leading the way at $550,000, the Book 3 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Saturday with strong results as the 10-day auction continues to track well ahead of 2020 figures. During Saturday's session, 252 head grossed $19,981,500. The session average of $79,292 was up 36.37% from the corresponding 2020 figure and the median of $65,000 was up 49.43%. With 78 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 23.64%. It was 24.67% a year ago. Through four sessions,...

Two more supplements have been added to horses of racing age portion of the Keeneland November sale, to be held on the final day of the auction Nov. 19. Hilliard (Temple City), is a 3-year-old gelding last seen finishing fourth in the GII Hill Prince S. Oct. 23. He is consigned by Bluewater Sales as hip 3884. Luckywise (Lookin At Lucky) is a 2-year-old racing or broodmare prospect consigned by Paramount Sales as hip 3883. She hails from a productive female family that includes last month's GII Twilight Derby winner...

By Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued with strong demand during a lively session of bidding Thursday in Lexington. The auction's first of two Book 2 sessions concluded with both average and median up and the buy-back rate down from the corresponding session in 2020. "Incredible," Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said of Thursday's action. "It was a really vibrant market again today. I think people were a little frustrated in buying, but we had a lot of happy...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. There is one Group 1 on each of the remaining seven weekends in 2021, kicking off with Japan's version of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for fillies and mares, a race that would have attracted Loves...

by Jessica Martini, Brian DiDonato, and Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale saved its best to almost last Wednesday with Paris Lights (Curlin) capping a day of solid trade when bringing a final bid of $3.1 million from Spendthrift Farm. The racing or broodmare prospect was one of seven to top the million-dollar mark during the one-session Book 1 section of the 10-day Keeneland November sale. "It was a good, steady, strong session," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said Wednesday night. "We felt great...

Bidding on behalf of Spendthrift Farm, Ned Toffey went to a session-topping $3.1 million to acquire Paris Lights (Curlin--Paris Bikini, by Bernardini) as the third-last horse through the ring as part of the supplemental catalog on the opening day of the Keeneland November Sale in Lexington. The 4-year-old filly, who was consigned to the sale by ELiTE, agent, went three-for-four as during her sophomore season, capping the campaign with a hard-fought head defeat of fellow WinStar Stablemates Racing colorbearer Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks...

Pink Sands (Tapit--Her Smile, by Include), a two-time graded winner for Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen and offered in foal to Into Mischief, took the lead late on the opening day of the Keeneland November Sale, realizing a final bid of $2.3 million from Japan's Masahiro Miki. Consigned by Gainesway as agent, the 6-year-old daughter of GI Prioress S. victress Her Smile (Include) was brought along patiently by Shug McGaughey and registered her first stakes victory in the 2019 Lady's Secret S. at Monmouth Park. Winner of the GIII Rampart...