Shannon Arvin

The Sporting Art Auction, conducted by Cross Gate Gallery of Lexington and Keeneland, held the most successful sale in its 10-year history, with 90% of its lots sold this past weekend. Friday's auction drew in 300 buyers from nearly a dozen countries and grossed nearly $2.5 million. The highest-grossing piece was the sale of famed Kentucky artist Henry Faulkner's Floral, a signed oil on Masonite, which went for $123,375. The globally prominent auction, which featured 180 high-quality lots representing fine Sporting Art, American paintings, and sculptures by renowned artists, was...

With the Breeders' Cup returning to Lexington for the third time, headlined by the mighty Flightline (Tapit), the buzz in Lexington was electric from late October all the way through the nearly two weeks of breeding stock sales that followed the World Championships. Combine that with a deep and diverse buying bench and high demand and the result was gains in both gross and average for the 10-day Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which ran from Nov. 7-16. "With the close of the November Breeding Stock Sale, Keeneland is nearing...

Edited Press Release Keeneland has purchased historic Manchester Farm. Located on the northern boundary of Keeneland Race Course, Manchester Farm is one of the most recognizable farms in Kentucky. Originally named Manchester Springs Plantation after a creek that runs through the property, the farm has a rich history that dates back to the 1700s. In 1804, Francis Keen (first generation of the Keene family) passed 200 acres of Manchester Springs Plantation to his son. The land remained in the Keen/Keene family for five generations until 1935, when J.O. "Jack" Keene...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY -- The momentum from Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued into the first session of Book 2 Tuesday in Lexington with a pair of mares bringing seven figures. "I would describe it as a solid day," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "Overall, we are very happy with the gross, very happy with the median and average being up over last year." During Tuesday's session, 197 horses sold for $35,073,000. The average of $178,036 was up...

Keeneland concluded a record-breaking fall meet Saturday with all-sources handle of $208.9 million, a season record for the Lexington track. The 17-day fall meet ran from Oct. 7-29 with Kentucky racing scheduled to switch over to Churchill Downs Sunday prior to returning to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Nov. 4-5. The all-sources wagering of $208,907,655 was a 15.41% increase over the 2021 fall meet record of $181,009,626. It was the fourth consecutive season of record handle at the track. The numbers do not include whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland. "This fall...

A 2.5% fractional interest in 'TDN Rising Star' and likely GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Flightline (Tapit) will be auctioned off at the start of the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, the auction house and Lane's End have announced. Flightline will enter stud as the property of a syndicate at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, upon the conclusion of his racing career. The auction will be conducted with a first-of-its-kind Metaverse experience which intends to replicate the excitement of the November Sale. This user-friendly virtual...

The Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) will host its first event Breeders' Cup on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Keeneland Race Course as a follow-up to the Horse Racing Women's Summit at Santa Anita Park in September. HRWS Meet Up at the Breeders' Cup will be highlighted by an address from Keeneland President & CEO, Shannon Arvin, a panel featuring women of the Breeders' Cup organization, and networking opportunities. Tickets to the event will include access to 'Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup Presented by WinStar Farm and Keeneland' on Tuesday Nov....

Keeneland is making a $50,000 contribution to the Ed Brown Society to become an official Ed Brown Partner. This multifaceted partnership will further opportunities for young people of color to gain exposure, experience and professional job placements in the Thoroughbred industry. As a cornerstone of the partnership, Ed Brown Society (EBS) will identify, recruit and place qualified minority students for paid professional internships within the Keeneland team. Upon the completion of their internships, EBS will provide ongoing direction to these interns as they progress toward permanent professional placements in the...

The Fashionable Fillies Luncheon, a long-time fixture at Saratoga and added at Santa Anita this year, will be held in Lexington as part of the Breeders' Cup Festival Week. The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation will host the event at Jeff Ruby's on Nov. 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with TOPSINLEX as media partner. The event will honor Middlebrook Farm's Helen Alexander and Keeneland's Shannon Arvin, both The Jockey Club members and Safety Net trustees. The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust which provides, on...

Mark Taylor, president and CEO of Taylor Made Farm, has been named to Keeneland's Advisory Board of Directors. Longtime Keeneland directors Louis Lee Haggin III, Charles Nuckols III and Duncan Taylor will move to emeritus roles on the Advisory Board. "We welcome Mark Taylor to the Keeneland Board, where his lifelong experience in the horse industry and his business acumen will be invaluable as we navigate future opportunities and challenges," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "We also thank Louis Haggin, Charlie Nuckols and Duncan Taylor for their decades-long...

Edited Press Release Keeneland has planted six cherry trees--three on either side of the infield tote board--in tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Sept. 8. A lifelong horsewoman, Queen Elizabeth II attended the races at Keeneland Oct. 11, 1984, for the inaugural running of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, for which she presented the trophy. The 39th edition of the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, presented by Dixiana, will be contested Saturday. The tree planting at Keeneland is part of The Queen's Green Canopy...

What do an award-winning chef, a rising young country music star and a reigning champion trainer have in common? All three are featured in the Common Wealth of Kentucky Project, an exhibit going on now through Oct. 1 at LexArts Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky. Along with chef Ouita Michel and singer Walker Montgomery, trainer Brad Cox is one of 70 Kentuckians who shared their life story for the collection, which is the culmination of a year-long project for impressionist painter Kelly Brewer and partner Beth Pride, a writer and digital...