Keeneland has cataloged 4,509 horses for its 2018 November Breeding Stock Sale, the world’s largest and most important sale of its kind, to be held Nov. 5-16. Headlining the November Sale catalog are graded stakes winners and graded stakes producers, led by champion Lady Eli, in foal to War Front; Grade 1 stakes winners Dream Tree, Lady Ivanka, Sailor’s Valentine, Vasilika and Zipessa, the latter in foal to Medaglia d’Oro; and Grade 2 winner Ollie’s Candy.
Horses grazing in pasture
The Keeneland auction is the primary source for buyers for stakes-winning fillies, mares in foal to the world's great stallions, weanlings and horses of racing age.
© 2016 April
November Sale catalogs are available on Keeneland.com. Print catalogs will be mailed the week of Oct. 15.
“The strong global appeal of the November Sale sets it apart from all other breeding stock sales,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “This auction is the primary source for domestic and international buyers for stakes-winning fillies and stakes-producing mares in foal to the world’s most exciting stallions while being a key market for weanlings and horses of racing age. We look forward to the November Sale building on the strength of the recent September Sale and the excitement of the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs.”
In a change of format for 2018, the November Sale will open Monday, Nov. 5, with an exclusive Book 1 session featuring 247 graded stakes-winning fillies and mares and notable weanlings.
Among the highly prized offerings cataloged in Book 1 are:
- Champion Lady Eli, who is bred to War Front for her first foal. She won 10 races, including five Grade 1 stakes, and earned $2,959,800;
- Undefeated Dream Tree, expected to race in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). Cataloged as racing or broodmare prospect, the Uncle Mo filly has five career wins, including the 2017 Starlet (G1) and 2018 Las Virgenes (G2) and Prioress (G2). She has earned $527,500;
- Vasilika, winner of her past seven races led by last weekend’s Rodeo Drive (G1) and cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect;
- Spinaway (G1) winner Lady Ivanka and Central Bank Ashland (G1) winner Sailor’s Valentine, both cataloged as racing or broodmare prospects;
- First Lady (G1) winner Zipessa, bred to Medaglia d’Oro for her first foal;
- Ollie’s Candy, winner of this year’s Summertime Oaks (G2) and cataloged as a racing prospect; and
- Weanling sisters of champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate and champion Honor Code.
The 4,509 horses in the November Sale catalog include 2,257 broodmares and racing or broodmare prospects, 1,788 weanlings, 453 horses of racing age and 11 stallions. Two horses are late entries to the auction.
The November Sale also includes the dispersal of Edward A. Cox, for whom Claiborne Farm will serve as agent. The Cox dispersal has cataloged 22 horses, including broodmares and weanlings.
Twelve Sessions Scheduled
The format for the 2018 November Sale, which covers 12 sessions, is as follows:
Book 1 (Monday, Nov. 5) – Session begins at noon ET.
Books 2-7 (Tuesday, Nov. 6-Friday, Nov. 9-16) – Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
Keeneland will live stream the entire November Sale at Keeneland.com.
Horses of Racing Age Perform Well
Sessions on Monday, Nov. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 14, will feature horses of racing age and represent such leading consignors as Lane’s End, WinStar Farm, Taylor Made Sales Agency and ELiTE.
This year, two contenders for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships – Whitney (G1) and Suburban (G2) winner Diversify and Highlander (G1) winner Long on Value – lead the graded stakes winners of 2018 sold as horses of racing age at the November Sale.
Others 2018 stakes winners include Grade 2 winners Conquest Big E (Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile) and One Go All Go (Dixiana Elkhorn) along with Grade 3 winners Code Warrior (Hendrie and Seaway), Conquest Tsunami (Daytona), Great Stuff (Toboggan), Leofric (West Virginia Governor’s), Storm the Hill (Wilshire) and You’re to Blame (Greenwood Cup).
Weanlings Graduate to Success
The November Sale is globally recognized as a premier source of weanlings, and a number of 2018 stakes winners were offered at the November Sale as weanlings.
Along with the aforementioned Dream Tree and Diversify, they include Grade 1 winners Bowies Hero (Frank E. Kilroe Mile), Pavel (Stephen Foster) and Separationofpowers (Test); Grade 2 winners Ivy Bell (Inside Information), Mopotism (La Canada), Qurbaan (Bernard Baruch) and Serengeti Empress (Pocahontas); and Grade/Group 3 winners Funny Duck (Pat Day Mile Presented by LG&E and KU), Go Noni Go (DRF Bets Bourbonette Oaks), Holiday Disguise (Distaff), Homerique (Prix de Psyche in France), Lombo (Robert B. Lewis), Matera Sky (Procyon in Japan), Mr Melody (Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon in Japan), My Boy Jack (Stonestreet Lexington and Southwest), Princess La Quinta (Arlington Matron), Switzerland (Maryland Sprint and Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash), Talk Veuve to Me (Indiana Oaks) and Yuvetsi (Rancho Bernardo).
Prominent Stallions Featured in Catalog
Broodmares cataloged to the November Sale are in foal to 212 proven sires and exciting newcomers. The auction will offer the first mares in foal to Horse of the Year Gun Runner; champions Arrogate and Classic Empire; and American Freedom, Astern (AUS), Keen Ice, Lord Nelson, Mastery, Midnight Storm, Mohaymen, Practical Joke and Shaman Ghost.
Other covering sires include American Pharoah, California Chrome, Candy Ride (ARG), Curlin, Empire Maker, Ghostzapper, Into Mischief, Kitten’s Joy, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d’Oro, Quality Road, Speightstown, Tapit, Uncle Mo, Union Rags and War Front.
A total of 190 stallions have weanlings in the November Sale catalog. Sires represented by their first crop are two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist, champion Runhappy, Air Force Blue, Anchor Down, Brody’s Cause, Exaggerator, Flintshire (GB), Frosted, Not This Time, Speightster, Upstart and Vancouver (AUS).
Others are American Pharoah, Bernardini, Candy Ride (ARG), Curlin, Empire Maker, Ghostzapper, Giant’s Causeway, Into Mischief, Kitten’s Joy, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d’Oro, Quality Road, Speightstown, Tapit, Uncle Mo, Union Rags and War Front.
For more than 80 years, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts four sales a year, in January, April, September and November, and its sales graduates dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 2015 and will hold the event again in 2020. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a private, for-profit corporation that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.
Press release provided by Keeneland Association