Keeneland November Sale Begins Tuesday in Lexington

Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Set to Showcase Elite Bloodstock

Keeneland takes center stage in the thoroughbred auction world this week with its flagship November Breeding Stock Sale featuring over 3,086 horses across eight days of selling.

The event follows last week’s Keeneland Championship Sale at Del Mar, which saw Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa pay $3 million for a share in Taylor Made’s ascending stallion Not This Time.

GI Derby City Distaff Stakes winner Vahva (Gun Runner) headlines this year’s catalog after recently finishing second in the GI PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The $2 million earner joins GISW Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) and late supplement Super Simple, dam of GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora (Gun Runner).

“Vahva is a high-class competitor who has faced and defeated many of the sport’s most talented female sprinters in each of the past three seasons,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “She was bought at Keeneland, she was trained here and she won at Keeneland. It is full circle that she comes back here to sell as a broodmare.”

Lacy emphasized Vahva’s commercial appeal: “She is a Grade I winner by Gun Runner who is a tough, hard-knocking filly that is beautiful. She shows up every time. The market is really hungry for young fillies with pedigree with race record and have the physical and she fits the bill.”

Super Simple’s late addition to the catalog came after her daughter’s Breeders’ Cup triumph at Del Mar.

“She was actually going to be in the January sale as part of the Woodford Thoroughbreds Dispersal,” Lacy explained. “As a result of the Breeders’ Cup, it was discussed what was the better option. The mare is not prepped and she shows up here straight out of the paddock. But she’s in foal to Gunite. With only her second foal, she gets a Breeders’ Cup winner.”

Lush Lips received a timely update by winning Keeneland’s GII Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Oct. 11.

“She is a filly that just keeps improving,” Lacy noted. “She has a lot of racing in front of her. Anybody who wants to play at the highest level, she can bring them back to the Breeders’ Cup next year.”

The November Sale features several significant dispersals:

• Bonne Chance Thoroughbreds — Gainesway consigning seven broodmares and six weanlings; Hidden Brook offering 10 broodmares, one broodmare prospect and one weanling
• Woodford Thoroughbreds (Phase 1) — Denali Stud handling seven broodmares and one broodmare prospect; Taylor Made Sales Agency consigning three racing or broodmare prospects
• Leonard and Jon Green’s DJ Stable reduction — Taylor Made Sales Agency consigning 31 broodmares, racing or broodmare prospects and one broodmare prospect; Hill ‘n Dale at Xalapa offering one mare in foal to Curlin

“Dispersals are generally well received because there is a genuine reason for doing it,” Lacy said. “People know that they pretty much get what is on offer, so they do get a bit of a premium.”

The catalog includes the first mares in foal to GI Preakness winner Seize the Grey, GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch and Breeders’ Cup winner More Than Looks. First-crop weanlings by Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish and Kentucky Derby winner Mage will also be offered.

“Weanlings that come here by first season sires are usually good representations of each of those stallions,” Lacy explained. “It creates a benchmark for buyers for what these horses have coming next year. It also allows pinhookers to buy young stallions that will be heavily sought after in the yearling market.”

The sale opens with a select Book 1 session on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m., featuring 224 cataloged hips plus supplementals. All remaining sessions begin at 10 a.m.:

• Book 2 (Sessions 2-3) – Wednesday-Thursday, Nov. 5-6 (389 & 401 catalogued)
• Book 3 (Sessions 4-5) – Friday-Saturday, Nov. 7-8 (422 & 415 catalogued)
• Book 4 (Sessions 6-8) – Sunday-Tuesday, Nov. 9-11 (414, 415 catalogued; Nov. 11 – 290 & 117 catalogued)

Keeneland has adjusted the format for the final day, combining Sessions 8 and 9 into a single day of selling on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Session 8 horses will sell in the morning followed immediately by Session 9 horses in the afternoon.

“It’s trying to consolidate as many books as possible,” Lacy said of the format change. “What we are trying to do is make sure that we get as many of the horses in front of the right people. People’s time and the time they spend with us is valuable.”