KEENOV Kicks Off Tuesday

The sales grounds at Keeneland | Keeneland Photo

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LEXINGTON, KY–Keeneland's marathon November Breeding Stock sale kicks off Tuesday at 11 a.m. A total of 4147 weanlings, broodmare/broodmare prospects, horses of racing age and stallion/stallion prospects are catalogued for the 12-day event. KEENOV begins with a pair of select Book 1 sessions consisting of hips 1-179 and 180-366A, respectively.

Among the many high-profile young broodmare or broodmare prospects on offer will be 2015's champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind (Curlin) (hip 153); 2016 GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) (hip 30) in foal to Pioneerof the Nile; 2016 GI Test S. heroine Paola Queen (Flatter) (hip 297), who cost $1.7 million here 12 months ago; and the regally bred Twirl (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (366A). Five-time Grade I winner Lady Eli (Divine Park) was forced to be scratched from the sale after enduring lacerations and a puncture wound during the running of Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf.

As many as 41 horses from the complete dispersal of Ben and Elaine Walden's Pauls Mill also figure to feature prominently in the auction results.

Last year's top broodmare was Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic winner who brought $3.8 million from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Unrivaled Belle was represented this year by standout sophomore filly and 'TDN Rising Star' Unique Bella (Tapit).

High demand for top-end weanlings has been a noted trend at the breeding stock sales in recent years, and KEENOV's weanling offerings were given an endorsement on Saturday's Breeders' Cup undercard when 2015's $2.6-million second-priciest youngster Declarationofpeace (War Front) annexed the Juvenile Turf Sprint S. for the Coolmore partners.

As many as five weanlings by Tapit, six by War Front, four by Medaglia d'Oro, 12 from the first crop of his son and Grand Slam winner American Pharoah–plus the same number by that one's popular sire Pioneerof the Nile–will go through the ring.

“It's going to be good for the good ones,” said Carrie Brogden of Select Sales and Machmer Hall Farm. “I think weanling buyers are going to be bullish, but not crazy. At the yearling sales, it's not the days of $8-million, $10-million, $14-million yearlings anymore. So I think it will be strong, but not crazy.”

Taylor Made's Mark Taylor said, “I think the pinhookers had a great year for the most part, so I think they are going to be strong [buying weanlings]. And I am seeing a trend of more end-users stepping in to buy weanlings, trying to get ahead of the curve and trying to find some value. So I think the weanlings are going to be really strong for the good ones. But people are very picky still. And I think they are overly picky on the vetting.”

He continued, “One issue that I don't think is talked about is that technology is moving so fast with these X-ray machines, that every year they are seeing new things that nobody has ever seen before. And all of a sudden it creates a panic ripple and it's probably things that have been there all along, but now we're just seeing it. And there will be a three- or four-year curve before people figure out, 'Oh that's no big deal, we'll go on with it.' In the meantime, it's really painful for breeders because your horse is like a guinea pig. I can't tell you how many graded stakes winners we've seen that we look back at their X-ray results and they got absolutely killed at the sales and it was just people not understanding. The horsemanship hasn't caught up with the X-rays. If people are willing to go with their gut instinct and go buy a horse that looks sound and if they are able to live with what I consider are little imperfections, don't be scared. Buy the athlete.”

For more information on Keeneland November, including live video, visit www.keeneland.com.

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