Shannon Arvin

The seasonal foliage was about the only thing falling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which concluded a wildly successful run in Lexington Friday afternoon. Over the course of 10 days of trade, sales officials reported gross receipts of $203,585,500 for 2470 horses sold, good for an average of $82,423. Further demonstrating the strength of middle market, the median price of $37,000 established a new November record, eclipsing the previous mark of $35,000 set on five previous occasions, but most recently in 2014. The buyback rate closed at a...

Shannon Arvin, president and chief executive officer of Keeneland, has been named to The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation Board of Trustees. She fills the vacant position left by D.G. Van Clief, Jr. A member of The Jockey Club (TJC) and a former member of the law firm Stoll Keenon Ogden (SKO), Arvin has served or currently serves on the boards of Bluegrass Care Navigators (Hospice), Horse Country, The Lexington School, and the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Foundation. She is also past president of the Thoroughbred Club of...

A total of 3,594 head have been catalogued for the weanling and breeding stock portions of the 78th Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, to be held Nov. 10-19 in Lexington. The catalog pages for those entries can now be viewed online, and print catalogs will be mailed out around Oct. 15. This year's auction will feature a single session for horses of racing age on the sale's final day. With the entry deadline for those horses extended to Oct. 4, the catalog for that part of the sale will be...

The early returns have been strong at Keeneland's marquee September Sale, both in the numbers on the board and the overall vibe on the grounds, and Wednesday morning, the company's president and chief executive officer Shannon Arvin joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to talk about her first September Sale officially running the show, the return of some normalcy to the auction environment, what to expect at the upcoming Keeneland Fall Meet and more. "The word we keep saying is electric," said Arvin, calling in via Zoom as...

With the first book of the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale under wraps, the company's president and CEO Shannon Arvin joined the TDN Writers' Room to talk about her first September Sale officially running the show. This week's podcast also featured guest cohost Gabby Gaudet.

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - If Monday's first session of the Keeneland September sale was solid, Tuesday's second day of selling and final Book 1 session was very strong. Three yearlings hit the seven-figure mark during the opener, and another eight brought that amount or more on Tuesday, led by the current sale-topping $1.6-million Quality Road colt. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the well-related hip 300 was purchased by Woodford Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds. "It was a great...

The daily number of U.S. deaths from the COVID-19 virus neared 1,000 per day last week, the highest level the country has seen since February. The seven-day moving average of COVID-19 cases reported by the CDC, is at 149,263, and continues to rise. There are currently four variants circulating in the United States; Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma, with Delta making up over 99% of all cases. It seems like every day, someone we know in racing has contracted COVID, from trainer Todd Pletcher to the TDN's own Christina Bossinakis,...

A total of 4,034 yearlings have been catalogued for Keeneland's 78th annual September yearling sale, scheduled for Sept. 13-24 in Lexington, KY. "This is an exciting time at Keeneland as we welcome Tony Lacy as our new Vice President of Sales and Cormac Breathnach as our new Director of Sales Operations, while longtime Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell remains on the team in a consulting role," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "We have initiated a number of new features to further enhance the September Sale and facilitate...

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 10 according to an update from Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin and Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy Tuesday. Fasig-Tipton's one-day November Sale will be held Nov. 9. The Breeders' Cup will take place at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6. "In keeping with Keeneland's mission, we continually strive to do what is best for the industry," said the statement from Keeneland. "Setting the stage for a successful November Sale is a top priority as we work to...

Keeneland will open at full capacity for the upcoming Fall Meet, which will be held Oct. 8-30. Tickets will go on sale beginning at 9 a.m. ET Monday, Aug. 16. Prospective purchasers should visit tickets.keeneland.com in advance for information on available ticket options and the process to purchase. Keeneland's e-ticketing platform will enable fans to add tickets to their mobile wallets for scanning at the admission gates. "Keeneland is thrilled to welcome greater numbers of fans back to the track for what promises to be a terrific Fall Meet," Keeneland...

Keeneland has announced the official daily schedule for its marquee September Yearling Sale, which will begin Monday, Sept. 13 with the first session of a two-day Book 1 opener, a schedule update that was reported in the TDN June 26. Also included in the changes to Book 1's schedule is the ability for sellers to send horses who RNA'd on the first day back through the ring on day two. The sale will start at 1 p.m. for both Book 1 sessions Monday and Tuesday, while the two Book 2...

Keeneland, which is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, will offer a record $6-million in stakes purses and expanded 22-race stakes schedule at its upcoming fall meet. The meet, which covers 17 days of racing from Oct. 8-30, will open with the signature Fall Stars Weekend, feature 10 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races, offer two new $150,000 stakes for 2-year-olds and reposition several stakes to create a total of six race cards with multiple stakes. "The Keeneland Fall Meet is incredibly important, and 85 years of racing at...