Racehorses have long been a popular segment of Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale, but starting this year, they stand alone in their own sale Nov. 17 following the conclusion of the principal auction Nov. 16.
Including supplements, 356 hips have been cataloged to the November Horses of Racing Age Sale, though the number going through the ring will total 206 after 150 hips had been withdrawn. Outs are common at HORA sales due to a combination of factors, ranging from veterinary records that might impact a sale to owners simply wanting to continue to race their horses or sell them at different times.
The sale begins at noon ET, two hours later than the customary November Breeding Stock Sale beginning, a time Keeneland chose to allow trainers and racing entities to complete their morning activities.
Tony Lacy, vice president of sales for Keeneland, said demand for HORA sales is still growing domestically, including this one at Keeneland. This auction comes at an opportune time with winter meets on the horizon in Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas, plus year-round interest from New York, California, and Kentucky horsemen.
"We're getting strong entries in that section," Lacy said of the HORA sale. "I think that's creating a whole life of its own."
Thursday's sale includes a wide variety of racehorses, including juveniles, who are often among the most popular on the grounds.
In greater supply are 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds, some recognizable from stakes appearances.
Ethereal Road (Hip 5297), whose scratch from the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) cleared the way for also-eligible and ultimate 80-1 upsetter Rich Strike to gain a berth in the race, is among the most well-known of these sophomores. The runner-up in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park in February, he later won the Sir Barton Stakes Sponsored by Brandon and Diannah Perry to Benefit The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on the Preakness Day undercard at Pimlico Race Course in May.
The D. Wayne Lukas-trained son of Quality Road , owned by Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones, has gone unplaced in six starts since and was most recently fifth in an allowance optional claiming race Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Paramount Sales consigns him.
Among the other 3-year-olds in Thursday's sale that competed in graded stakes this year are Dean's List (Hip 5028), Major General (Hip 5110), McLaren Vale (Hip 5122), and Mackinnon (Hip 5307).
Dean's List and Major General are two from the consignment of WinStar Farm, which has long used the HORA market as a means to thin its deep bench of talented runners.
Grovendale Sales assists WinStar in facilitating the sale of WinStar's large HORA consignment, which totaled 21 horses as of Wednesday morning.
"They have a nice draft of horses, and they always bring a lot of horses that come here for sale that typically go on and do quite well. So I think they've developed a well-known brand," said Chance Timm, partner at Grovendale Sales.
Watch: Grovendale's Timm Discusses HORA Sale
A homebred Speightstown 3-year-old colt, Dean's List was most effective in short- to middle-distance races this past winter and spring for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The WinStar Farm and Siena Farm-campaigned runner was second in the Gotham Stakes (G3) in March and also runner-up in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park when he was last in action May 14.
Major General, a gelded son of Constitution , brings more recent form into the sale, having been third in a second-level allowance optional claimer Sept. 30 at Churchill Downs. He was second to Tawny Port in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) in the spring at Keeneland and won the first two starts of his career last year as a juvenile when he took a maiden race at Saratoga Race Course and the 2021 Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs for then-trainer Todd Pletcher.
The ELiTE Sales-consigned McLaren Vale, by one of the hottest sires in the country in Gun Runner , also is eligible for a second-level allowance race after he was disqualified from a first-place finish at Delaware Park Oct. 12 for interference. He started that day for trainer Brittany Russell after having been previously trained by Rudy Brisset, Sean McCarthy, and Bob Baffert.
A first-out maiden on the final day of 2021, he placed third in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) in January.
The Highgate Sales-consigned Mackinnon is likely to appeal more toward buyers shopping for a turf or synthetic prospect, having been second in the Oct. 22 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) during the Belmont at the Big A meet Oct. 22 for trainer Chad Brown and owners ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables, and Dave Kenney. The American Pharoah colt was a three-time winner on turf last year as a juvenile, including in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes and Zuma Beach Stakes for then-trainer Doug O'Neill.
With 40 horses still in the catalog, ELiTE has the largest group racehorses of any consignor in Thursday's sale. Madaket Stables and Klaravich Stables are two of ELiTE's prominent clients.
"I feel like ELiTE's specialty is the horses of racing age venue," said Jake Memelo of ELiTE, noting they began their operation by selling horses of racing age at Fasig-Tipton in the summer of 2017.
Watch: Memelo on Keeneland HORA Sale
With Keeneland posting online the Ragozin Sheets and Thoro-Graph figures for all of the starters in the HORA sale, in addition to Equibase and Daily Racing Form past performances, buyers have access to handicapping tools to weigh whether a horse fits their operation and circuit.
"At ELiTE, our specialty is really showcasing what you don't see on the paper," Memelo said. "We look hard to find the information on the horse that is not readily apparent, and we like to point those sorts of things out. At the horses of racing age sale, I feel it's really important to find that little piece of information because you don't know what will bring that extra bid."
One example is Orchestration (Hip 5153), a 4-year-old Flatter colt with a modest 1-for-6 record but with Ragozin Sheet numbers that the ELiTE team views as stakes quality. He is still eligible for a first-level allowance.
Grovendale also has a dozen horses of its own horses to sell Thursday. Many have eligibility to numerous allowance levels, including Feeling Happy (Hip 5046), a Runhappy 3-year-old filly. A winner at the $30,000 claiming level at Keeneland Oct. 8, she is eligible at upper-level starter allowances for non-allowance winners. She was most recently third in a Keeneland first-level allowance race Oct. 29 for trainer Jimmy Baker and owner/breeder Miacomet Farm.
"It's an active, vibrant market," Timm said of the HORA sale. "It's a lot of fun because you typically have willing sellers and willing buyers. It's a really fun place to facilitate trade."
