by Pete Denk

The Keeneland April sale of selected two-year-olds in training kicks off its two-night run in Lexington at 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.

Formerly a one-session daytime sale, the April sale has been divided into two sessions to be held Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Keeneland also changed its under-tack show format in 2008, removing the first gallop show that was traditionally held a week prior to the sale in favor of Monday’s single day of workouts.

“The whole genesis of the new schedule was hoping we could get the buyers to look at the whole catalog instead of just looking at the fastest 10%,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales. “We wanted to encourage them to look at all these horses ahead of time, and then based on their evaluations, work into the gallop show.”

“Last Wednesday and Thursday, there were a lot of buying groups and agents here watching the horses gallop in the morning, which is something we were hoping for.”

The two-year-olds in training market has had an up-and-down year. Sellers got off to a strong start at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s February sale of selected two-year-olds in training. However, the next two sales—Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training and Barretts Equine Ltd. March sale of selected two-year-olds in training—both were down.

The two-year-old market rebounded when the OBSC March sale of selected two-year-olds in training broke records for average price, median, and total receipts.

“The Ocala two-year-old sales were very good this year, while the Fasig and Barretts auctions fell into the usual parameters of the two-year-old sales—the good horses sold very well, and, to paraphrase John Ferguson, those who did not tick all the boxes, did not sell very well,” Russell said. “We have a good, solid catalog this year, but the proof will be in the pudding.”

Last year’s April sale was the first North American two-year-old sale to conduct its under-tack show on a synthetic surface. Whatever hesitance that might have invoked in buyers and sellers, Russell hopes it is gone a year later.

“I think buyers and consignors might have been a little conservative here last year, not knowing what a synthetic track two-year-old sale would be like,” Russell said. “Now that this is our fourth race meet on Polytrack, Arlington’s had a full race meet, and they’ve had a full year in California, I think trainers are starting to know what they want to see on these tracks, and that’s a very positive thing. I think there’s a comfort level coming together.”

The April sale received a boost when undefeated Big Brown won the $1-million Florida Derby (G1) to become one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). Big Brown sold for $190,000 at last year’s April sale.

“To sell, perhaps, the Derby favorite gives us a name horse,” Russell said. “It was easier talking to people this week who were hemming and hawing whether they were going to come to the sale. It helped tremendously to be able to say, ‘You could buy another Big Brown.’ ”

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

Pete Denk is Thoroughbred Times sales editor