NEWS
Keeneland catalog declines by 332 horses
Posted: Thursday, July 29, 2010 2:33 PM
by Jeff Lowe
The Keeneland Association has cataloged 4,857 horses for the Keeneland September yearling sale, a 6.4% decline from last year’s catalog of 5,189 and the fewest since 2003.
The Keeneland September catalog had surpassed 5,000 yearlings every year since 2005 and topped out at a record 5,555 in ‘08.
The registered North American foal crop for 2009 dropped 5.4% compared to ‘08, according to Jockey Club projections. The Keeneland September catalog represents 15.3% of the estimated foal crop of 31,750 horses. Last year’s catalog of 5,189 yearlings represented 15.4% of the estimated foal crop of 33,550.
Keeneland altered the sale format this year and will usher in two select evening sessions on September 12 and 13 to begin the sale that continues through September 26. The select portion will include the final two sales offerings of the offspring of Storm Cat, who was pensioned after declining fertility limited his 2008 crop to just three foals.
“We feel that the new format of having selected sessions on Sunday night and Monday night and followed by a comprehensive Book 2 selling 325 horses a day in alphabetical order will give the sale a great start,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales. “There’s no other sale that has the depth and quality of the sires represented in the Keeneland September sale.”
Last year, 3,159 horses were sold at Keeneland September for a total of $191,859,200 and an average price of $60,734, down from $327,999,100 and an average of $90,984 in 2008.
The catalog will be available at www.keeneland.com beginning on August 10. Print catalogs will be mailed the week of August 23.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
Keeneland September yearling sale
Year Horses cataloged
2010 4,857
2009 5,189
2008 5,555
2007 5,553
2006 5,161
2005 5,110
2004 4,891
2003 4,294
2002 4,367
2001 4,481
