April 20, 2024

Keeneland November begins 12-day run on Tuesday

Champion Stellar Wind will provoke spirited bidding at the Keeneland November opener (Keeneland photo)

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale kicks off Tuesday. Featuring a 4,147-strong catalog, the 12-day auction continues through November 18.

Book 1, with a stating time of 11 a.m. (EST), spans Tuesday and Wednesday. Although Lady Eli was withdrawn to give her time to heal from lacerations sustained in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), champion STELLAR WIND (Curlin) promises to get the sale off to a rollicking start Tuesday as Hip No. 153. The 2016 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner CATHRYN SOPHIA (Street Boss) and fellow Grade 1 winner HER EMMYNENCY (Successful Appeal), each carrying her first foal by Pioneerof the Nile, will bring early attention as Hips 30 and 56 respectively. Also set to sell on opening day is a weanling half-sister to Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) by Speightstown, Hip 13.

Wednesday’s offerings include BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) (Hip 200), the multiple Grade 1-wining half-sister to Hall of Famer Zenyatta (Street Cry), in foal to Uncle Mo; AL’S GAL (English Channel) (Hip 188), in foal to Medaglia d’Oro; and VICTORY PARTY (Yankee Victor) (Hip 364), a half-sister to Beholder, Into Mischief, and Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in foal to Curlin. Added to the sale as Hip 366A is TWIRL (Galileo), a full sister to highweight Misty for Me (dam of 2017 celebrities Roly Poly and U S Navy Flag, both by War Front), likewise in foal to Curlin.

From Book 2 on, each session will begin an hour earlier at 10 a.m. According to Keeneland, the catalog comprises 2,037 broodmares and broodmare prospects, 1,683 weanlings, 425 horses of racing age and two stallions. The sale includes dispersals from Pauls Mill (Ben and Elaine Walden et al) and McCauley Farms (Paramount Sales as agent).

American Pharoah has 23 weanlings from his first crop on offer. Young stallions in the same category include Bayern, Honor Code, Lea, Liam’s Map, Palace Malice, Summer Front and Tonalist. Moreover, weanling siblings to the likes of dual classic-winning champion I’ll Have Another, Caravaggio, Mucho Macho Man, Stephanie’s Kitten, Champagne Room, Tamarkuz, Tapizar, Caleb’s Posse, and Violence are in the catalog.

California Chrome will have some of his first in-foal mares to sell, as will such freshmen as Air Force Blue, Flintshire, Frosted, Mshawish, Not This Time, Nyquist and Runhappy.

The November 13-14 sessions will focus on horses of racing age, with a notable addition in Grade 2 scorer LONG ON VALUE (Value Plus), most recently third in the Woodbine Mile (G1) to future Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) one-two World Approval and Lancaster Bomber, as Hip 2884A.

Keeneland’s special November microsite, november.keeneland.com, has full spectrum coverage.