Keeneland will host the April Select Horse Racing Junior Sale following a 10-race card on Friday on the closing day of the Spring Meet.
The fledgling auction will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Keeneland's final race will begin at approximately 5:09 pm ET.
A total of 134 horses – and still growing – were included in the one-day sale.
“This is an exciting sale,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said earlier this week.
“This is kind of a celebration of the end of our race and it also starts Derby week. This is only the second time we have held it immediately after the race on the closing day. It creates a really positive atmosphere. We will have live music before and after the sale, and we will also have Gray Goose cocktails and sandwiches from Drake's, a local restaurant. We really like the feeling we created two years ago. Last year, we had to switch to Sunday sales because the OBS schedule changed.”
Breathnach continued, “Right now, there are about 85 horses for sale, which is an amazing number. The number of horses that will go through the ring will come down to the last minute, but that's in line with where we've been the last two years. We take great pride in selling horses that run well or win at meetings. Hopefully we will have a lot of energy. We've had a lot of people talking about a sale and asking or confirming if we would do it as early as the beginning of the year. We are excited to see how it plays out.”
Highlights in the category include: 3-year-old gelding Save the orphan tree (Conservationists) (hips 131, commissioned by Airdrie Stud, agent), impressive come-from-behind winner for Estate of Brereton C. Jones and trainer Wayne Mackey at Keeneland on April 19; Puzzle for a 4 year old child Uncle Jake (Uncle Mo) (hip 119, authorized by Vaccarezza Racing, dealer), who scored three straight wins with Keeneland allowance points for JKX Racing and Vaccarezza Racing LLC at Keeneland on April 11; 3 year old girl Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}) (hip 79, commissioned by White Birch Farm representative ELiTE), who is undefeated in two races this year on turf for Peter Brant and Chad Brown at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs; GII Alysheba S. 2023 winner Smile happily (Runhappy) (Hip circumference 57, consigned by Gainesway, Dealer II); 2022 GII Suburban S. Winner Dynamic One (Alliance rags) (hips 101, consigned by Highgate Sales, Dealer V); and MGSW & MGISP Craftiness (Practical joke) (Hip circumference 124consigned by Gainesway, Agent XV as a stallion prospect).
Last year's auction was headed by then-2-year-old Commissioner Dan (Commissioner), who brought in $500,000 from Pedro Lanz, bidding on behalf of Saudi Arabia-based KAS Stable after the win. first at Keeneland.
Keeneland sold 67 horses through the ring for $6,743,000, representing a median of $100,642 and a median of $70,000, at last year's auction.
Recent graduates of the April Sale include: Carmel Street (Quality roads) ($260,000 '23 KEEAPR), 2024 King Faisal Cup winner in Saudi Arabia; GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup S. 2023 winner Scarlet Fusion (curled up) ($110,000 '22 KEEAPR); and last weekend's Dangerous Hour S. winner Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro) ($280,000 '23 KEEAPR).
“There really is a market for pre-made animals,” Breathnach said. “The request box was popular and busy throughout the meeting. There are a lot of people looking for horses that are ready to move on. We have received a lot of support and interest from Saudi Arabia and they will be back in business. They like earth horses and hope we get what they want.”
