The fireworks of Keeneland's two-day Book One yesterday and today, interrupted by Fasig-Tipton's prestigious Selected sale held last evening, have been muted rather predictably by drops in gross, averages, and medians. I watched a few of my favorite mares walk through the ring to final bids of no more...
Early this year, I complained that sales companies are well behind the times in their catalog technologies ( Revelations of the Catalog Page -- The Thoroughbred Industry's Techno Failure ). I suggested that newly-revitalized Fasig-Tipton would be the right one to try out newer technologies, such as sending...
For those of you who wait all year to enjoy the Keeneland breeding stock catalog , it's online now. I'm spending a few minutes searching for my list of favorite mares... we'll be talking about this sale a lot in the next few weeks. Any first impressions after seeing the catalog?
In a post three weeks ago, I asked Are Names an Advantage at Yearling Sales? and indicated that I was surprised by the apparent advantage of named hips at the Keeneland September sale in recent years. I promised to take a closer look -- comparing named versus unnamed foals by book rather than across...
... buy, buy again! Or, that's what Keeneland is hoping you'll do, at least. The Thoroughbred sales company has opened up RNAs from its premier yearling sale to an electronic re-bid program. Keeneland asks would-be buyers to take a second look at first-class horses . The program allows consignors whose...
SIRES From Action This Day and Afleet Alex to Yonaguska and Zavata, a total of 288 stallions are represented by at least one yearling at the upcoming Keeneland September sale. With 5,189 foals offered, each stallion is represented by an average of 18 colts and fillies. Some especially well-represented...
The Rasmussen Factor Back a few months ago, we discussed inbreeding notations in Thoroughbred pedigrees . At the time, I indicated that we'd want to look at the Rasmussen Factor (RF) at some point in the future. Since then, I've had several emails asking about the subject. There seems to be an air of...
Here in Lexington -- yes, sadly, I didn't rate a trip to the Spa! -- signs of change are evident at Fasig-Tipton. Since the company's acquisition by Dubai-based Synergy Investments 15 months ago, the sales facility on Newtown Pike has received an impressive face lift and a well-coordinated marketing...
Last month I harped about Thoroughbred sales companies' failure to update auction catalogs for the 21st century. Well, it's obvious that one auction house was already hard at work bringing some technological modernization to its catalogs. (Or, in this case, "catalogues." G'day, mate , and all.) The Inglis...
Two-year-old Thoroughbred horses are still foals in late winter and early spring. Many aren't even fully two years old when they're entered in 2-year-olds in training sales. And then worked faster than most will ever run again. That's right, at this tender age, we expect our Thoroughbred foals to run...