Solid start as $3.1m Paris Lights tops Book 1 of Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale

The opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale got off to a solid start on Wednesday with seven horses topping the million-dollar mark, indicative of the robust trade that is expected to continue through the subsequent nine sessions of the sale.

Keeneland reported 118 horses sold during Wednesday's opening session, grossing $50,634,000. In 2020, the auction house reported 135 horses sold for a $52,942,000 gross.

Wednesday's average price of $429,102 showed a gain of 10.35 per cent from last year's $392,163 average. The median also rose to $330,000, a 17.86 per cent increase from $280,000 in 2020. This year, 48 horses failed to meet their reserve for a 28.92 per cent RNA rate, slightly up from the 27.68 per cent RNA rate of a year ago.

In 2020, nine horses sold for $1 million or more on the first day of the sale, topped by the $1.95 million sale of Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose.

"It was a good, steady, strong session," Shannon Arvin, Keeneland president and CEO, said of the single-session Book 1 action. "We felt great about the way today went. It was as we had expected and anticipated and hoped."

"The 18 per cent increase in median was encouraging," said Tony Lacy, Keeneland's vice president of sales. "The money is spread across the board a lot more. I think, overall, it was a very honest, fair, and encouraging session as we move forward."

With international travel restrictions easing up, a strong international presence was seen on the grounds and in the results sheets. Japan-based Masahiro Miki was the session's leading buyer with three mares bought for a combined total of $3,675,000.

"As we welcome more visitors and travellers from around the world, we saw a more diverse group. They are active, and they are going to be active into Books 2 and 3," Lacy said. "They are not going anywhere anytime soon. That is encouraging as we step forward into the next year or two."

Internet and phone bidding have continued to be available options for bidders unable to attend the sale in person.

"It was nice to have the international folks back; we saw internet bidding go down, which I think is because there were so many international folks that were able to be here in person," Arvin said. "The domestic buying bunch stayed strong and steady, as well as it was in September."

Fillies with recent form and Graded-winning mares in foal to commercial sires commanded the top ten prices of the day.

Paris Lights highlighted the day at a sale-topping $3.1 million. A supplemental entry to the sale as Hip 224D, the daughter of Curlin out of Paris Bikini showed her versatility when she won the American Oaks at three and was successful this year in the seven-furlong Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct, also placing in the Shawnee Stakes and Love Sign Stakes this season.

The filly campaigned by WinStar Stablemates Racing proved a collector's item and will head to Spendthrift Farm for a date with leading sire Into Mischief. Ned Toffey, general manager for Spendthrift, was thrilled to secure the classy filly after getting shut out on another offering earlier in the sale.

"The sale was very strong; it's pretty good across the board in here and very competitive," Toffey said. "We tried on one earlier and didn't get it, so we're happy to get this one. The final price is very much what we thought we'd have to pay. I hoped it would be less, but that's where we thought we'd probably have to be."

"The market continues to be very strong. Antony Beck and I had a mare (Mind Out, hip 168) that we owned with LNJ Foxwoods that brought $1.2 million, so we had a really good day," said buyer Andrew Rosen. "The mares were super strong last night, and I think it continues today and I think it will through the week."

A filly by Juddmonte's leading sire Frankel sold for $800,000 to Phil Schoenthal for D. Hatman Thoroughbreds to register as the top weanling of the sale, and the most expensive weanling sold in North America thus far this year.

The Kentucky-bred filly is out of Lady Ederle, dam of Grade 2 winner Nay Lady Nay who races here in the states with Chad Brown for First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm. Her half brother Arizona won the Coventry Stakes for John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. The Stephen Sullivan-bred chestnut filly was consigned by Four Star Sales as hip 144.

"We have to give credit to our international representatives who have been working hard. Kate Hunter in Japan did a marvellous job of getting clients over here," said Lacy. "Ed Prosser recruited the Frankel filly...credit to him.

"We are farmers here in Kentucky and the US," Lacy added. "We are producing a commodity for a global market. This is the trading base where a vast majority of it takes place."

Taylor Made Sales Agency led the way as Wednesday's leading consignor by gross, with 29 horses sold for a total of $8,615,000.

The sale continues through to November 19 with sessions beginning daily at 10am ET.

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