Total is highest for auction since 2008

Keeneland’s two-day January Horses of All Ages Sale concluded Tuesday with total sales for 700 horses of $53,580,300 — including $2,346,500 in post-sale receipts reported to date for horses that did not meet their reserve prices in the ring but sold afterward — to record the highest gross for the auction since 2008. At last year’s three-day January Sale, Keeneland sold 724 horses for $35,225,900 (including post sales) for an average of $48,655 and a median of $22,000. 

Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said holding the 2026 January Sale on two days “maintained the energy. The market never had enough. The back ring was packed for a lot of the day, and a lot of people were here and were very engaged. All you can ask for in a good marketplace is to have energy from beginning to end. The sale never felt like it had a lull. Buyers were bidding aggressively and with urgency, which is fantastic.”

On Tuesday, Keeneland sold 347 horses through the ring for $19,527,400, for an average of $56,275 and a median of $22,000. For the entire auction, total through-the-ring sales are $51,233,800 for 666 horses, for an average of $76,928 and a median of $30,000.

“Today was a solid day of trading,” Lacy said. “The clearance rate, average and median were up over last year — even with the higher volume. I think everybody felt like it was a very honest and strong market overall. We were very happy. And I think the sellers were happy. The buyers felt it was a competitive environment.”

“The take home for me was the top 25 horses went from 18 different consignors to 24 different buyers,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “That’s always very pleasing to have the strength and depth at the top of the market like that. The top 13 yearlings were all by different sires, so there’s a lot of popular bloodlines and activity around those choice lots.”

Today’s high seller was a yearling colt by Nyquist sold for $525,000 to En Fuego Stables. Out of stakes-placed Sorrentina Lemon, by Lemon Drop Kid, he is from the family of Canadian champion Negligee. Conley Bloodstock (Carolyn Conley), agent, consigned the colt.

“Bill Justice (of Justice Real Estate) is my other half, and he bred this colt,” Conley said. “We believed in this colt from the beginning. I knew he was the nicest foal out of this mare so far. We are excited for his future.”

“I wanted to wait for the September Sale, but Bill is an expert businessman and he said Nyquist is as hot as a firecracker so we are going to January. The colt improved while he was here at Keeneland. I swear he grew and gained weight. He has a beautiful disposition. And his walk – wow.”

In other Tuesday sales, St. George Sales acquired Orinoco River, a 7-year-old daughter of War Front in foal to Not This Time, post-sale for $500,000. A half-sister to Grade 3 winner Donna Veloce, she is from the family of Grade 1 winner Cash Run and Grade 1 winner and sire Forestry. Orinoco River is out of Coin Broker (IRE), by Montjeu (IRE).

L C Racing spent $425,000 for Black Magic Woman, a 9-year-old winning daughter of Uncle Mo in foal to Vekoma. Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent, she is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Magnum Moon and from the family of Grade 1 winner Harmony Lodge.

Uncle Mo is the sire of a yearling filly sold to Rock Ridge Racing for $420,000. Consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, she is a half-sister to the aforementioned Orinoco River.

“Obviously her page is what caught our eye, but then you go look at her and physically she just stood out to us,” Rock Ridge’s Codee Guffey said. “We’ll ultimately keep her, hopefully add her to our racing stable and then bring her home, make a broodmare after racing.”

The $425,000 filly was the second yearling at the January Sale purchased by Rock Ridge Racing, which acquired a daughter of Street Sense on Monday for $85,000. Rock Ridge is located not far from Keeneland.

“It’s home,” Guffey said. “We sold a colt here in September for $1.7 million (a son of Flightline purchased by Naohiro Sakaguchi). It’s just a special place to sell and buy.” 

Paramount Sales, agent, was Tuesday’s leading consignor, selling 20 horses for $2,334,000. 

Judy Pryor paid $410,000 for stakes winner and Grade 3-placed St. Benedicts Prep, a 6-year-old daughter of Flatter cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect. Consigned by Grovendale Sales, agent, and supplemented to the January Sale, she is out of the War Front mare Line and from the family of Grade 2 winner Wend.

Pryor purchased four horses for $706,000 to lead Tuesday buyers.

Monday’s opening session of the January Sale featured Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm spending the sale-topping amount of $3.2 million for Tiffany Case, dam of Canadian champion and Eclipse Award finalist Nitrogen and in foal to Not This Time; Greg Tramontin’s Greenwell Thoroughbreds going to $2 million to acquire Grade 1 winner and broodmare prospect Simply in Front; and a yearling by Gun Runner selling for $800,000 to Marc Gunderson’s MWG.

Last year, the January Sale-toppers were three horses that each brought $700,000.

For the entire auction, Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, led consignors with sales of $8,720,500 for 86 horses. Taylor Made has been the January Sale’s leading consigner 24 times since 2000.

Tiffany Case, the lone purchase for Whisper Hill, made Pope’s operation the January Sale’s leading buyer.