With horses selling for a total or $411.7 million, Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale became the highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in the world ever. Keeneland’s Communications Director Amy Gregory said it starts with well-bred horses.
“This year was an exceptionally strong quality crop and having those that we could put before the world’s most prominent buyers, it was just kind of the spark that lit the flame,” said Gregory.
Among the sales headlines was the purchase of a son of the historic stallion “Curlin” for $5 million. That’s the highest price for a colt at the Keeneland auction since 2006.
Gregory said there is a variety of factors leading to this success including racing purses.
“The purse money both here in Kentucky and around the country has increased to a point where there is very rich purse money and you can see a return on your investment in racehorses and that creates a demand to buy racehorses,” said Gregory.
Other contributing factors, according to Gregory, are the investment in facilities like Keeneland and other tracks and the confidence coming from stronger regulations on medication at tracks and auctions.