Yearlings for Sale at Keeneland in September
Keeneland is the largest thoroughbred auction house in the world and hosts the most influential horse sale of the year. The September Yearling Sale is the global marketplace for buying a thoroughbred racehorse. The auction offers the highest quality and largest number of yearlings for sale at all levels of the market, drawing a diverse collection of buyers and sellers interested in buying a horse.
Raising Winning Thoroughbred Racehorses
Mill Ridge Farm has a history of raising some of the world's best thoroughbred racehorses. Success is rooted in time-proven traditions balanced with modern techniques, morals, and principles established by Alice Chandler, who founded Mill Ridge in 1962.
The farm's foundation is the horse boarding service. Mill Ridge boards thoroughbreds of all ages while raising foals and yearlings to become racehorses. Raising horses in the timeless philosophy of putting the horse first has worked for their clients for decades. The fertile land the farm sits on supplies the foundation for horses to thrive, and the results in producing a healthy racehorse are evident. Mill Ridge has produced 36 Grade 1 winners since 2000, including winners of the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup.
There are five categories of thoroughbreds that can be bought at sales. They are broodmares, weanlings, yearlings, two-year-olds, and horses of racing age; however, yearlings are the only age group for sale at the Keeneland September Sale.
Mill Ridge Farm has a history of raising some of the world's best thoroughbred racehorses.
A Day In The Life Of A Yearling in Sales ‘Prep’
A yearling is a one-year-old horse. Typically, foals are born in late winter or early spring and stay with their mothers until they are five months old at which they are weaned. When January 1 of the following year arrives, these weanlings become yearlings regardless of their birthdate. At this stage, the horses begin to mature and develop both physically and mentally.
At Mill Ridge, the young thoroughbreds are separated by gender and given plenty of time to interact and stay together as a herd. Yearlings are left outside overnight and brought back to the barn in the morning to be fed, after which they’re given a thorough exam. Every horse is carefully inspected for bumps, bruises, and overall development.
After they eat, it’s time for these young athletes to get in some daily exercise. As part of sales preparation, each yearling has an exercise regime. The yearlings start with light exercise and work their way up to peak exercise time. During their peak, each yearling is either hand-walked or placed on a horse exerciser (known as "the walker") for approximately twenty minutes, depending on their routine. Yearlings are typically hand-walked twice per week and exercise on “the walker” four times per week while getting one day off to rest. Once their workout is over, the yearlings are hosed down and given a soapy bath. After that they return to their stalls to wind down and take a nap. They are fed again and released outside around 6:00 pm.
Mill Ridge Farm takes great care in preparing Yearlings for sale.
Preparing Yearlings For Sale
The sales ‘prep’ process begins approximately 60 days prior to the September Sale at Keeneland. Ahead of the sale, the veterinarian conducts a thorough exam to identify any health issues that need to be addressed. The exam includes x-rays and scope of the yearling's throat to observe how it opens while the horse is breathing, and the farrier works on improving the development and shape of their hooves.
After turning one-year-old in January, the yearlings are evaluated to determine which sale they will go to. Yearlings for sale at Keeneland are chosen for their pedigree and conformation, which determines where the yearling will be placed in the sale.
In addition to the Mill Ridge staff, a group from Keeneland visits the farm to evaluate the horses during the spring and summer months. The yearlings sold at the September Sale are listed and categorized in a sales catalog called "books." There are approximately six books per sale, with the most elite yearlings appearing in books one and two.
Mill Ridge can request which book they would like their yearlings to be listed in. The books are released in late summer with placements and hip numbers. Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale is world-renowned for showcasing the best of the best.
Evaluating Yearlings For Sale
When considering buying a thoroughbred racehorse, a yearling is an excellent option because they are young, and the owner can decide where the horse is raised and trained to race. A yearling hasn’t been ridden yet and therefore has no record of wins.
At this age, their conformation is nearly complete. The overall make-up of the horse is the most important consideration when evaluating yearlings for sale. Conformation consists of the shape and arrangement of muscle, bones, and body structure that combine to create the horse.
Buyers who are serious about the longevity of the yearling's health and their financial investment work with a bloodstock agent. Bloodstock agents can assess the quality of the horse's knees, joints, feet, body, and intelligence at this stage. Yearlings with conformation flaws often bring lower prices at auction and future perception of weaknesses to their offspring. Many bloodstock agents buy and sell horses for their clients at public auctions and remain onsite to make arrangements to transport the horse once the sale is finalized.
Consider Mill Ridge Farm as your trusted bloodstock agent when buying a Yearling.
What To Expect On The Day Of The Sale
Festivities kick off bright and early on the day of the sale, with staff arriving on the grounds by 5:00 am. Yearlings are fed and taken outside for morning walks and baths before the showings begin at 8:00 am. The yearlings will warm up and walk around the show barn before the auction begins.
The September Sale takes place over several days. Prospective buyers can request a preview—a private showing for an individual horse—as soon as the yearlings arrive at Keeneland, or they can view the horse publicly when the auction begins. If the buyer is interested in a horse, they can go to the consignment barn and request to view the yearling for sale, along with veterinarian records.
Buyers are allowed to conduct an onsite pre-purchase veterinary exam with their own vet. This includes everything from x-rays to blood samples and taking scans of the heart, lung, and spleen. After the physical exam is complete and the pedigree and conformation of the horse have been reviewed, the buyer decides if they want to place a bid on the horse.
About an hour before the horse's scheduled sale time, they are carefully groomed and taken for a lap around the show ring for inspections before heading to center stage. As the yearling's hip number approaches, it is led up a walkway into the auction hall where buyers and bloodstock agents are waiting to bid.
After the bidding closes, the horse is returned to the consignor's barn to await a new owner. The horse must be picked up within 24 hours of the sale to make room for the next grouping of yearlings.
The 2022 edition of the Keeneland September Sale begins on Monday, September 12.
Interested in racehorses for sale, and in learning more about broodmares, foals, weanlings, and two-year-olds? Want to see how they are raised for yourself? Schedule a tour of Mill Ridge Farm today through Visit Horse Country.