Keeneland readies for a different sort of September sale

Even though the 2020 Spring Meet at Keeneland was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been plenty going on at the Lexington, Ky., track and sales grounds.

The horse and human population on site as of March 15 has continued training, awaiting the reopening of racing in Kentucky that's only a week away at Churchill Downs.

Preparation for Keeneland's premier auction, the annual September Yearling Sale, has also already started given added challenges due to the coronavirus.

“I’m certainly hopeful that we’ll get back to racing soon,” said Bob Elliston, Keeneland’s vice president of racing and sales. “I know we’ve been putting a lot into what we're planning for September with these online auctions and the video inspections that we'll happen to get on our website. We have plenty to do.”

The 2020 Keeneland September sale will see many changes, including in-house produced video inspection packages for all potentially high-priced yearlings as well as a new platform for buyers to purchases horses from off site. Traditionally, bidders had to be present on the sales ground, or could make bids by proxy through an agent.

“The buyers, regardless of where they are in the world, will be able to go on the Keeneland website and get really high-quality, professional videography of every horse in Book 1 and Book 2,” Elliston said. “We can get the information in the hands of the right folks so they can make an informed judgement and it’s quality stuff you can count on.”

Traditionally, the horses sold in the first few sessions of the September sale fetch the highest auction prices. Beforehand, those yearlings also receive plenty of scrutiny. Keeneland is attempting to do the legwork for the buyers who may not be able to attend due to travel restrictions or choose not to go given the nature of the coronavirus' spread.

“They’ll see walking videos. They’ll see conformations. They will see head-ons,” Elliston said. “It will be high-definition and very clear. And we have to do that because there may be some people who feel reticent or restricted from traveling internationally to get here. We want to make sure they have every bit of information they can to make an informed decision so they are confident to participate in our marketplace.”

The process of cataloging thousands of yearlings that will be available for sale is a long process even during so-called normal times. It'll take even longer amid a pandemic.

“We have three teams of two people that are heading out as soon as May 18, and they will be looking at these yearlings on the farms,” Elliston said. “They’ll be making grades, which determines where they get placed in Books 1 through 6.

“It may be a little restricted in terms of how many people can be where, and where you can bid from and stand and sit. For the largest sale in the world, we have to find a way to make it happen."

For last year’s sale, consignors were given the option to provide video endoscopy or “scopes” of their yearlings’ airways, making them available much like the radiographs (X-rays) of the horse’s joints. Elliston was pleased with the number of consignors that provided that service, which acts as a cost-saving measure for potential buyers. 

“You’ll see a lot more consignors putting video scopes in the repository, so people can access that remotely as well,” Elliston said. “We had great participation on video scopes last year. If you’re a consignor, particularly with a horse up front with significant value, it’s in your best interest to have those horses video scoped and include that video in the repository.”