Keeneland November to feature Windfields Farm, Overbrook dispersals

Keeneland November to feature Windfields Farm, Overbrook

dispersals

Another new day dawns at Keeneland (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) Keeneland kicks off its 66th annual November Breeding Stock Sale on Tuesday. Highlighting the 13-day sale, which runs through November 22, will be the dispersals of two of North America's most prestigious breeding establishments -- Windfields Farm, founded by the late E.P. Taylor, and the W.T. Young family's Overbrook Farm. Also featured among the 4,702 horses cataloged are mares in foal to such first-year stallions as two-time Horse of Year Curlin and 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner Big Brown. "As the sale opens, there are positive signs emerging on both macro and industry levels," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland director of sales. "There are certain segments of the global market where recovery is underway in earnest. As such, we anticipate greater international participation based on the strength of certain currencies against the American dollar and keen interest in recent overseas sales."

Russell also commended the industry for its positive response to the internal

issue of

overproduction.

"There is improvement with regard to oversupply, which will likely be

overcome before the

macro issues are resolved," he said. "The 2009 Report of Mares Bred is down,

which leads to less horses cataloged for November."

The dispersals of Windfields and Overbrook Farms mark the end of a storied

era for Keeneland.

The Taylor family's Windfields Farm bred a record 48 champions, including

Northern Dancer,

whose stature and influence as a Thoroughbred sire, and a sire of sires, is

unmatched and

inextricably tied to Keeneland. Northern Dancer won Keeneland's 1964 Blue Grass

S. on his

way to becoming Canada's first Kentucky Derby winner. As a sire, his

dominance of the

Keeneland sales is evidenced by the fact that he led the July Selected Yearling

Sale sire by

average price 12 times from 1974-1988. In 1984 his 12 yearlings sold for a

sale-record average

of $3,446.666. Brookdale Sales will serve as agent for the Windfields

consignment.

Northern Dancer's prominence at Keeneland continued through grandson and

leading sire Storm

Cat, a homebred stallion from the Young family's Overbrook Farm. Storm Cat

perennially led

the July and September yearling sales sire lists, and frequently topped the

November Sale sire

list. He was pensioned in 2008. Eaton Sales will serve as agent for the

Overbrook dispersal.

Also of unique interest this November will be 22 mares consigned by Adena

Springs with foals

by their sides that were produced by Southern Hemisphere-timed matings to such

stallions as

Awesome Again, El Prado (Ire) and Ghostzapper, among others.

Mares in foal to such young stallions as After Market, Bernardini,

Corinthian, First Samurai,

Hard Spun, Henny Hughes, Henrythenavigator, Invasor (Arg) and Street Sense,

among others,

also are cataloged.

Additionally, mares covered by such established sires as A.P. Indy, Awesome

Again, Birdstone,

Candy Ride (Arg), Danehill Dancer, Distorted Humor, Dixie Union,

Dynaformer, El Prado

(Ire), Elusive Quality, Empire Maker, Galileo (Ire), Ghostzapper, Giant's

Causeway, Gone West,

Kingmambo, Medicean, More Than Ready, Mr. Greeley, Pulpit, Rock Hard Ten,

Smart

Strike, Speightstown, Street Cry (Ire), Tapit, Tiznow and Unbridled's Song,

among others, will

be offered.

Weanlings representing many of the world's top sires, such as A.P. Indy,

Birdstone, Candy Ride

(Arg), Distorted Humor, Dynaformer, Elusive Quality, Empire Maker, Ghostzapper,

Giant's

Causeway, Gone West, Kingmambo, Lemon Drop Kid, Malibu Moon, Mr. Greeley,

Pulpit, Smart

Strike, Speightstown, Street Cry (Ire), Tapit, Tiznow and Unbridled's Song,

among others, will

be offered.

Also consigned are weanlings by such promising young sires as After Market,

Any Given

Saturday, Bernardini, Bluegrass Cat, Bob and John, Borrego, Corinthian, Discreet

Cat, English

Channel, First Samurai, Flashy Bull, Half Ours, Hard Spun, Henny Hughes, Invasor

(Arg), Jazil,

Latent Heat, Lawyer Ron, Master Command, Medaglia d'Oro, Political Force,

Rockport Harbor,

Scat Daddy and Street Sense, among others.

Sale sessions begin daily at 10 a.m. (EST). Live coverage will be provided at

www.keeneland.com.