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Reduce Keeneland Offerings To 244 Yearlings This Year Follow Saratogas Pattern * Started in 1955; Hope for Equally Successful Results By HUGH J. McGUIRE LEXINGTON, Ky., June 22.— Prime activity in any breeding center is, by the j » Yery nature of the industry, constantly changing and just now chief interest is shifting from a waning breeding season to a sharp realization that the first of the yearling auctions is only a little more than one month away. More than any other phase of the thoroughbreed breeding business, the sale of yearlingsis the bread and butter of the commercial breeder and even those breeders who have various other interests that eliminate the necessity of a financially successful sale, are deeply concerned over getting a favorable reception for their colts and fillies. This year the outcome of the sales holds a special interest in that a new procedure is being tried at Keeneland by the Breeders Sales Company. The number of yearlings to be sold-has been reduced by a tremendous 120 from 1956 when 364 youngsters were catalogued. The reduction to this years 244 yearlings finds Keenelands total offerings very close to that of the Fasig-Tipton Company at Saratoga which number 245. The comparison holds in the matter of sex of the yearlings. Keeneland offers 152 colts, Saratoga 155. "* Saratoga experimented with a reduced number of offerings in 1955 and followed with a smashing success last year when for the first time, the averages obtained topped those of Keeneland. This year Keeneland will try the , same plan but -whether it will have the desired result remains to be seen. Foreign Yearlings Bring Average Up There are other factors than mere numbers that control the result and perhaps the most influential of these is that high-priced foreign-bred yearlings are sold at Saratoga but are banned at Keeneland by the rules of the cooperative Breeders Sales •Company. The statistics indicate that it was these foreign -yearlings that were responsible for the higher "Saratoga averages in 1956.1 There is a natural rivalry between the two sales companies but fortunately and wisely, both organizations look upon this as a healthy situation thai defeats the evils of monopoly. While the Fasig-Tipton Company is "choosy" of its yearlings accepted for sale, the Breeders Sales Company subjects its eligibles to a selection committee arid now follows this lip with a physical check by veterinarians. Neither procedure gives a guarantee of the success of. the yearling or removes the gamble taken by the buyer. . It is to be hoped that the reduction to similar numbers of offered yearlings will not result in a race or test between the two companies to secure the high average which should be. a natural result rather than —— a goal. Apart from providing an opportunity to do a little boasting, the high average actually is meaningless and has no bearing on the subsequent performances of the yearlings when they reach the race track. Top performance should be the ultimate goal of both companies and the records clearly show that- this is not always determined by price. The mere reduction in the number of yearlings to be sold will Ijring the needed blessing of shorter and more comfortable sales sessions but it is doubted if at this time it will actually increase the quality of the yearlings. Yearlings with high ratings always have been sold and now there is only a greater concentration of them without the presence of those deemed less attractive. The "culling" has naturally been from the bottom and Fasig-Tipton Company officials will be the first to admit that this change from conditions that held a few years back was direly needed. If the overall quality of a sale is to be elevated it will be necessary to attract yearlings whose credentials are higher tkan some of those now accepted for the sale. Just where such animals would come from we dont jprofess to know unless it be through the controversial avenue of importation or if non-commercial breeders could be induced to offer some of their choice stock on the market. Locally we have heard far fewer complains about the reduction on number of .summer sales yearlings than we had anticipated and all we did hear did not come from the so-called "small breeders." Such breeders are not interested so. much "in high overall averages as in individual prices. Those crowded out of the summer sales may be consoled by the promise that the fall sales appear destined to benefit considerably by the presence of so many yearlings which, in the pa§t, might have beeen summer sales material. The success or failure of the sales companys experiment *i reduction at the Keeneland summer auction should not be judged alone on whether a high average is obtained in July but also on the influence the plan may have on the success of the fall sales. • Meanwhile, buyers should not be frightened away from the summer sale by the mistaken impression that the reduction in number will mean that all yearlings will bring fabulous prices. They wont. It didnt happen at Saratoga and it wont happen at Keeneland.
