The inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale, to be held the week of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, has announced its first offering, as a 25 percent interest in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf hopeful Kilwin will be presented.
Keeneland announced in July that the pilot sale and an accompanying party will be held in the Del Mar paddock on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 30, a few days prior to the Breeders’ Cup races on Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2. Del Mar also will host the Breeders’ Cup in 2025, and Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said the intent is to continue the sale as a “traveling road show” at various future Breeders’ Cup locations.
Sale participation will be by invitation. The catalog is designed to feature full or fractional ownership interests in horses who are entered in the Breeders’ Cup or undercard races at Del Mar; bloodstock closely related to entries in Breeders’ Cup races; and stallion shares or breeding rights in prominent sires or Breeders’ Cup entrants. Given the logistics of these offerings, all cataloged horses will be offered remotely. The catalog is expected to begin coming together in the coming weeks, as Breeders’ Cup candidates target their final prep races and make firmer plans.
Kilwin is currently owned by BBN Racing and is trained by Rusty Arnold. The filly remained unbeaten in two starts with a victory in the $1 million Untapable Stakes on Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs.
“For us at BBN Racing, it’s been very rewarding these past few years to bring new people into racing and to have fun and share the ride together,” BBN Racing co-founder Brian Klatsky said in a Keeneland press release. “The memories and friendships we created around [the stable’s Grade 1 winner] Concrete Rose were very special. We feel it’s a similar situation with Kilwin. We hope to share this journey with someone who wants to experience racing at the highest level. Our plan is to race Kilwin with our new partner throughout her career and when we retire her for breeding, we will sell her at Keeneland as a broodmare prospect.”
Consigning duties for the fractional interest in Kilwin will be handled by Royal Oak Farm, as agent. Because all offerings are presented remotely, consignors will handle digital presentation of horses with photos, videos, and repository veterinary information, and will liaise as potential bidders set up appointments to view horses at their training locations.
Like with all sales, buyers must register and be approved for credit in advance. Given the unique circumstances of this sale, Lacy said Keeneland officials also will be working very closely with the California Horse Racing Board, which will be present at the sale, to ensure that full or fractional buyers of horses entered at Del Mar are properly licensed to participate in California racing. The final entry deadline for Breeders’ Cup races is Monday, Oct. 28, two days prior to the sale.
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