[QUOTE=LaurieB;6559193]
The process varies a little from sale to sale but for KeeSep, you make your entries in the spring then Keeneland sends a team of conformation experts to look at the yearlings. They evaluate each horse and assign it a number based on looks. Another Keeneland team analyzes the page and gives it another number. Those 2 numbers are added and become a rough guideline for where the yearling will go.
The big consignors like Taylor Made, Denali, Lane’s End, etc. are alloted a certain number of spots in each book and they can pretty much decide which yearlings they want to use to fill each slot. The small consignors write a letter detailing their “wish list” for positions and giving their estimated value for each horse they are going to sell.
Generally speaking nobody wants to be in Book 1 unless they think that have a colt that will bring a million dollars. And no one wants the last book because they figure all the money will have already been spent. Different kinds of buyers are shopping at different times during the sale so you need to put your yearling where he’s in front of the most people who should want what he has to offer and also–if possible–where he looks like a bit of a standout.
I think the books are roughly worked out by early July and we usually get our hip numbers around the third week of that month. The catalogue appears on line a couple weeks later.[/QUOTE]
While this is correct for “Book 1” it does not apply to books/catalogues 2 and on of horses offered at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Though consignors/agents generally can request certain horses to be in specific books, this year there are 6 catalogues spread across 11 days, the final decision is made by Keeneland. Some consignors do carry more weight with their request then others. The only select session based on conformation was Book 1 this year. Book 1 had 132 horses or hips, an industry term derived from the catalogue number that corresponds to their catalogue page that is placed on their hips. Generally several hundred horses will be nominated to the select session. These are the only horse that are inspected and given a conformation grade number. The pedigree page will be reviewed and given a grade number also. These numbers, pedigrees and the consignors are entered into a data base. They are correlated high to low score. The sales team will determine the number of horses to be catalogued for the select session based on the strength of these numbers and set a cut off point. Consignors are given a chance to make a case for those horses that don’t make the cut. Sometimes they get in and sometimes they don’t. The strength and or “clout” of certain consignors can have a major influence. Their reasons on more then just vanity or an owners ego and would take a while to explain the intricacies of “placing” a horse. The rest of the 3,500+ yearlings in this years sale are not inspected for conformation. But the are selected per-say on the stregth of their pedigrees and given perference. All pedigrees are given a grade based on the produce and or race records of the dams and stud fee/sire power of the stallion bred to. Each book will have a minimum grade assigned to it and only horses who’s pedigrees meet that grade will be catalogued in that book. Again consignor preference can and does come into play. There are reasons for placing a horse with a Book 2 pedigree in Book 3 or 4. Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond is one.
Consignors are made aware of their horses placing and are given a chance to request and or make changes before the catalogue is numbered and printed.
As to what horse is first in the ring and last is based on the first letter of the selling horse’s dam’s name. The catalogue is numbered alphabetically starting with that letter.
Each years the sales company will pick a letter “out of the hat”. No one wants to be the first or last horse sold. Doing it this way negates complaints and accusations.
Each sales company will have a slightly different way of going about it. Each company’s “system” is proprietary. My experience comes from having worked at Fasig Tipton. Which is were Keeneland’s director of sales once worked also.
