keeneland sales | Horse Racing Free Tips

Acting Out Tops Keeneland April HORA Sale

Acting Out (Blame), who most recently caused a 6-1 upset of the Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park Apr. 2 (video), was hammered down to Bill Farish, acting as agent for his parents Will and Sarah, to lead the way at Friday's Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale held following the conclusion of the closing-day program at the racetrack a handful of steps up the hill.

Previously trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer for the ownership group of Sherman Racing Inc., Zivka Akin and Robert Hawkins, Acting Out won three of 10 starts in California and was placed in the Camila Urso S. sprinting on the turf at Golden Gate last year, but switched to the Arkansas oval this term and was a wire-to-wire allowance winner Mar. 11 before besting heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief) in the Carousel. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as hip 23.

“She is a six-furlong specialist, so she will [continue] sprinting and hopefully be back here to [race in] the [GII] Thoroughbred Club of America S. in the fall,” said Farish. “We hope we can make some of the purchase price back [by racing her] before retiring her at the end of the year.

“When the catalog came out, she was one that just stood out in the catalog,” Farish added. “When we saw her–she looked fabulous, a beautiful mare, really correct. She looks like one who would have nice babies. [Her pedigree] goes back to a Stuart Janney III family, and we hope to breed her one day.”

Acting Out is out of a half-sister to Janney III's Grade III-winning turf mare Onus, also a daughter of Blame, and to the dam of the promising 3-year-old multiple graded-placed turf colt Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy), who flew home to win a grass allowance at Keeneland Apr. 16. The stakes-placed third dam Meghan's Joy (A.P. Indy) has left behind the likes of graded winners Ironicus (Distorted Humor), On Leave (War Front), Norumbega (Tiznow), Hunting (Coronado's Quest) and Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy).

WATCH: Acting Out sells for $600,000 at Friday's Keeneland April Sale

The ELiTE-consigned Blue Devil (Uncle Mo) was the most coveted of the male racing prospects, selling to Rocket Ship Racing LLC, agent/William Denzik for $260,000. The 3-year-old was offered as hip 32 on behalf of his previous owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Golconda Stable and trainer Rodolphe Brisset and made a favorable impression in his lone racetrack appearance to date, missing by a neck in a six-furlong maiden over the Turfway synthetic Apr. 2. The same connections were also represented by Blackadder (Quality Road) (hip 89), who was purchased by Claiborne Farm, agent, for $250,000. Hailing from a Stone Farm family, the colt holds an entry for the GI Preakness S. by virtue of his victory in the El Camino Real Derby Feb. 12.

Another Brisset trainee made his way down to the sales pavilion only hours after winning his maiden at the track a few hours earlier. Summer Anthem (Temple City) was offered by Gainesway, agent, as hip 104, and was snapped up by Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm for $150,000 to continue his career. The 3-year-old gelding proved a tenacious winner of Friday's fourth race in a meet-fastest clocking for the 8 1/2-furlongs on turf.

Other offerings to have won during the meet and sold Friday were the I.C. Racing-consigned Shannon (Nyquist) (hip 100), who broke her maiden at 24-1 in an Apr. 22 turf sprint and was purchased for $240,000 by Hidden Brook, agent; and Atras (Astern {Aus}) (hip 102), a 3-year-old gelding who graduated by 2 1/2 lengths in an Apr. 23 turf sprint and fetched $150,000 from Clay Scherer.

As reported earlier, a share in Airdrie Stud's Upstart sold for $450,000 as the final hip up for bidding.

For the single-session auction, a total of 58 horses were reported as sold for $5,349,000, good for an average of $92,224 and a median price of $50,000. The 2021 event saw 37 horses sell for $2,440,000 for an average of $65,946 and a $45,000 median.

“From start to finish of the sale, the energy was strong and the enthusiasm at every level was really encouraging,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Joining the race meet and sale and having them on one day really, really worked. The atmosphere was incredible with a real buzz. That's something we want to replicate and build on not just for the April Sale, but all sales moving forward.”

Added Keeneland's Director of Sales Cormac Breathnach: “It's so important to us to have the brick-and-mortar event built around the race meet and have the support we got up front from so many consignors and owners with really good horses. That first group–the 73 horses that were initially entered–really turned heads. We are incredibly grateful to them. That feeds into the race meet, and people see a chance to cash in or a chance to buy. And to be able to accommodate those horses that had run well during the meet in the sale showed our flexibility. To see it all come together is very rewarding.”

Keeneland will welcome buyers and sellers back to Lexington for its benchmark September Yearling Sale Sept. 12-23.

The post Acting Out Tops Keeneland April HORA Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Buyers, Sellers, Sales Companies Talk COVID-19 and the Fall Sales

The daily number of U.S. deaths from the Covid-19 virus neared 1,000 per day last week, the highest level the country has seen since February. The seven-day moving average of Covid-19 cases reported by the CDC, is at 149,263, and continues to rise.

There are currently four variants circulating in the United States; Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma, with Delta making up over 99% of all cases.

It seems like every day, someone we know in racing has contracted Covid, from trainer Todd Pletcher to the TDN's own Christina Bossinakis, and many of the people surveyed below. At no time is the demand to travel and circulate with others for our jobs in racing greater than it is for the fall sales period.

The TDN talked to a number of buyers and consignors about how they feel about traveling to the sales, what precautions they'll take, and what sales companies can do to make them feel safe.

We start off our conversation with Keeneland's President and CEO Shannon Arvin, who talked about sales protocols.

Shannon Arvin
First and foremost, the health and safety of our clients, staff and equine stock is Keeneland's primary focus. COVID-19 has presented us with many challenges these past 18 months, but by working together, we have successfully navigated a constantly changing world to create a stable and steady market. And I believe we will do that again this fall sales and racing season.
Looking ahead to the September Yearling Sale, Keeneland will follow the guidance of health and government experts to create the safest environment possible for our sales participants. And just like last year, we ask for the continued support and cooperation of our customers and their staffs.

Shannon Arvin | Keeneland photo

We strongly encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so. Vaccination offers the best protection possible from COVID-19.

Most of us are extremely aware of the risk presented by COVID-19 and take the proper precautions where necessary.

At Keeneland, we have reinstated a mask mandate for all employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, while working indoors. Our unvaccinated employees are required to be tested weekly.

Consistent with current CDC guidelines, we strongly recommend that all sales participants wear a mask when indoors. This is an added layer of defense that keeps you and those you come in contact with safe.

Our facilities at Keeneland will undergo a deep cleaning following each sales session, and we've located hand sanitizing stations throughout the Sales Pavilion and grounds.

We also will continue to offer online bidding and phone bidding for buyers unable to attend the September Sale in person.

The Keeneland team looks forward to welcoming our friends and customers from around the world to Central Kentucky this fall. A silver lining of the pandemic is the resiliency and optimism of horsemen that always seem to carry the industry through challenging times. We are confident the market will continue to be buoyed by enthusiasm at the sales and a keen passion for racing.

Price Bell, Mill Ridge
I'm so glad you all are doing this story on the vaccine and protocols. I think it's important. Considering that last year Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton conducted multiple sales, and quite frankly kept our industry going, I know we can stay safe through this sales season as well. I think the key is keeping activity inside limited and being respectful of people and the variant.

Price Bell | Mill Ridge photo

I'm vaccinated, and look forward to the booster. I will wear a mask indoors and in the back ring, where I hope it is crowded. I do feel comfortable going because I thought they did a phenomenal job last year. They created a wonderful environment to conduct business utilizing so much of their outdoor space and I would expect they do something similar this year. I think we have learned from our friends who got sick in Saratoga that the vaccine is not bulletproof and the variant is real.

As for our team, we have worked hard to make everyone aware of the benefits of the vaccine and nearly every team member has been vaccinated. We will provide masks to co-workers and opportunities for us to not gather in the tack/warm rooms.

Liz Crow, BSW Bloodstock
I will feel comfortable but I will also be a little hesitant because I have a 6-month-old baby who is not vaccinated. My concern is always how can I keep her safe. For that reason, I will be a little nervous. I will be wearing a mask and will be careful. I will probably only wear the mask when I am inside. When I look at horses, I generally am not super close to a lot of people except for my team. They are all fully vaccinated, which makes me feel safer.

As for protocols, that's above my paygrade so far as all the thought that has to go into that. I do think there should be a mask mandate for inside. That's probably the right thing to do.

Justin Casse
I won't mind going. I've gotten my vaccinations. I had Covid and I got it when I was in Newmarket last year for the yearling sales. Covid changed my life in regards to the amount of traveling I want to do. To be honest with you, my time at horse sales going forward is going to be less than usual. In regards to fear of getting the disease, that's not on my mind. But so far a what it has done to me and my values in life, it's made me step back and look at what might be more important. I want to spend more time enjoying life and my family.

I won't wear a mask unless prompted and told to do so.

I know it's a pain in the butt, but I do feel that proof of vaccination is nice and if not proof of vaccination then you should have to show that you have tested negative. It should be one of the two. I went to the Grateful Dead concert in Saratoga last week and to get into the area of the pit you had to show that you had been vaccinated. To get into the concert, you had to have a negative test or the vaccination. That's like 20,000 people in an outdoor setting and they did their best to make sure that we were at event that would not turn into a super spreader event.

Jon Green | Courtesy DJ Stables

Jon Green, General Manager, DJ Stables
I personally attended the Saratoga sale and was surprised more people were not wearing masks, especially inside the sales pavilion. The number of people who caught some type of illness directly stemming from the sales and/or races was not surprising in my mind–COVID in particular is just that contagious. Since my parents are older, and more susceptible to the negative consequences of any virus, we have opted not to attend the September Sales. Like last year, we have assembled a great team of short listers, trainers and veterinarians to provide us with the information required to make our decisions from afar. Keeneland has done an outstanding job of establishing and improving their digital platform, and we have the utmost confidence bidding on their site. Hopefully the CDC figures will improve over the coming weeks so we can return to Kentucky in November.

J.R. Boyd
I feel very comfortable because I had COVID and I have the antibodies and according to the doctors the antibodies last up to 90 days. I got it at the very end of July. The doctors and nurses told me that 99% of the people in the hospital were not vaccinated and I was not vaccinated either. I definitely regret not getting vaccinated. My wife had it about six months before I did and I was around her the whole time and I never caught it. It's not that I was against the vaccination. I just thought I didn't need it. That was a mistake.

I worry that there's not a lot anyone can do. If you're going to get it you're going to get it. I won't say that I won't go inside the pavilion, but I'm going to try to keep my distance from other people. Everyone should definitely have the Germ-X sanitizer in their pockets and should keep their distance when they can. Having said that, I would feel more comfortable if everyone were vaccinated.

I don't plan on wearing a mask. That's because every doctor has told me I have full-blown antibodies and for 90 days I cannot get COVID and I cannot carry it. I don't feel like I can receive it or give it to anyone. If they want me to wear a mask in certain areas, I will not mind. I'm not against masks by any means.

Doug Cauthen
I feel comfortable going to the sale. I will take precautions like trying to keep my distance from others. Thankfully, most of it takes place outdoors. I won't be going inside the pavilion unless people are masked.

Masking indoors is a no-brainer. We've seen how well that woks and it especially works when everybody does it. I'll definitely wear a mask indoors. When I'm out looking at horses I'll probably have one around my neck and if somebody comes up to me I'll pull it up and talk to them. Thankfully, I am vaccinated. I know I can still get COVID, but my preference is obviously to not get sick.

Meg Levy, Bluewater Sales
Mike and I actually just got over Covid. We both had been vaccinated. We were in Saratoga and the Delta variant was going around, we got it and we're over it and we've been re-vaccinated. Personally, I will feel comfortable.

Meg LEvy | Bluewater Sales

I just assumed they were going to go back to protocols similar to what they did last fall when they had badges and temperature checks. That seemed to be easy and seemed to go well.

I will wear a mask when I am near people. I think that's only fair the best way to keep others safe. I'm not worried about myself, but it's kind to do the right thing when it comes to others.

Pete Bradley
I feel comfortable going because I have been vaccinated. At this point, life is going on in the world. Going to the sale wouldn't bother me any more than going to a restaurant. I wear masks indoors and usually outdoors I don't.

I see no reason not to wear masks, especially in indoor situations. That's me personally. Outdoors, I don't think it really helps. I don't know how much a mask helps, but it certainly can't hurt.

Craig Bandoroff, Denali Stud
I feel comfortable going. I am vaccinated and if I can get the booster before the sale I will. On protocols, that's a tricky one. What I have been seeing at various places is that when you go inside you have to wear a mask. I don't think that's unreasonable. If you're going to be inside the pavilion, perhaps you should have to wear a mask, that is unless things start to change.

I don't think I will wear a mask outside. But I am 66 and in a more vulnerable group, so I probably will wear a mask inside. I understand it's hard to get into the country and the Japanese have either had a hard time coming or are reluctant to come. They are a big part of our market. It will be disconcerting if they don't or can't come.

Conrad Bandoroff, Denali Stud
We're doing some simple things that we started last year. We made some changes that we thought would help. As far as protecting our staff, most of our staff have been vaccinated. There's going to be one person responsible for taking down someone's card and rather than have a buyer or agent fill out a card there will be somebody there to do that. That way you'll have fewer touch points. Most likely, we will not be requiring our staff to wear masks, but we will have masks available for our crew if they chose to wear one. Our feeling is that we are outside.

The post Buyers, Sellers, Sales Companies Talk COVID-19 and the Fall Sales appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Elevating Horse Racing: Hieronymous Took Keeneland’s Broadcasting From The Bottom To The Top

In the early 2000s, hosting the Breeders' Cup seemed an unattainable ambition for Keeneland. Like many racetracks, they lagged behind in broadcast quality and needed to improve venue infrastructure. But in a dramatic turnaround in 2005, Keeneland won the first of seven International Simulcast Awards for outstanding simulcast signal. In 2015, Keeneland became the home of what's widely acknowledged as the best Breeders' Cup ever.

The year 2000, when G.D. Hieronymus joined Keeneland as Director of Broadcast Services, marked a turning point for the racetrack's broadcast department. Under Hieronymus' leadership, Keeneland became the most technology-advanced broadcast facility in horse racing across the US.

Leading the broadcast signal innovation

Keeneland's broadcast signal struggled with average standard definition (SD) quality. In 2000, Keeneland approached Hieronymus, then Vice President of Production at Hammond Communications, and tasked him with transforming its simulcast broadcast to stand out from the crowd.

Hieronymus believed in the power of delivering a compelling fan experience both on-track and in-broadcast, and was committed to upping Keeneland's game.

“Compared to other sports, horse racing has been miles off delivering great broadcast coverage and an engaging at-venue and off-track viewing experience. At Keeneland, we were determined to change that with the right technology,” Hieronymus said.

Keeneland was ahead of its time in recognizing that network air time relied on the racetracks delivering a high-quality broadcast signal. To meet this goal, Hieronymus concentrated on making Keeneland the first full-HD racetrack in North America. The Keeneland team upgraded the camera equipment and control room, dramatically improving the racetrack's simulcast signal and distribution. They were also one of the first racetracks to include a TVG-dedicated position in the control room, helping increase their TVG air time.

“We were committed to making the networks' job easier and delivering the signal quality they needed to make Keeneland look good. We've built our control room on this premise,” Hieronymus said.

The Breeders' Cup milestone

During Hieronymus' service, Keeneland hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2015 and 2020. The horse racing industry still praises the 2015 competition for its great planning and execution despite difficult weather conditions at the time.

In 2020, the Breeders' Cup returned to Keeneland under even more challenging conditions. With COVID-19 protocols limiting at-venue audience attendance, the virtual viewing experience became even more important. This was the perfect opportunity for Hieronymus and his team to revolutionize fan engagement at Keeneland.

“As a horse racing fan and wagerer, I've always felt the viewers were at the mercy of technical directors, who typically only focused on the top horses in the race,” he said. “This meant we hardly got the chance to see other horses during pre-race. I wanted to change that.”

Keeneland, NBC, and Breeders' Cup deployed over 80 television cameras covering the event, but Hieronymus wanted to take the fan experience a step further. Together with the Breeders' Cup and LTN Global, he delivered the Contender Cam, the ISO coverage of every horse in every race. The Contender Cam provided 14 individual views of each horse, from when the horse entered the paddock to when it entered the starting gate. This footage of individual horses, available on the Breederscup.com app, Player Show, and NBC, enabled fans and bettors to see their preferred horses up close before placing their bets — replicating and enhancing the in-person fan experience.

HD TV Renovation/Upgrade. Photo Left to right Lauren Warren, Philp Richardson, GD Hieronymus, and Curt Toumanian from Pegasus Communications, Inc.

The Breeders' Cup also featured 360° VR technology, providing an immersive live fan experience of the walking ring and Winner's Circle, and jockey cams allowing fans to experience live view from up to two jockeys in each race. In addition, the Breeders' Cup deployed a 100-miles-per-hour BatCam that provided dynamic aerial views of the races.

Becoming a world-class technology-driven leader for Thoroughbred sales

Aside from a top racetrack, Keeneland is also the Thoroughbred industry's leading auction house, with the most bloodstock going through auctions. Hieronymus and his team introduced a technology infrastructure to optimize the sales operation and buyer interaction and attract more interest worldwide. From a new control room to touchscreen devices that share data and information when horses come in and are integrated with the sales systems, Keeneland has led sales innovation.

In 2020, Keeneland introduced remote bidding to compensate for the pandemic-induced travel restrictions and enable more buyers from across the world to take part in digital auction services. The sales team offered sellers video opportunities to show their horses well in advance and increase bids.

Every racetrack can champion horse racing experience

Keeneland's journey has demonstrated that nothing is impossible when a track's broadcast department is determined to innovate to deliver an outstanding fan experience. Starting with switching to HD and dramatically improving the signal quality, Hieronymus and his team made Keeneland the most innovative racetrack in the country — winning broadcast awards and setting the bar for Breeders' Cup production.

Hieronymus believes in driving fan engagement and creating new revenue opportunities through innovation. With the rest of the sports industry moving fast to 4K, 8K, and rich content formats, racetracks need to deliver a high-quality broadcast signal to compete. To claim a bigger share of the fast-growing sports wagering market, racetracks should create more opportunities for fan and player engagement — and data is a good way to achieve it.

Despite his retirement from Keeneland earlier this year, Hieronymus is still involved in numerous projects across the horse racing industry. Above all, he is on a mission.

“I really want to support all racetracks in raising the quality of their broadcast signal and help our industry compete with other sports head-on,” he said.

Rich Rosa is the Vice President of Business Development for Wagering and Simulcasting at LTN Global Communications. As LTN's horse racing industry lead, Rich partners with tracks across the country to help them create high-quality productions and find new distribution outlets to raise their profile — and ultimately their wagering handle. LTN offers centralized production and IP-based transport services to help tracks produce and/or distribute high-quality HD and 4K content.

About LTN Global

LTN® Global is a worldwide leader in video technology solutions for producers and distributors of broadcast-quality content. Built on the world's fastest and most reliable IP multicast network, LTN's universal media ecosystem unites modular services and integrates with other leading technologies to bring full-video-chain workflows, driving scale from creation and acquisition to monetization and delivery.

The post Elevating Horse Racing: Hieronymous Took Keeneland’s Broadcasting From The Bottom To The Top appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Tony Lacy and His Vision for the Keeneland Sales

As the calendar reaches the midpoint of June and the summer heat starts to rise in the Bluegrass, yearling inspections for the 2021 Keeneland September Sale are well underway. Former bloodstock advisor and consignor Tony Lacy, who was named as Keeneland's Vice President of Sales this April, is in his element as his team travels across Kentucky and beyond, inspecting the many young Thoroughbreds that will soon make up the massive catalog lineup come September.

“I grew up a horseman and that's what my family is, so this is really coming back to my roots,” Lacy said on a sultry afternoon in Versailles after dodging summer storms to complete a long list of inspections at Three Chimneys Farm. “I think this is where I can relate very closely after being a consignor for 20 years at Four Star Sales. I know the anxiety levels at this time of the year–where these horses might fall in the book and what their marketability might be. I can bridge the gap, I believe, between what the seller feels like they need and what the sales company needs to provide.”

A fourth-generation horsemen, Lacy began his career in his native Ireland working as an assistant trainer to his father, T.F. 'Tom' Lacy, while also becoming an accomplished amateur jockey both on the flat and over jumps. He then worked stints as an assistant trainer in France, the U.S. and Dubai. He landed back in the U.S. in 2001 to help launch Four Star Sales and began taking on advisory and managerial roles for many successful racing and breeding operations.

Over the years, he has represented Emirates Racing and the Dubai World Cup in the U.S., served as the North American Representative for ARQANA, and advised the French Breeding and Racing Committee and France Galop. He currently serves on the board of New Vocations and is also the incoming president for the Thoroughbred Club of America.

“I think my experiences on the track and in the breeding industry help me understand the dynamics of what trainers are looking for, as well as the strife and struggle of a breeder,” Lacy said. “I've bought quite a number of horses over the years, so from that perspective, I've seen it from many angles. I'm not saying that I know it all–far from it–but I think I can relate to what people are really going through if they have an issue or they're looking for improvements in any aspect.”

In his first few weeks on the job, Lacy has worked closely with Geoffrey Russell, who served Keeneland's auction house for the last 25 years and officially retired this year, but will serve as a consultant through the remainder of 2021.

“Coming in as vice president of sales, it's really an all-encompassing position,” Lacy said. “In the first few weeks, I've gotten exposed to a lot of aspects of how every department interacts with each other, which certainly allows you to balance everything out and understand why something is possible or might not be possible. I'm working very closely with Geoffrey right now, who is obviously in the early stages of his retirement which he is enjoying, but he's been a great help in the transition.”

On June 10, bloodstock consultant Cormac Breathnach, Ph.D. was named Keeneland's new Director of Sales Operations to succeed Russell.

With several new faces at the helm of Keeneland's sales operation, Lacy said the incoming team's goal is to evolve the company's image and identity throughout the industry.

“I think Keeneland may be perceived as the big green institution that may not be as approachable,” he explained. “I know as a kid growing up, it was iconic and it still is. It's got an extremely strong brand. But I think with the way the industry has evolved and with what people demand, we've got to be more interactive. There is an entertainment aspect to it. There is a customer service aspect to it. There's a lot of problem solving and it's a lot about being compassionate.”

Lacy said that Shannon Arvin, who officially transitioned into the role of Keeneland President and CEO Jan. 1 of this year, as well as Gatewood Bell, who was named as Vice President of Racing this February, both played a role in creating the vision behind this new outlook.

“Shannon is fantastic. She gets it,” he said. “Gatewood has been a great support as well. We're all working in lockstep. I think we come with a very targeted perspective of modernizing Keeneland and I'm excited about that. I'm excited to be a part of it. I didn't give up everything to do this without allowing it to happen. I've committed everything to it.

“Between Shannon, Gatewood and myself, we certainly see that racing and sales [teams] have to work together very closely,” he continued. “We're really doing the same thing with a lot of the same people and it has to be a seamless process where if somebody is interacting at the sales, they're recognized for what they've contributed in racing and vice versa. We want to try and help everyone be better.”

Lacy aboard Juddmonte homebred and eventual five-time Graded/Group I producer Hasili (Kahyasi). | Camilla Yakteen

Lacy and his team will have the advantage of making these first steps toward their mission at a time when optimism is riding high in the industry and the results are showing at the sales.

“Last year was obviously a stressful time for everyone,” Lacy said. “But when you look at the 2-year-old sales this year, there's a lot of positivity. People are really anxious to get back out there. Syndicates are getting much more involved and that aspect of it creates a real energy coming into this year and I think we want to promote that.”

If there was one positive to take away from last year's sales season, Lacy said it would be the industry's ability to take a stressful environment and bring forth innovation.

“The online platform encouraged people to bid online more if they couldn't make it to the sale,” he noted. “The introduction of walking videos, as well as just a little more transparency with information, all help the process. I think these things were necessary last year, but this year they become the standard around the world and I know Keeneland has embraced that.”

Lacy said he has always believed each drop of the hammer is more than just a hip number going through the ring followed by a subsequent transaction. It's a lesson he remembered time and time again as a consignor at Keeneland and one that helped Four Star Sales become one of North America's leading sales agencies.

“There is a fun aspect to a sale that the buyers need to be able to enjoy,” he said. “It's not always about the transaction. It's about the competitiveness and trying to find the next Derby horse. I love every day I go to work and I want it to be like that for everybody. It should be an exciting place for people to come and do business with a great vibe for the process.”

Now, Lacy has made it a full-time commitment to create a rewarding experience for each buyer and seller that will step onto Keeneland's grounds this fall.

“Growing up, you look at Keeneland and how iconic it is and it was really never something I ever thought was possible to be in the position I'm in,” he admitted. “So I feel very fortunate and I feel the responsibility of the job. But it's a wonderful organization and I think it's exciting at the moment because obviously there's turnover in faces at Keeneland, but I think that brings a fresh perspective and a whole new attitude. We're all working towards the goal that we want to be stronger in 10 years' time than we are now and leaving it for the next team, the next generation, to be able to pick up and make even better.”

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