Keeneland September | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sunday Insights: Gun Runner Firster Headlines KY Downs Opener

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
1st-KD, $135K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, post time: 1:20 p.m. ET
CARIOQUINHA (Gun Runner), listed as a $475,000 Keeneland November weanling, is the latest to make the races for her dam Pure Clan (Pure Prize), a three-time Grade I winner on turf who was purchased by Torrealba Holdings for $4.5 million in foal to Bernardini at KEENOV in 2012. Undefeated at two and also a three-time GSW on the main track, Pure Clan is the dam of two winners from three to start, including Three Chimneys' Princesa Carolina (Tapit), who validated 4-5 favoritism in the Dueling Grounds Oaks over this course in 2019. Pure Clan is a half-sister to the pint-sized MGSW Greater Good (Intidab). Carioquinha is inbred 4×3 to Storm Cat, a topic highlighted in Sid Fernando's Taking Stock column Sept. 10. TJCIS PPs

6th-KD, $135K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, post time: 4:08 p.m. ET
IBERVILLE (Pioneerof the Nile) cost $260,000 at KEESEP last fall and is out of Fascinating (Smart Strike), herself a $1.2-million KEESEP grad who finished runner-up as a maiden to She's a Tiger (Tale of the Cat) in the 2013 GI Del Mar Debutante. Iberville is a maternal grandson of GSW/GISP Untouched Talent (Storm Cat), whose son Bodemeister (Empire Maker) won the 2012 GI Arkansas Derby before taking excruciating losses when making nearly all the running in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. The colt's third dam Parade Queen (A.P. Indy) was a dual graded-stakes winner on the grass. TJCIS PPs

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Mo Town on Track to Become Uncle Mo’s Next Sire Prodigy

When 2020 came to a close, Ashford Stud's GISW Mo Town (Uncle Mo – Grazie Mille, by Bernardini) sat in prime position to see his best book yet as his first crop became yearlings and he began his third year at stud. Sons of Uncle Mo were at the forefront of breeders' minds as esteemed young stallions Nyquist and Laoban finished one-two in the freshman sire standings and were both represented by Grade I winners, while another Uncle Mo prodigy in Outwork ended up a close fourth on the same list.

“Obviously what Uncle Mo has done not only as a sire, but now as a sire of sire, has certainly helped the momentum behind a horse like Mo Town,” said Coolmore's Adrian Wallace. “Certainly with what Laoban, Nyquist and Outwork have done, we're starting to realize now that Uncle Mo is very much on the way to creating a sire line all of his own.”

While all three of the aforementioned young sires saw either an increase in stud fee or held the same fee in 2021, Mo Town's stud fee decreased from $10,000 to $7,500 and breeders jumped at the chance to get in on the easily-accessible value into the Uncle Mo sire line.

“Certainly we're seeing the benefit of that in his third year as he covered more mares this year than he ever covered before,” Wallace said of Mo Town, who saw 144 and 108 mares in his first two books. “This year, he got over 200 mares. I think that shows you how well his foals have been received and how good his yearlings look, but also how well Uncle Mo is doing himself as a sire of sires.”

A $200,000 Keeneland September purchase, Mo Town broke his maiden at second asking by seven lengths at Belmont before taking the 2016 GII Remsen S. He returned to the winner's circle at three in an allowance on the turf at Belmont and then again tried the grass to claim the GI Hollywood Derby over eventual Eclipse Champion Channel Maker (English Channel).

“Mo Town was a very good racehorse on both surfaces and he was precocious,” Wallace noted. “He managed to do what we all want them to do in being successful on dirt at two and then to go on and win a Grade I at three is very important as well.”

The dual graded stakes winner is out of the winning Bernardini mare Grazie Mille, who herself is a daughter of GIIISW and GISP Molto Vita (Carson City) and is a half-sister to two stakes winners. Wallace said that physically, Mo Town is an equal representation of both sides of his pedigree.

“While Mo Town does look quite like Uncle Mo in some respects, I think there's a lot of Bernardini in him,” Wallace explained. “He's got much more of a short back and he has a great hip and shoulder. He has all the qualities you would want in Bernardini, who obviously was a great sire in his own right but a great broodmare sire as well, and then he has the strength and scope of Uncle Mo.”

Wallace said that Mo Town's first few crops have trended strongly towards the look of their sire.

“We're seeing a lot of him in them,” he said. “Uncle Mo certainly stamps his stock and Mo Town does as well. They're very balanced, scopey-looking horses. They've got a lot of quality. He's getting the good hip and shoulder and the lovely top line. His action is another thing that's going to sell them.”

Hip 2242, a colt out of Closing Move, sells with Gainesway. | Ray Gladwell

Last year, 22 of 31 Mo Town weanlings sold to average $41,318. His top weanling, a son of the winning Broken Vow mare Mybrokenhome, went to Davant Latham for $185,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. That colt returned to the auction ring a few weeks ago at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and brought $300,000.

Earlier this summer at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, another son of Mo Town sold for $100,000 off the stallion's $12,500 initial stud fee. The colt out of All Day Donna (Value Plus) went to Brick City Thoroughbreds.

Mo Town will be well-represented at the Keeneland September Sale, which begins Monday, Sept. 13, with over 40 yearlings cataloged.

Wallace said that one Keeneland-bound yearling that he has heard high praise for already is Hip 2242. The March-foaled colt is out of Closing Move (Bernardini), who hails from the family of GIISW Stanford (Malibu Moon) and successful Coolmore sires Tale of the Cat and Johannesburg. The youngster was purchased as a weanling for $75,000 by Stella Stables at the Keeneland November Sale and is slated to return to the same ring with the Gainesway consignment.

“[Gainesway's] Brian Graves told me that he is one to keep an eye on,” Wallace said. “He said the colt has progressed very, very well.”

Wallace explained that he believes Mo Town's progeny will appeal to a wide array of buyers on the Keeneland grounds due in large part to Uncle Mo's recent insurgence of talented performers on turf with the likes of this summer's GII Del Mar Mile S. winner Mo Forza, another son of Uncle Mo to have captured the GI Hollywood Derby at three, as well as last year's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint champion Golden Pal.

“The great thing about Uncle Mo is that he was perceived very much as a dirt horse himself, but I think we're now starting to see the versatility of the Uncle Mo line,” Wallace said. “It should come as no surprise because if you go further back in the sire line he has two French Classic winners in Siberian Express and Caro (Ire). It's something that is very important because it opens you up to so many more buyers at a yearling sale.”

“Mo Town yearlings will appeal to buyers in that we know Uncle Mo is becoming, in a very short period of time, a sought-after sire of sires,” Wallace said. “Uncle Mo's first three proper stallions have done very, very well. They've got the precocity and they've shown that they can get it done, so now it's up to Mo Town.”

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The Process: Jacob West

As the agent for the powerful partnership of Mike Repole's Repole Stable and Vinnie Viola's St. Elias (involved in $10,435,000 worth of Keeneland September '20 expenditures, mostly together on Classic-leaning colts); the buyer for upper-market players Robert and Lawana Low ($1,535,000 on four head last September); and in his role as Vice President, Bloodstock for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (part of $4,267,000 in buys at KEESEP '20 including the $2-million topper), there aren't many, if any, agents with more money behind them these days than Jacob West.

Considering Eclipse partnered on the $800,000 topper at this year's Fasig-Tipton July sale, and the Lows purchased the second-priciest lot at Fasig Saratoga in the form of a $1.6-million Uncle Mo colt, plus with the success Repole and Viola have already had with last year's yearling buys, it's a pretty safe bet that West will have his hand in his fair share of the priciest acquisitions at the upcoming Keeneland September sale.

We caught up with West days before Repole and Viola are set to be represented by a pair of September buys Monday in Saratoga's GI Hopeful S.–'TDN Rising Star' and GIII Sanford S. winner Wit (Practical Joke, $575,000) and game first-out winner Power Agenda (Nyquist, $120,000)–to find out how he approaches auctions in general and specifically the industry's largest yearling sale.

This year's September sale will be held from Sept. 13 to Sept. 24. Visit theworldsyearlingsale.com for more information.

TDN: Do you do much pedigree work before the sale?

JW: I'm more of a physical guy than a pedigree guy. I think that when you find the top physical and go back and look at the pedigree, you can kind of use that as gauge for an appraisal. I try to focus solely on the athlete and find the athlete, and then go back and look at the pedigree and make an appraisal of what I think the horse will bring if he passes the vet.

TDN: Do you make many farm visits to inspect KEESEP entries before the sale?

JW: I do. I've seen probably 400-500 horses already and I've got some more spots to go to still. I try to cover as much ground as possible.

[If there's one I don't love at the farm] I think you still have to go into the sale with a little bit more of an open mind. There may be a horse that you liked at the farm and you see him at the sale and he unravels. And vice versa, there might be a horse you didn't like at the farm and you go see him at the sale and you like him. They change so much so quickly. I think you'd be foolish to knock off horses to try and create a short list from the farm. I do it more to try to get a gauge on what's out there; what the quality's going to be in Book 1 vs. Book 2 and so forth.

TDN: Are you an iPad guy or a catalog guy?

JW: I'm a catalog man. I use the iPad when I do my farm visits because it's easier to keep track of what you've seen, but when I'm at the sale I've got to have paper in my hand. Plus, it's easier for me to keep my catalogs and look back for reference. I get calls all the time from people asking me if I saw a filly before they drop a claim and things like that.

TDN: What's your shortlisting process like?

JW: I work closely with Todd Pletcher at the sales. I try to cover as much ground as I possibly can–it's pretty easy to cover ground in Books 1 and 2, and with this new format I guess maybe Book 3 as well–but when you're dividing it up with a Hall of Fame trainer who has bought multiple Grade I winners, it's good to know that if you cut the barns in half and the other half is him working, and you swap lists when you meet halfway, that works out pretty well.

As I get into the later books, I think at that point it's easier to sort through some of the pedigrees [and not look at every horse]. Eddie Rosen, Mike Repole's pedigree consultant, has told me, “In this business, there are proven failures.” So if a mare's 0-for-10 with her produce record, there's really no point in thinking that you're going to be the one who's going to buy her next foal that becomes a champion.

Plus, if you have a good relationship with the consignors, they're always pushing to sell their horses, but as you're marking the card they may say to you, “Hey, you're missing a nice horse–let me add it on” or they might say there's no reason to look at a certain horse.

I know there's a lot of people who look at every horse and have these massive teams, but it's hard for me to rely on somebody unless it's Todd, or Todd's dad or a handful of other people at the sales.

TDN: What's the first thing you look at when a horse comes out of the barn at the sale?

JW: Presence–that's 1A, and 1B is athleticism. Good horses come in all forms, shapes and sizes, but luckily for me I spent 10 1/2 years at Taylor Made Sales Agency so I got to see some of the best horses that we sold who went on to be good racehorses, and also in November we sold top fillies [coming off the track]. I got to see what those horses look like, and characteristics that they had that you could look for going forward. That was the best way to learn.

I always tell people who are new to the industry, go out and look at stallions, because they're the best racehorses we have. You can't get a view of what a good horse looks like without going out and seeing these studs, and for fillies go to the November sales and just kind of hang out by the barn and as these horses come out for inspections, take a look at them.

TDN: Is there a certain physical characteristic or type that you tend to gravitate towards?

JW: With my clientele, they want to win Classic races. It might almost be a little bit of a mistake if we end up buying a sprinter. Pedigree will have to come into play there, especially for Mike and Vinnie if we're buying potential stallion prospects–they don't care how good the horse might look if he doesn't have the pedigree to back it up that they can go and sell to become a stud.

Mr. and Mrs. Low's number-one goal is to win the Arkansas Derby, so for them I can't buy something that's by a turf stallion out of a big turf family to try and go win the Arkansas Derby–that's not going to happen.

So, things like that come into play, but to me, at the end of the day, the walk is what's most important. I know some sprinters don't really have great walks, but most two-turn, Classic-distance horses have easy ways of going and take care of themselves. And that all begins at the walk.

TDN: How do you figure out which of your owners end up on which horses off your list?

JW: It's a function of price. Mr. and Mrs. Low have kind of a rifle target–they know typically what they're going to spend. We've been the underbidder or maybe haven't gone as strong on other horses, but when a horse fits the profile or mold of what they want, they give me the thumbs up [to fire].

Mike and Vinnie are a little bit different because they're going to buy a number of horses and there's a big scale there. But they're not typically going to close their eyes and go buy a horse. Like I told everybody last year, it doesn't show up in the sales results, but they carried the yearling sales last year because of how many horses we were the underbidder on.

TDN: Both Repole and Viola have their own teams of dedicated advisors. How do you incorporate their work with yours and Todd's physical evaluations?

JW: With them, I do a list, Todd does a list, and Vinnie has his own team made up of Monique Delk and a handful of others who are very instrumental as well. We compile those lists and [Repole's pedigree advisor] Eddie Rosen and [Viola's pedigree advisor] John Sparkman have already done their pedigree lists too. So we sit down and check the score sheet, and if we all match up and they vet, then it's a go at whatever price we decide on.

TDN: How do you stay focused and organized during the September sale?

JW: Going home every night, eating as healthy as you can, trying not to stay out late, and staying organized with your catalogs and lists and all that are very important.

TDN: What's something you've learned or changed your mind about from when you started seriously shopping the sales?

JW: I think you learn from your failures more than anything. You look back and see, well I bought this horse who had X, Y and Z and that didn't work out–so that's not going to work for me… If you've been burned by a certain thing, be it stallion, mare, whatever it is, you kind of learn from that. I think it's very hard to say, “I've got a certain type that I buy and it's got to be that type physically.” If you get into that, you might be missing out a little bit. But over the years, I've definitely learned what doesn't work for me.

TDN: What do you remember about Wit when you bought him?

JW: I remember what stall he was in with [breeder and consignor] Rosilyn Polan… He hit everyone's list and the stars kind of aligned. He was a big, strong, mature horse. He's a May foal, and you never would've thought that when you saw him. To me, he was a perfect blend of his father and his broodmare sire [Medaglia d'Oro]. That's one of those that I think benefitted from working with a team–Mike and Vinnie are so smart to get the opinions of multiple people. When the opinions match up, that's a good thing.

TDN: Fellow Hopeful contender Power Agenda obviously cost significantly less than Wit at $120,000 at the same sale. What do you remember about him?

JW: He came later in the sale. He was a beautiful horse who moved well. To be honest, he wasn't a horse who had a lot of flash, but he was just athletic.

TDN: Eclipse, along with Robert LaPenta, Gainesway and Winchell Thoroughbreds purchased last year's September topper, a $2-million Tapit colt (hip 435) out of GISW Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), from Stonestreet, who also stayed in. He's posted a last breezed Aug. 28. How's he doing?

JW: He's now named Capensis and he's doing well. He's at Todd's barn at Belmont and training forwardly. He's one of those horses who we've had to say, “Whoa” a little bit and not “Go” to make sure we didn't end up chewing him up too much, but it's worked out well.

He was started down at Stonestreet, and they did a phenomenal job getting him ready. We discussed whether or not to send him to Saratoga or keep him at Belmont and point for a fall campaign, and that's what we ended up deciding to do. We said, 'Let's take the foot off the gas pedal and let him grow up and develop more” and that's set him up for more of a fall campaign.

TDN: These stallion-making partnerships are one of the most noteworthy bloodstock market trends of the last few years, with the Repole/St. Elias group sending a large number of colts to Pletcher; of course The Avengers with Bob Baffert out in California; and now the Brad Cox Colts Group that popped up at Saratoga. What impact on the market do you think these groups have?

JW: The obvious answer is that well-bred colts who have the physical to match the pedigree are going to bring more money. I think you saw that at Saratoga. But at the end of the day, you can have so much money and buy so many horses, but there are only so many horses who really fit the mold of what everybody's looking for in that instance. So, you know if you have a horse who carries a top pedigree, is a top physical and he vets, you're going to get paid [as a seller]. And it's all about these breeders having that.

But I think it also opens up opportunities for other buyers on horses who might suffer a little bit on pedigree or conformation. There's an opportunity to go in and buy those types. Well-bred fillies always sell well, but it may also open up some opportunities for fillies too.

TDN: Wit was obviously a freshman sire success story coming out of Practical Joke's first crop. Any first-crop sires this year you're paying particularly close attention to heading into September?

JW: I think we're at a very interesting time in the industry in North America. I can't think of another time when we've had the stallion power that we have now, between Into Mischief, Tapit, Medaglia d'Oro on down and young horses coming along like Gun Runner. The proven stallions who are out there are really damn good. There's a reason why they rank at the top and why everybody wants their progeny. As far as first-crop sires go, I've seen quite a few Good Magics that have been very nice and we've bought two already [for Eclipse], so I'd probably give him the thumbs up.

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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.

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