the forecast for keeneland january

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economics and racing, equine markets, keeneland january sale, national economy, overseas buying at sales, thoroughbred sales, weather in kentucky

The Keeneland January sale begins later this morning, and it will provide an early barometer for the coming year’s market in bloodstock and yearlings.

Although the national economy is showing some improvement and some sectors are showing giant profits, the success is not broad nor deep.

But the domestic market is only a part of the confluence of factors that make a sale at Keeneland. Offshore bidders and their representatives also are a significant element in the forecast for this sale.

And strangely enough to some participants from other locales, the weather in Kentucky is another. For the last six weeks or more, Kentucky has been part of the country in a long-lasting deep freeze, with temperatures sometimes not approaching a high of 32 degrees for several days in a row.

Keeneland appears to have drawn the short straw in terms of the weather this week, which is already cold and is forecast to become colder. Before it does, weathermen have predicted two to five inches of snow early tomorrow, which is going to add another layer of difficulty to the sale.

But it is surprising to note that one of the best January sessions I’ve witnessed took place in much worse snow than that prediction, and buyers turned out as if it were Black Friday and were rabid for bargains.

So what do you expect to happen at the winter wonderland on Versailles Road?