The local horse-racing industry depends on the breeders who spend years caring for and preparing the yearlings.
“If the sale results this September are dismal, the infrastructure that supports racing could be irrevocably damaged,” said Covert. This is the one of the oldest win pictures Allison Covert has of her grandfather, who is in the centre holding the hands of Covert’s father and uncle.Thoroughbred breeding is about relationships — between breeders and their horses, and between the horses themselves. Horses are like people: they need friends. They have favourite stablemates. Seabiscuit, a champion thoroughbred in the U.S.
Covert has two “older ladies” that are particularly close to her heart. La Violette and View Halloo are besties; they can’t stand to be apart so they do everything together — they even travelled down to Kentucky in 2019, pre-COVID, to breed. La Violette was bred to Daddy Longlegs and View Halloo was bred to Shaman Ghost.Article content
By the time a yearling comes to the auction, costs — when the stud fee is modest — can reach up to $30,000. Yearlings range in price from $1,000 to $50,000, but average around $15,000. It’s a bargain compared to average prices at the Keeneland yearling sale, in Kentucky where prices average $126,000 or so, and it’s not unusual for some young stars to sell for seven figures.Article content“You want them to be as mature as possible at the sale,” explained Covert.