Scribd
Upload
112 views1 page

The Relationship Between Size at Yearling Sale Sale Price and Future Racing Performance in Kentucky Thoroughbreds PDF

This study examined the relationship between yearling size, sale price, and future racing performance in 1,040 Kentucky Thoroughbreds. Larger yearlings tended to sell for higher prices than smaller yearlings. Yearlings that were heavier and taller were more likely to be sold, whereas lighter weight yearlings were more likely to be listed as "reserve not achieved". Median sale price increased with each increasing body weight quartile. Heavier yearlings also tended to have higher sire pedigree indexes. Previous studies found that mid-range yearlings in the 2nd weight quartile and highest height quartile had the best career earnings and racing success relative to their sale price.

Uploaded by

Francisco Prado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
112 views1 page

The Relationship Between Size at Yearling Sale Sale Price and Future Racing Performance in Kentucky Thoroughbreds PDF

This study examined the relationship between yearling size, sale price, and future racing performance in 1,040 Kentucky Thoroughbreds. Larger yearlings tended to sell for higher prices than smaller yearlings. Yearlings that were heavier and taller were more likely to be sold, whereas lighter weight yearlings were more likely to be listed as "reserve not achieved". Median sale price increased with each increasing body weight quartile. Heavier yearlings also tended to have higher sire pedigree indexes. Previous studies found that mid-range yearlings in the 2nd weight quartile and highest height quartile had the best career earnings and racing success relative to their sale price.

Uploaded by

Francisco Prado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Proc. Aust. Equine Sc. Symp.

, Vol 2, 2008

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIZE AT YEARLING SALE, SALE PRICE AND


FUTURE RACING PERFORMANCE IN KENTUCKY THOROUGHBREDS
C.G. Brown-DouglasA, J.D. PaganA, A. KochB, S. CaddelB and P.J. HuntingtonC
A
Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, Kentucky, USA
B
Hallway Feeds, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
C
Kentucky Equine Research, Brighton, Vic, Australia
Thousands of Thoroughbred yearlings are sold at public auction every year, but many will
never achieve success on the racecourse. Buyers of Thoroughbred yearlings must rely on
subjective methods including analysis of pedigree and conformation rather than performance
history, to select future athletes. Selling price of Thoroughbred yearlings at public auction is
influenced by body size, as yearlings that sold higher than the median of the session in which
they were sold tended to be heavier and taller than yearlings which sold below the session
median (1). Recent work has shown relationships between yearling size and future racing
performance (2). Yearlings that weighed in the lowest 25% of the population had lower
earnings and fewer stakes winners than the rest of the population. Yearlings below the 50th
weight and height percentiles were more likely to start as two-year-olds and had more career
starts than those above the 50th percentile. This study examined body size and selling price of
1040 Thoroughbred yearlings and compared these with results from a study of yearling size
and future racing performance (2). Growth measurements were converted into percentiles and
quartiles for analysis.
Yearlings that sold above their session median were heavier and taller (had higher weight and
height percentiles) than those that sold below the median (weight 56.61 ± 1.34 vs. 53.47 ±
1.34, p<0.05 and height 53.64 ± 1.38 vs. 50.88 ± 1.38, p=0.1). Of the 1040 yearlings, 211
(20.3%) were listed as RNA (reserve price not achieved). Sold yearlings were heavier and
taller than those listed as RNA (weight 55.04 ± 0.95 vs. 50.80 ± 1.88, p<0.05 and height 52.26
± 0.98 vs. 48.68 ± 1.94, p=0.1). Fewer yearlings in the lowest weight quartile (percentiles 0-
25) were sold compared with the highest weight quartile (percentiles 76-100) (34% vs. 44%,
respectively). Of yearlings that sold, 44% in the lowest weight quartile sold below the session
median compared with 38% in the highest weight quartile, indicating that lighter-weight
yearlings did not sell as well.
Median sale price increased with each body weight quartile (Table 1). Sire index (a measure
of pedigree) increased with weight quartile (2) indicating sales price is correlated with
pedigree. Yearlings in the second, third and fourth weight quartiles had the most stakes
winners and greatest career earnings (2), suggesting yearling sales prices may predict career
success. In addition, the tallest yearlings in the 4th height quartile sold for less than those in
the 3rd height quartile, but earlier work has reported that the tallest yearlings had a higher
percentage of stakes winners and greater career earnings (2). Yearlings that are the best value
for price are in the 2nd weight quartile (percentiles 26-50) and the 4th height quartile
(percentiles 76-100), as they not only out-perform their pedigrees, but also out-perform their
sales price.
Table 1. Median sale price of yearlings compared with average sire index (data from another study (2)),
percent stakes winners and median career earnings; letters indicate sig differences within factor (p<0.05).

Yearling weight quartile 1 2 3 4


Median Sale price ($) $21,500 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000
Sire index 2.09 ± 0.03a 2.16 ± 0.03a 2.33 ± 0.03b 2.45 ± 0.03c
Stakes winners (%) 4.64a 8.68b 8.44b 8.26b
Median career earnings ($) $13,795 $17,058 $19,050 $18,081

1. Pagan JD, Koch A, Caddel S, and Nash D. (2005). Proc ESS Sym 19:224-225
2. Brown-Douglas CG, Pagan JD, and Stromberg AJ. (2006). Proc KER Nutr Conf 15:125-139

24

You might also like