The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association will host its annual MTA Yearling Sale on Sunday, August 19 in the Canterbury Park Expo Center. Doors will open at 3 p.m. on Sunday and the live auction-style sale will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
This year the sale will bring in 45 yearlings, all of which are registered Minnesota bred. A variety of fillies, colts, and some geldings will be available.
Horsemen can preview this year’s stock from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday evening prior to the sale. This will give owners and trainers a chance to meet with consigners and get a closer look at the yearlings. “The preview is a good opportunity for potential buyers to observe more closely. They can see the horses walked outside of the stalls and confirm quality,” said Kay King, Executive Director of the MTA.
In the past, the sale has been held during live race days and on Mondays. This led to smaller crowd sizes and less opportunity to see the horses in the daylight. Due to the start of Wednesday racing however, Sundays have opened up and will “allow for greater flexibility,” said King.
For someone new to the sale, King explains that attendees can expect to find people from all areas of the horse racing community at the event. “It is almost like a social hour,” she said. Though there are areas set up close to the stage for serious bidding, there is also a bar area and tables for horsemen to observe and socialize. “The multiple viewing options give people, who are maybe considering horse ownership, a chance to come and observe how a sale works,” King added.
Auctioneer, Brian Rigby will lead the event, as he has in past years. To join him, Brian Arrigoni, Canterbury Park’s Racing Analyst, will be there to report the horse pedigree.
Last year, the sale was streamed on MTA Facebook Live and will be again this year for those who cannot make it, but would still like to observe. Viewers will also have a chance to ask questions and have them answered on Facebook by event staff during the sale.
“Each year, we try and make this event more efficient and accessible for everyone involved,” King said.
For more information on the upcoming sale please visit: http://minnesotabred.com/mta-2018-yearling-sale/ Print copies of the sale catalog are available in the HBPA and racing offices, the horsemen’s bookkeeping office and the track level information booth and card club reception desks.
