Behind the Scenes with Taylor Made Sales

Best for guests who want a behind-the-scenes look at how Thoroughbreds are marketed and sold at Keeneland. Please note, this tour takes place at the Keeneland Sales Grounds in Lexington, and will be led by the Taylor Made Sales team.

WHAT YOU’LL SEE An inside look at the largest public Thoroughbred auction in the world, from the ship-in barn to the sales pavilion.

BEST FOR Best for adults and older teens with an interest in sales, business, or Thoroughbred racing. Ideal for curious newcomers and committed fans alike!

ON THE TOUR You will be walking and standing for the duration of this experience, covering multiple barns and the sales pavilion over varied terrain.

This behind-the-scenes Keeneland tour gives guests a front-row seat to the preparation, presentation, and sale of Thoroughbreds at public auction. Led by Taylor Made—the highest-selling consignor in the history of the world—this interactive, step-by-step experience offers a front-row seat to what it takes to market, present, and sell Thoroughbreds at one of the world’s most prestigious public auctions.

Your tour begins in front of the Keeneland Sales Pavilion—meet your guide in the lobby by the valet entrance. From there, you’ll hop in a golf cart for a short ride to your first stop: the ship-in barn, where horses are received, settled in, and prepped for showing.

After that, the experience continues on foot as you walk barn to barn, getting an insider’s look at every stage of the sales process. You’ll stop at a showing barn to watch live showings and learn what buyers look for, then visit a selling barn to see a horse’s final grooming or “top-off” before going to the sales ring.

Finally, you’ll head to the sales pavilion to follow that horse as it progresses through the walking rings for final inspections and eventually onto the historic Keeneland auction stage where it will be sold.

Included in your ticket purchase – a souvenir hat, tie or scarf from the Taylor Made Sales team!

ABOUT TAYLOR MADE FARM

Taylor Made Farm was established in 1976 by Duncan Taylor on a small piece of land in Nicholasville, Kentucky. In the early 1980s, Taylor Made pioneered the consignment model at public auction—at a time when most breeders sold their own horses directly. Taylor Made was among the first to professionally market each horse to a targeted group of buyers, helping transform the way Thoroughbreds were presented and sold. That innovation laid the foundation for what would become one of the most successful sales agencies in the world.

Today, Taylor Made is the highest-grossing consignor in history, having sold over $3 billion worth of horses, including 139 Grade 1 winners. The farm is owned and operated by Duncan and his brothers—Frank, Mark, and Ben Taylor—along with lifelong friend and partner Pat Payne. Now joined by the third generation—Katie, Marshall, Joe, and Brooks Taylor, plus Logan and Alex Payne—Taylor Made continues to lead the industry in both volume and results, selling more horses at Keeneland than any other consignor and providing world-class care, preparation, and marketing for clients around the globe.

Learn more about Taylor Made Farm by visiting their website, through their TripAdvisor page, or their social media accounts: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter.