How to Buy at Keeneland November 2026 from the Gulf, Step by Step

To buy at the Keeneland November sale (Breeding Stock Sale 3-11 November 2026, Horses of Racing Age Sale 12 November) from the Gulf: register and request credit with Keeneland before the sale (a passport number is accepted), sign a notarised Buyer's Authorized Agent form if someone bids for you, have a vet read the X-rays in Keeneland's repository, pay Keeneland by wire (invoices are due 15 days after the last day of the sale), initial the right sales-tax exemption when you sign for the horse, and book 30 days of US pre-export isolation plus an import permit before the flight to the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Qatar.

Hamad (invented, 46, runs a logistics company in Abu Dhabi, owns one horse in training and a Spreadsheet with its own Spreadsheet) has moved 40,000 containers across the world without losing one. "A horse from Kentucky," he said, "is just a very tall container." His Cousin Who Has Read One Article (also invented) nodded. Then Hamad opened Keeneland's buyer page, found a form that wanted a notary, and called us.

He was right about one thing: buying in Kentucky from the Gulf is mostly logistics. Our other guide, Keeneland November 2026: a guide for Gulf and Asian buyers, covers what sells (mares, weanlings, horses of racing age) and what it cost last year. This one covers how: the forms, the dates, the money and the flight, using Keeneland's own documents and the official export rules. Read them together, ideally before 1 November.

The countdown: what happens when

Paperwork before 1 November, bidding 3 to 12 November, payment by about 26 November, then 30 days of isolation and the flight. A horse bought at Keeneland arrives in the Gulf in December at the very earliest.

Time difference: Kentucky changes to winter time on Sunday 1 November, so during the sale Lexington is 9 hours behind the UAE and Oman and 8 hours behind Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. A session at 10am in Lexington starts at 7pm Gulf time (GMT+4). Session times are set by Keeneland and published with the catalogue; check official site.

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Step 1: Register to bid and get credit from abroad

Fill in Keeneland's Buyer Registration Form (online or PDF). A passport number is accepted. Ask for a credit amount, name your bank and the officer to call, and tell your bank to expect the call. A recent bank statement emailed to Keeneland's credit office speeds things up.

We read Keeneland's form (revision 4/2026) line by line so you do not have to. What it asks for:

• The buying name. "Purchases will be made in the name of": you, or your company. Decide this now; changing it after the hammer is a conversation nobody enjoys.
• An SSN or a passport number. Gulf buyers use the passport.
• The amount of credit requested, and the method of payment: personal, cashier's or company cheque, traveller's cheque or wire transfer. From the Gulf, it is a wire.
• Your bank: institution, address, account number and the officer to be contacted. Keeneland says the bank you list will be contacted about your credit request, so warn your relationship manager. A banker who has never heard of Kentucky may otherwise treat the call as a very creative fraud.
• Optional bank statement. To speed up credit, Keeneland lets you email a current bank statement to salescredit@keeneland.com. It must show the same name as the form, a current date and a current balance, and statements older than the month before the sale are not accepted. For November, that means October or later.

Three things in the small print that matter to Gulf buyers:

1. The signer guarantees the bill personally. The person who signs, even for a company, "personally and unconditionally guarantees" payment. If your company is buying, decide who signs.
2. Kentucky law and Kentucky courts. The form, the Conditions of Sale and any dispute run under Kentucky law, in Fayette County or the federal court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, with no jury. Read the Conditions of Sale, especially Condition Sixth on payment and credit.
3. Two small extras. Buyers agree to give 0.1% of the price to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (US$1 per US$1,000, matched by the seller and Keeneland). There is also an optional 0.25% contribution to NTRA's advocacy, which you can tick yes or no.

Do you need a documentary letter of credit? The 2026 form does not ask for one: it asks for your bank and lets the bank vouch for you. If your bank would rather send a reference letter, ask Keeneland's credit office first whether that will do. Keeneland also says it may approve, deny or change credit "in its sole discretion", so do this days before the sale, not in the car park.

Hamad filled in the form in four minutes. His banker in Abu Dhabi took four days to return the call. That is why we say 1 November.

Step 2: Buying through an agent (and why you need a notary)

If an agent bids and signs for you, Keeneland needs its Buyer's Authorized Agent form, and it must be notarised. It gives the agent wide powers in your name, so agree your agent's terms and your limit in writing first.

Keeneland's form (revision 5/2026) says the agent can bid, sign any documents online or in person, agree terms, give Keeneland a security interest in the horses bought and "incur obligations" on your behalf, in the ring, online and in private deals before or after the sale, including horses that were not sold in the ring (RNAs). You agree to pay for everything the agent buys for you under the Conditions of Sale.

• It must be notarised. In red capitals. Find a notary where you live and do it this week; a notary appointment is the slowest part of the whole sale for many Gulf buyers.
• It lasts for this sale only, unless you write a later end date on it.
• You can cancel it only in writing, and Keeneland must receive the notice before the session starts.
• Keeneland is not the referee between you and your agent. Disputes about what the agent was allowed to do are yours to sort out, which is why the written limit matters.

How we work: one written agreement before we start, with our fee (5% of the price, minimum US$5,000), your budget per horse and your top bid. Budgets from US$50,000. You pay Keeneland directly; your money never goes through us. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first. Not sure you need an agent at all? Read do you need a bloodstock agent?, which also explains when you don't.

Step 3: Vetting a horse from 12,000 km away

Keeneland's repository holds the sellers' X-rays and vet reports. It is built for licensed vets acting for buyers, and buyers are treated as knowing what a reasonable look at it would show. So hire a vet to read it, and ask what is and isn't covered by the seller's limited warranties.

From Keeneland's published repository terms:

• Who can look: anyone who registers with Keeneland and signs the access form, but the repository "is designed for use by licensed veterinarians on behalf of their buyer-clients". Sellers can limit access to vets only.
• What is in it: X-rays taken within 15 days before the horse sells, filed by 4:30pm four days before it sells. A full set is 36 images (38 for a horse of racing age). Sellers can add vet statements and scope videos, and must file certificates for certain past surgeries.
• Scope videos are not anonymous. A vet who views a seller's throat-scope video must tell the seller which buyer they are working for. Want to stay private? Your vet contacts the seller directly instead. (Your agent can also keep your name out of the conversation.)
• The warranties are narrow. Horses are sold with all defects except what the Conditions of Sale expressly warrant. The terms mention the seller's limited warranties on cribbing and ridglings (Condition Ninth) and the upper airway (Condition Tenth), unless the auctioneer announces otherwise. Read the 2026 Conditions; check official site.

Then the human part: we see the horse walk, look at its feet, its manner and its paperwork, and film it for you. You get the video, not a sales pitch. For mares in foal, ask for the pregnancy check and the covering date before you bid, because a heavily pregnant mare is a very particular passenger. More in racehorse vetting explained and how to read a sales catalogue page.

The Cousin Who Has Read One Article offered to look at the X-rays himself. He held them up to a window. Hamad paid a vet.

Step 4: The hammer, the money and the 6% question

You pay Keeneland, in US dollars: within 60 minutes of the hammer if you are not invoiced, or 15 days after the last day of the sale if you are. Kentucky sales tax is 6% unless an exemption applies, and you claim it by initialling the right line when you sign for the horse.

Paying

Keeneland's registration form says invoiced buyers pay 15 days after the last day of the sale. By our count that is about 26 November for the Breeding Stock Sale (last day 11 November) and about 27 November for the Horses of Racing Age Sale (12 November). Your invoice is the final word, so check it. Your bank's weekend may not be Kentucky's weekend, and a public holiday in the Gulf does not move a Kentucky deadline, so send the wire early. Late payment terms are in the Conditions of Sale.

Kentucky sales tax: who pays 6%

Two warnings from the same page: you must initial the exemption at the time of purchase and before the horse is delivered, and if the exemption is later refused, the buyer pays the tax, interest and penalties. Ask the sale office before you bid; we do, every time.

What you can know before you bid

Two worked examples, using only published numbers. Flights, isolation, board and insurance are left as "written quote" on purpose: there is no reliable public price for them, and anyone who gives you one without asking about the horse is guessing.

For yearly running costs once the horse lands, see what a racehorse really costs and ownership costs in 2027, country by country.

Insurance: ask your insurer for a mortality quote before the sale, so cover can start the moment you sign; the Conditions of Sale say when the horse becomes your risk.

Step 5: Shipping the horse to the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Qatar

Every Gulf route starts with 30 days in a USDA-approved isolation facility and an import permit issued before the horse leaves the United States. The UAE and Saudi Arabia then need arrival by air and at least 6 days of isolation on arrival; Qatar needs permission for any transit country before the permit.

To the UAE

The UAE conditions for permanent import from the United States, as listed by USDA APHIS, say:

• An import permit from the UAE ministry before the horse leaves (today the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment).
• 30 days in a USDA-approved isolation facility immediately before export.
• A negative Coggins test on blood taken within 21 days of export, plus other tests where they apply (for example, equine viral arteritis for stallions).
• Flu vaccination in the right window: a booster within the 60 days before export but not in the last 14, or a booster within 12 months of a documented course. The original vaccination record travels with the horse.
• A health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by a government vet, after an examination within 24 hours of export. It is valid for 10 days.
• Arrival by air at Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, then at least 6 days of isolation in an approved centre.

USDA lists these UAE protocols with a June 2009 date and adds a note: because of a strangles outbreak in the UAE, PCR testing may be required, so check extra tests with UAE officials. In other words: the rules are old, the notes are new, and your shipper must confirm both. To race, the horse then goes to a trainer licensed by the Emirates Racing Authority; see buying a horse to race in Dubai in 2026/27.

To Saudi Arabia

USDA's Saudi permanent-import conditions (July 2023) ask for an import permit before shipment, 30 days of pre-export isolation in a USDA-approved facility, a Coggins test and other tests where they apply, full flu vaccination with the original record, and arrival by air at Riyadh or Jeddah, followed by at least 6 days of isolation. USDA adds that the original printed, endorsed certificate travels with the horse, and that the Saudi ministry checks it in USDA's electronic system before issuing the permit. Racing needs registration with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia: see our Saudi Cup and Riyadh season guide.

To Qatar

USDA's Qatar page says a US horse that will pass through a third country needs permission to transit from Qatari officials before applying for the import permit, that some transit countries are not allowed, and that the endorsed certificates must be shown to Qatari officials before the permit is issued. Check the full protocol with USDA APHIS and the Qatari authorities before you choose a flight. For Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, check official site.

The flight itself

Horses fly in specialist stalls on cargo flights, with a groom on board. Routes change with the season and the airline, and the only honest price is a written quote from a specialist horse shipper for your horse, your dates and your airport. Ask for the quote to include the isolation barn, the tests, the certificate, the flight and the arrival isolation, and ask what happens if a test comes back wrong. More in our racehorse transport guide.

Or don't ship it at all

A mare or weanling bought in November often stays in Kentucky, near the stallions, on a boarding farm, with monthly board and a vet plan agreed in writing. It is usually the calmest plan, and you can visit in spring when the weather is kinder. See buying in America.

Hamad read all this and said: "So the tall container needs a passport, a visa, a vaccination card and a hotel for a month." Exactly. He is now the only person in Abu Dhabi with a Spreadsheet tab called "Coggins".

After the sale: who looks after the horse

A licensed trainer for a racehorse, a farm for a mare or weanling. We help you choose and we supervise the plan; the trainer trains.

For a horse of racing age, we place it with a licensed trainer who suits it: one of our partner trainers, or your own trainer, in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Europe, America or Asia. For mares and weanlings, we help you choose the farm and agree board, vet plan and reports in writing. You get plain reports by email, in your time zone.

Not buying in November? The next stops are Tattersalls, Arqana and Goffs in December: our December sales checklist for Gulf and Asian buyers covers registration, costs and timing there, and the sales we buy from lists them all.

Five paperwork mistakes Gulf buyers make

A late notary, a silent banker, the wrong buying name, a missed tax initial, and a race plan that ignores 30 days of isolation.

1. Leaving the notary to the last day. The agent form is not valid without the stamp.
2. Not warning the bank. Keeneland will contact the bank you list. Tell the bank first.
3. Buying in one name, paying from another. Match the buying name, the bank statement and the wire.
4. Forgetting the initials. Sales-tax exemptions are claimed when you sign for the horse, not afterwards.
5. Promising a December race in Dubai. Thirty days of isolation, a flight and six more days do not care about the racing calendar.

A plain word before you buy

Keeneland is very good at selling horses to people on the other side of the world. Its forms are clear, its rules are published, and nothing in this guide is secret. The hard part is doing it all in order, in time, from a different time zone. That is the job we do.

We cannot promise a win, a foal, a price or a profit. Nobody honest can, and we never give betting tips. Owning a racehorse is a passion, not a way to make money. What we can promise is a careful search, independent vets, a written limit, a shipping plan before any bid, and plain reports by email.

Hamad's Spreadsheet now has a tab called "Horse". The Cousin Who Has Read One Article has read a second one. This one.

Buy at Keeneland this November, without leaving the Gulf.

Email us your plan: a mare, a weanling or a horse to race this winter, where it will live and your budget per horse. We source the best horses from all over the world, at Keeneland and from private sellers, with independent vets, clear written terms and a shipping plan before any bid. Budgets from US$50,000. If the timeline cannot work, we will tell you on day one.

Email us now Book a free 20-minute call Tell us what you want Get the winter shortlist

Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com first, from anywhere in the world. Phone +971 52 311 2385 second. WhatsApp as backup.

5% fee (min US$5,000), agreed in writing. You pay Keeneland or the seller directly; your money never goes through us. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first.

Selling a horse to Gulf buyers instead?

We find the right buyer, worldwide, and licensed trainers train; we place and supervise.

Sales we buy from Sell with us

Know an owner in the Gulf who is thinking about Kentucky? Our introducer programme pays 20% of our fee on deals you introduce, paid from our fee and disclosed to the client in writing.

Related guides

• Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale 2026: what sells, for Gulf and Asian buyers
• Buying at the December Sales 2026 from the Gulf or Asia
• Buying after the Breeders' Cup: the November-December sales 2026
• What does a racehorse really cost?
• Buying a horse to race in Dubai in 2026/27
• Do you need a bloodstock agent?

The Silk Road Letter

Twice a month: the sales worth watching, one buying tip and one real market number (plus the odd catalogue joke). Free with it: our 2026-27 sale calendar (PDF) and a one-page guide to what a racehorse really costs. We email a link to confirm first. Unsubscribe in one click.

Email me the free guides

Frequently asked questions

Can I register to bid at Keeneland from the UAE or Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Keeneland's Buyer Registration Form accepts a passport number instead of a US social security number. You name the person or company buying, the credit you want, how you will pay and your bank, and Keeneland contacts your bank about the credit. You can also email a current bank statement to Keeneland's sales credit office to speed it up. Do it before the sale, not on the day.

When do I have to pay for a horse bought at Keeneland?

Keeneland's 2026 registration form says that if you are invoiced, payment is due 15 days after the last day of the sale; if you are not invoiced, payment is expected within 60 minutes of the fall of the hammer. Methods listed include wire transfer. You pay Keeneland, not your agent. Check Condition Sixth of the Conditions of Sale for the full terms.

Do I pay Kentucky sales tax on a horse I export to the Gulf?

Keeneland's published rules put Kentucky sales tax at 6%, with exemptions for breeding stock, for weanlings and yearlings bought by non-residents who take them out of Kentucky, for racing prospects shipped out of state in interstate commerce, and for resale. You claim an exemption by initialling the right line on the Acknowledgement of Purchase when you buy, before the horse is delivered. If an exemption is refused later, the buyer pays the tax, interest and penalties.

How soon can a horse bought at Keeneland arrive in Dubai?

Not in November. The USDA-listed UAE import conditions require 30 days in an approved isolation facility immediately before export, a UAE import permit before the horse leaves, an endorsed health certificate, arrival by air at Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, and at least 6 days of isolation on arrival. On paper, a horse bought on 3 November reaches the UAE in December at the earliest. Check the current rules with USDA APHIS and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

What does Silk Road Bloodstock charge to buy at Keeneland?

5% of the purchase price, minimum US$5,000, agreed in writing before we start. Budgets from US$50,000. You pay the seller or the sale company directly; your money never goes through us. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first.

Spotted an error? Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com and we will fix it within 48 hours.

Sources

Checked 25 October 2026. Forms, conditions, tax rules and health rules are set by the sale company and the authorities and can change; always check their official websites before you bid or ship.

• Keeneland, November Breeding Stock Sale 2026 (3 to 11 November; Horses of Racing Age Sale 12 November)
• Keeneland, buyer resources (registration and credit, Keeneland Account, authorised agent form, online bidding guide, sales tax)
• Keeneland, Buyer Registration Form, rev. 4/2026 (passport accepted; payment 15 days after the last day of the sale if invoiced, otherwise within 60 minutes; bank statement to salescredit@keeneland.com; personal guarantee; Kentucky law; 0.1% aftercare; optional 0.25% NTRA)
• Keeneland, Buyer's Authorized Agent form, rev. 5/2026 (must be notarised; this sale only unless stated; revocation in writing before the session)
• Keeneland, Conditions of Sale (Condition Sixth on payment and credit)
• Keeneland, Sales Tax Regulations and Exemption Procedures (6%; breeding stock, under two years, interstate commerce and resale exemptions; initials on the Acknowledgement of Purchase)
• Keeneland, repository terms, conditions and procedures (X-rays within 15 days, filed four days before selling, 36 or 38 images, licensed vets, scope-video disclosure, Conditions Ninth and Tenth)
• USDA APHIS, conditions for the permanent importation of horses into the UAE from the USA (30-day isolation, Coggins within 21 days, flu vaccination window, certificate valid 10 days, arrival by air, at least 6 days isolation)
• USDA APHIS, export of live animals to the UAE (protocols dated June 2009; strangles PCR note; electronic certificates)
• Australian Government, MICoR, UAE live horses (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment; import permit; no imports by sea)
• USDA APHIS, conditions for the permanent importation of horses into Saudi Arabia from the USA, July 2023 (permit, 30-day isolation, arrival by air at Riyadh or Jeddah, at least 6 days isolation)
• USDA APHIS, export of live animals to Saudi Arabia (original endorsed certificate; ministry checks it in VEHCS before the permit)
• USDA APHIS, export of live animals to Qatar (transit permission first; certificates shown before the permit, from 17 June 2021)