It's still dark in the morning when the showmen and grooms get to the barns around 5:00 a.m. to start their day at the sales. They pair up and take turns cleaning stalls, walking the horses, and grooming them so they look pristine when show time comes.
The first ones there and the last ones to leave, the showmen are the heart and soul of the sales industry. They fight the elements; whether there is blazing sun, pouring rain, or bitter cold, they show up every day.
Their love for the horses and the commitment to their job shines through, especially during a marathon of a sale like the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
"They fight hard for us every day, just like these beautiful horses, they make my life better. They make these horses' lives better," said Tommy Eastham, owner of Legacy Bloodstock.
"It wouldn't happen without these kind souls handling these horses. Sometimes we get a bad rap as an industry because of a select few that aren't kind to horses, but you go through these barns, and you see a lot of smooches on the nose, a lot of pets, and you see a lot of people really appreciating the horses and what they do," said Eastham.
"They're so important, I mean, they're the backbone of our operation. Between the girls (and guys) that get the horses to the people, somebody has got to actually take the horse to them (showmen). It can be incredibly difficult in the mornings, because obviously, like this morning, it's the first time these horses have been out here to show, and they're not really accustomed to it," said Donnie Snellings, yearling and sales manager at Denali Stud.
Snellings goes to Florida every year for the 2-year-old sales, just to recruit sales help. As with almost every industry, they fight the battle of finding good help; a good showman is treasured.
"It is invaluable," Snelling said of having good showmen. "It makes the whole difference to the sale to have good people. If you don't have good people, you're going to have a bad day."
Edras Garcia has been with Denali Stud, at the sales, and at the farm, for roughly eight years. He is a vital part of their operation. He helps set up the barns before the sale starts, shows the horses, and takes them to the ring.
"Edras is a great showman, he's kind of my right-hand man, so to speak, here on the sales grounds, and he helps me on the farm as well," said Snellings.
"It's a good team, Denali is the best consignment. Nice team, they have a nice group and I have a nice boss," said Garcia.
"Probably when you start showing the horses, everyone is organized in what they're doing, people working the cards and saying 'you need to go to ring 1,'" said Garcia on his favorite part of the sales.
The most expensive horse he ever took to the ring was at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2019. He led Hip 138 to the ring, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro out of the Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings mare Tara's Tango. The yearling sold for $2.15 million to Godolphin.
Another fixture at the sales is Steve Mitchell, who works for Machmer Hall during the yearling sales season. He has been working with horses since around 1972, and has worked the sales for 25 years.
Mitchell is from Florida, where he trained during the 1970s, at tracks like Gulfstream Park, Hialeah Park, and Calder Race Course, his favorite track. He has been working for Machmer Hall (previously Select Sales) for the past 10 years.
"There are not too many people on this planet that no one can say a negative word about, and Steve is that rare person. He is an exceptional horseman, completely reliable," said Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall.
Mitchell is well known for handling tough horses with ease. "I take a lot of frisky ones, and the big tall, strong ones, because of my size," he said. He said years of experience have molded him into the horseman he is.
"I just love the yearlings, and the potential of them going to get broke most of the time right after that (the sale). And you try to see if your choice came out good for what horse you thought would be good," Mitchell said.
His favorite part of the sales is taking the horses to the ring. "The horses get excited and the adrenaline pumps in you," said Mitchell.
The most expensive horse he ever took the ring was group 1 winner Sauterne at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale in 2023. She sold for $4.2 million to Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International and Grand Stud from the Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds consignment. "She was a handful showing, but she was quiet in the ring," he remembered.
"He is an amazing human being, kind, wonderful, patient, and just a long-term member of this amazing team," Brogden said of Mitchell. "We feel blessed and lucky to have him as a part of our sales company; and not only that, as a friend."
"I have a good team. (I've gotten) a lot of other offers, but I stay here," said Mitchell.
Few have been around as long as Dan "Blue" Adamson. He has worked for Taylor Made Sales Agency for approximately the past 25 years.
"If you look at Blue, he's kind of an endangered species of horsemanship," Taylor Made CEO and president Mark Taylor said. "I've been around a lot of really good horsemen in my life, but hands-on with a horse, there's nobody better than Blue. There are some other people I would put in the same conversation, but if you have a horse, and you turn it over to him, he's going to eliminate all the problems with that horse's behavior. He's going to get in sync with the horse."
Adamson has shown many of Taylor Made's top horses over the years. Putting a horse in the hands of someone you know will present the horse well, and take care of the horse, is priceless.
"He's totally focused, like if he's showing a horse, he showed the $4 million Curlin—Beholder colt we sold at Saratoga in 2023, he was so in sync, he couldn't tell you who liked the horse and who didn't like the horse, because when he's on the shank, everything else is blocked out," said Taylor.
"You see some of these modern guys, and they have AirPods in their ears, and they're listening to some podcast while showing a horse and it just drives me crazy. It's like they think horsemanship is robotic, and it's supposed to be intuitive."
Adamson is highly regarded among his peers, handling horses with a soft hand. He can do things with a horse that most cannot.
"He can get them to where they do exactly what he wants them to do, and he treats them really, really well. He loves these horses and they love him.
"So many people have a heavy hand and they're rough with these horses' mouths. He's never like that. Everything's just so delicate and precise, it's a gift, really," added Taylor.
Taylor said Adamson is a wealth of information that goes far beyond showing a horse. If a horse gets hurt at the sale, he has a remedy to cure it.
"A lot of times if something would happen, like a leg would blow up, he's got a complete arsenal of bandages, poultices, sweats, whatever you want. He can solve a problem, in my opinion, better than most vets can with medication. He's just doing it through other old-fashioned methods," he said.
There would be no sales industry without the help of the hundreds of talented men and women that work these sales all year long. They are the unsung heroes behind the sales ring.
"They're the first ones here and the last ones to leave. If one of them (horses) ships in at 2 in the morning, I can call somebody, call my crew, and they're like 'oh, no problem,' and they'll be here at 2 in the morning. They'll know the temperature, hydration, and be able to tell me a lot about the horse," said Eastham.
"They're wonderful, it's a great community. There's a lot of love back here on the sales grounds. I'm very grateful for everyone."
