Lane’s End, Keeneland offer Metaverse experience and partial ownership of phenom ‘Flightline’
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lane’s End, one of the world’s premier Thoroughbred farms, and Keeneland, the historic Thoroughbred race course and auction house, have joined forces ahead of the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships to offer a pair of innovative firsts for the Thoroughbred horse racing industry: an immersive Metaverse experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a percentage of Flightline, currently the world’s highest-rated Thoroughbred according to the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2022.
The undefeated Flightline has earned nearly $1.4 million and is being pointed for the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. He will enter stud as the property of a syndicate at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky upon the conclusion of his racing career.
On Monday, Nov. 7 at the start of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, a 2.5% fractional interest in Flightline will be auctioned, subject to Keeneland’s Conditions of Sale. Interested bidders must register in advance, have established credit with Keeneland Sales, and meet such additional requirements as Keeneland or Lane’s End may request. Qualified bidders may bid on the fractional interest in-person at Keeneland, via Keeneland’s online auction platform, or by phone. The fractional interest is offered by West Point Thoroughbreds, one of five ownership groups in Flightline. It is expected to be the only opportunity to buy into Flightline before he retires to stud. Should Flightline continue to race beyond the Breeders’ Cup, the purchaser of the fractional interest will also be a part of his racing ownership.
At the conclusion of the auction, the winning bidder will own 2.5% of Flightline and have all rights, benefits, and obligations of a co-owner of the horse pursuant to the Syndicate Agreement. All racing and breeding decisions will be made as provided in the Syndicate Agreement available for inspection by qualified bidders.
It will be decided after the Breeders’ Cup whether Flightline races next year at age five or retires to stud.
“Flightline’s stud fee has yet to be determined,” said Bill Farish of Lane’s End, “but he will surely retire as one of the most valuable Thoroughbred stallion prospects in recent memory. He’ll be an historic addition to the Lane’s End roster and the syndicate model is an exciting way for more people to participate in a sport that otherwise has a high barrier to entry.”
Shannon Arvin, President & CEO of Keeneland, said, “With these trailblazing firsts—a chance to own a portion of the world’s best racehorse and the opportunity to experience the world’s leading Thoroughbred auction house in the Metaverse—Lane’s End and Keeneland are once again proving their commitment to evolving the horse racing industry and welcoming a new generation of fans to its timeless traditions.”
“Keeneland has always found ways to innovate,” Arvin added, “But it’s always grounded in doing what is best for the sport, with the horses at the center of it all.”
The auction is being launched in conjunction with a first-of-its-kind Metaverse experience designed to replicate the excitement of Keeneland’s iconic November Breeding Stock Sale.
This user-friendly virtual experience is hosted on Spatial and accessible via Oculus headset, desktop computer, or mobile phone. Participants will have a front-row seat in a virtual sales ring modeled after Keeneland’s and will also have the opportunity to learn about the rich histories of Lane’s End, Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry through a series of pre-event activations.
For more information or to pre-register to bid, please visit www.keeneland.com/flightline. Creative assets including hi-res photos are available for media use HERE.
For more information, please contact Bill Farish of Lane’s End (859-873-7300) or Cormac Breathnach, Keeneland’s Director of Sales Operations (859-254-3412).
Keeneland Press Release
Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire
