Buyer diligence
Review photos, video, pedigree details, seller contact information, and free Equibase Lifetime Past Performances when attached. International listings also include Arion and Racing Post Lifetime PPs.
Daily Auction Schedule
Thoroughbred Auctions
Thoroughbred auctions have always run on a seasonal calendar — a few crowded sale weeks in Kentucky, Florida, New York, Maryland, and California, with months of dead time in between. AtTheGate is the industry's only daily thoroughbred auction: racehorses, weanlings, yearlings, broodmares, stallions, and stallion seasons are listed and sold online every day of the year, from American sellers and international consignors alike. This page is the hub for the current schedule and for understanding how thoroughbred auctions work.
Guided settlement
After the auction closes, the winning buyer receives a commission invoice with the seller's contact details and a 72-hour completion window. Both parties then confirm the sale so AtTheGate can record it.
Every category
Racehorses, weanlings, yearlings, open and in-foal broodmares, stallions, and stallion seasons — listed and sold online, year-round.
The AtTheGate daily auction schedule
Listings go live every day
Sellers submit any day of the year. Once a listing is approved it goes live immediately — there is no waiting for a seasonal sale week.
Auctions run 48 hours to 10 days
Each seller sets the length of their own sale window, up to ten days. Stallion season listings may run as long as 21 days.
Daily alert at 8:00 PM New York time
Registered buyers get a daily email listing the new horses that went live that day and the lots closing next.
Soft close every day
Lots close on their own published clock throughout the day. A bid in the final moments extends the timer, so the last serious bidder always wins.
Horses closing next
Live lots in the current catalog, ordered as they appear in the sale.
No lots are open at this moment. New horses are listed daily — create an account to get the 8:00 PM alert.
Create an accountHow thoroughbred auctions work
At a traditional thoroughbred sale, a consignor enters the horse months in advance, ships it to the sale grounds, and shows it to buyers during a set inspection period. Buyers study the catalog page, the repository radiographs, and the horse in hand, then bid in the ring against a reserve. The auction house collects the money, deducts entry fees and commission — commonly around 5% — and pays the consignor weeks later.
An online daily auction keeps the parts that protect both sides and drops the parts that cost time and money. On AtTheGate the horse stays home. The catalog page carries a two-generation pedigree with a link to a free five-cross, photos and video, veterinary and radiograph information the seller chooses to share, and free Lifetime Past Performances — Equibase for North American runners, Arion and Racing Post for international horses. Every listing shows the seller's own contact details, so a buyer can call, text, email, or WhatsApp with questions before placing a single bid.
Bidding is live with proxy bids and a soft close. When the auction ends, AtTheGate sends the winning buyer a commission invoice that includes the seller's contact information and reminds both parties that the transaction must be completed within 72 hours. Buyer and seller arrange payment, transfer, inspection, and shipping between themselves, then both confirm completion so AtTheGate can record the result and preserve future auction eligibility. That structure is what allows a flat listing fee and a 4% commission instead of a sale-barn cost stack.
Selling a horse at auction
Sellers list any day, set their own starting bid and sale window, and keep their horse at home through the whole process. Listings are promoted through our social channels and the daily buyer alert. The fee is a flat listing fee plus 4% commission — and the launch special is a $0 listing fee with 3% commission, no minimum and a $100 no-sale fee for the first ten listings.
Thoroughbred auctions — common questions
- Are there thoroughbred auctions every day?
- Traditional thoroughbred sales run on a seasonal calendar — a handful of major sale weeks each year. AtTheGate is the industry's only daily thoroughbred auction: new lots can be listed any day of the year and auctions close every day, so buyers and sellers are never waiting months for the next sale date.
- What kinds of horses sell at thoroughbred auctions?
- Racehorses in training, weanlings, yearlings, open and in-foal broodmares, stallions, and stallion seasons. AtTheGate lists all of these categories, from racing states such as Kentucky, Florida, New York, California, and Texas, as well as Canada and international sellers.
- How does bidding work at an online horse auction?
- Each lot has a seller-set starting bid and a published close time. You can bid live or set a proxy bid, and a soft close extends the clock when a bid lands in the final moments, so no horse is lost to a last-second click.
- What does it cost to sell a horse at auction?
- Traditional sales typically charge entry fees plus a commission of about 5% and require shipping the horse to the sale grounds. AtTheGate charges a flat listing fee plus a 4% commission, with no transport to a sale barn and no minimum commission on the launch special (first ten listings: $0 listing fee, 3% commission, $100 no-sale fee).
- Who can bid at a thoroughbred auction online?
- AtTheGate buyers complete a free industry verification confirming they are an owner, trainer, agent, or breeder. Verification is normally reviewed within a day and keeps both sides of every sale genuine.
- How do I get the horse home after the sale?
- Buyer and seller deal directly after the auction closes and arrange payment, paperwork, and transport between themselves. Our horse shipping directory lists established national and regional vans.