- Keeneland's annual September yearling sale in Lexington, Kentucky is the biggest horse sale in the world, with more than $377 million worth of horses sold in 2018.
- I flew down to Lexington and attended the sale's kickoff party at the Apiary, an 8,100-square-foot upscale events venue.
- About 300 of the horse racing world's elite attended the party, including buyers, sellers, and famed horse trainer Bob Baffert, according to event planner Freya Kelly.
- The party included a rare bourbon tasting, a Dom Perignon Champagne toast, at least six different types of dessert, and electric violin and cello performances.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Each September, wealthy horse-racing fans, buyers, and sellers descend on Kentucky's second-largest city, Lexington, known as "the horse capital of the world."
Lexington is surrounded by hundreds of horse farms and is home to the world's largest thoroughbred horse auction house, Keeneland, which also hosts races.
In September is Keeneland's yearling sale, where people drop millions on year-old horses who've never even been ridden. In 2018, more than $377 million worth of horses were sold at Keeneland's September sale.
I flew down to Lexington for the sale, but first, I managed to score an invite to the sale's exclusive kickoff party at an upscale events venue called the Apiary.
Here's what it was like.