Keeneland announced Wednesday that it will lower the sales commission to 2.5 percent for horses that fail to meet their reserves during the upcoming sales season. The commission for horses that sell will remain at 4.5 percent.

The lower rate is effective immediately, Keeneland said in a news release, and it will include the 2009 September Yearling and November Breeding Stock Sales and the 2010 January Horses of All Ages Sale.

The move comes after a sales season that saw many horses go unsold as their reserve prices were not met, and horsemen noted at the time that they had even lowered reserves in some cases.