The stallion landscape is ever-changing. Today's King of the Hill at the sales is likely only a few years away from being a former leading stallion. Thus is the fickle world of yearling buying where new flavors are always en vogue but vanilla and chocolate never grow old. On the trotting front, Chapter Seven and Walner are now the old guard after dethroning Muscle Hill from his perch a few years ago.  Captaintreacherous unseated Somebeachsomewhere from the top of the pacing hill a short while back as well and dominated the scene for a couple of seasons, but Sweet Lou has been narrowing the gap on the track and may just do the same in the sales arena. Then, of course, we have the new stallions like Gimpanzee, Papi Rob Hanover and Tall Dark Stranger, up-and-coming returnees like Bettor's Wish and Tactical Landing, and U.S. natives like Googoo Gaagaa and Propulsion looking to make a big splash as they sell a fair number of yearlings throughout the week. These are some of the storylines offered up as the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale commences with the first of five sessions on Monday, October 2 at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky. The sale opens at 7:00 P.M. and continues Tuesday to Thursday with 1:00 P.M. start times before going back to the evening post for the Midwest "regional" offerings. The sale at Lexington reached new heights in 2022 with a $65.2 million gross and an average of $73,690 for 886 horses. This year nearly 100 more horses will walk through the ring, and it will be interesting to see if the sales numbers hold up despite the additional stock. "Generally when you add more horses it could bring it down a bit, but we are obviously hoping to maintain the average from last year, which was a record average," said Bruce Binkerhoff, who moves into the role of co-sales manager this year along with mainstay David Reid as Randy Manges takes a step back from the role. "I'm very excited about my first year as co-manager. I've worked with Lexington Selected for 25 years on and off." Opening night always sets the pace for the Lexington Selected sale, and in 2022 a 17.2% increase in resulted in the average horse selling for $189,074. The first session is typically rich in pedigree and 2023 is no exception. The stallion names you'd expect are well-represented: Captaintreacherous has 18, Chapter Seven 19, Muscle Hill 16, Walner 12, and newcomer Tall Dark Stranger has a sale-topping 20 on opening night. A very noticeable change in 2023 finds a much more balanced sale between gaits, mainly because of a 19% jump in the number of pacers signed on for the auction. Clearly a good portion of that talent is at the high end since the trot/pace totals were 89/33 in 2022 on opening night versus 66/55 this year. "Having multiple first-crop sires contributed to the increased number of pacers," said Binkerhoff, who wasn't willing to go out on a limb and predict another record sale but didn't rule it out either. "It is attainable. We have a very deep set of horses with strong sires and first-crop sire power. The depth and the quality runs throughout the sale." It is safe to assume that almost every horse that walks through the ring on Monday will go for a handsome sum. The cheapest horse sold in the first session last year was $27,000, and it will be interesting to see if it is remotely possible to walk away with a horse for that amount in 2023. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Certainly it doesn't take an expert to point out that there will be sisters and brothers to many champions up for grabs. While I'm far from a pedigree snob, below are my "not so dirty" dozen, followed by something likely more valuable, a one-horse selection with commentary from each consignor I could reach. HIP 13 - Pursuitofpapiness (Preferred Equine) Starting with lucky number 13 and that means I can show up fashionably late for the sale. Colt is from the first crop of Papi Rob Hanover from the mare that gave us Beach Glass ($1.1 million, 1:47 2/5). That the second dam produced two millionaires and a third earner of $982K leaves hope that this Pennsylvania-eligible could be the real deal as well. HIP 15 - Karma's Future (Northwood Bloodstock) First foal here from the red-hot sire Sweet Lou! Colt's mom was an all-time great mare who produced a millionaire in Darlinonthebeach, and in kind she brought us the speedy Christchurch. There is every reason to believe this Keystone State-eligible could be a champion himself. HIP 26 - Maven's Daughter (Hunterton Sales Agency) The filly's name kind of tells the story as she's the daughter of multi-millionaire Maven, whose first foal Pretender has earned $800K in three seasons on the track. There is also other black type on this girl's card, and that she's dual eligible in New Jersey and Kentucky will make her even more valuable. HIP 49 - Treacheryinthedark (Preferred Equine) This Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible filly is just the second from Rainbowinthedark and her first has turned into a 1:48 1/5 winner Seven Colors, who has multiple stakes wins this year. Then you look down the page a bit and find out her second dam produced two-time Dan Patch winner and $2.6 million earner Bettor's Wish. HIP 56 - Oklahomasmokeshow (Crawford Farms) Here's another with dual eligibility to the rich New Jersey and Kentucky programs. Filly is a Tactical Landing half-sister to 2-year-old Dan Patch winner Southwind Frank, and this family has also brought us Sans Defaut ($275K). HIP 57 - Lexicon (Hunterton Sales Agency) This mare has already seen great success with a Hambletonian winner in Tactical Approach this year and $770K winner Double Deceiver. Here we get her first connection with Walner, and that is certainly intriguing for a colt that is eligible in New Jersey and Kentucky. HIP 74 - Marilyn Ruth (Diamond Creek, Agent) Lots of firsts here with this filly as she's by Gimpanzee and the first foal from Tuscany, whose mom produced a few talented six-figure earners who hinted at huge potential but never quite turned the corner. Digging deeper into the pedigree we find millionaire Poof She's Gone. Hmmm. HIP 77 - Expensive (Cameo Hills) Here's another filly where the name is telling us what to expect. She's a first foal and the maternal side is loaded with earners. That she is only New York eligible means you could get a bargain! That she is by Chapter Seven negates that possibility. HIP 84 - Zendaya Hanover (Hanover Shoe Farms) Filly is the first foal from $980K winner Zero Tolerance, who is from the family of superstar Rainbow Blue. Combining the speedy Zero Tolerance with Captaintracherous leaves us with big possibilities. HIP 87 - Heather Michele (Crawford Farms) Another first foal from a mare that earned $586K on the track. Second dam gave us former Horse of the Year Test Of Faith. This filly is also from a first-time sire in Tall Dark Stranger. Sky is the limit for the Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible. HIP 104 - Welcometotheshow (Cameo Hills Farm) This family produces major stakes winners in bunches: 2023 North America Cup and Little Brown Jug winner It's My Show, 2019 Meadowlands Pace winner Best In Show, world champion Put On A Show, and so many more. This colt is another of the many first-crop offerings from Tall Dark Stranger. HIP 109 - Delaney Hanover (Hanover Shoe Farms) This filly has great bloodlines as a full sister to Delilah Hanover ($308K) and from the family of former Horse of the Year Donato Hanover, so even if she can't perform on the track she has a bright future as a broodmare. When nearly 1,000 yearlings are up for sale it is very difficult to pick one of the needles from the haystack that will ultimately out-earn the pack. With that in mind, we posed a single question to the majority of the 22 consignors selling over the five sessions. Below are the responses: If you were buying a horse from your consignment, which one would you choose? Blue Chip Farms - Tom Grossman The Defiantsnowfashion Chapter Seven filly (HIP 204 Wisteria Blue Chip) is a real standout. She's from a great family and has always stood out on the field. Most importantly, she is NYSS eligible and the number of eligible horses competing for the same money in New York has come down dramatically. Thus the purse money available per eligible horse is far better in New York than any other jurisdiction. Brittany Farms - Art Zubrod HIP 51 Brulee is a colt by Walner out of Biscotti. He's a great individual with a great attitude that is very good in the field. Cameo Hills Farm - Steve Jones HIP 77 Expensive. Violet Stride filly has been an absolute standout since the day she was born and her mother was the fastest 2-year-old of the year, colt or filly. She is also a first foal. Cane Run Farm - Elizabeth Caldwell If I'm hypothetically buying one it would have to be a trotting filly. I was going to choose HIP 360 Everybody's Talkin. She's tough and athletic, but we own the mare. A family we don't have that has a deep pedigree and would make a nice addition to our broodmare band one day is HIP 619 Omega. She can fly on her video! Crawford Farms - Heather Reese-Marshall It would be HIP 56 [Oklahomasmokeshow]. She is a Tactical Landing sister to Southwind Frank. The mare has been quite challenging for us to get in foal, so she holds a special place to all of us at the farm. She also fits the bill. She's long and tall as you could possibly want a trotter to be. She videoed well and has great conformation. Diamond Creek Farm - Shaun Laungani HIP 296 Balcony. Her aunt is Bond, who we sold as a yearling. She just passed the million-dollar mark. The filly is a great mover and everyone must see her. She is very well-made. Hanover Shoe Farm - Patti Murphy If I had to pick one for myself, I would go with a pacer as I'm inclined towards pacing horses. HIP 150 Joslyn Hanover (Tall Dark Stranger-JK Higher Power) is a gorgeous-looking filly. She is nicely balanced and athletic, plus she has a great personality. Her nickname in the barn is "Big Bertha" but she can move! Hickory Lane Farm - Kevin Greenfield HIP 309 Count Seven. He is a first foal from a Chapter Seven out of the Father Patrick mare Burberry. The colt is very dark, well built, strong and muscular. Hunterton Farm - Cindy Stewart HIP 45 Grande Via. Muscle Hill-sired colt has an amazing gait. Northwood Bloodstock - Bob Boni While I have a number of intriguing yearlings, I would find HIP 15 Karma's Future particularly interesting. He is by Sweet Lou, a sire that is having a dominant season headlined by Confederate and Cannibal, among others, and he is also the first foal from a Captaintreacherous daughter of the great world champion Darlin's Delight p,4,1:49 1/5 ($2,901,926) with a black-type pedigree from top to bottom. A top sire and a first foal with a pedigree of champions and stakes production is a pretty good combination. Spring Haven Farm - Senena Etsy I'm most familiar with the ones I have raised and own. HIP 248 Writing Onthe Wall is a Walner colt and the first foal from Creedom. He has very good conformation – great hip, shoulder, top line, stands correct, and great head and eye. He has a great presence and a very nice video to go along with it. He has it all going on! Winbak Farm - Jack Burke I've been really happy with how our Lexington consignment is shaping up.  Our lineup has great-looking yearlings from some of the sport's top sires. Day one we have a Chapter Seven filly named Seven Charms (HIP 78) who is put together well and is the sister to the 2-year-old Amazing Catch (1:55 1/5, $163,500). Her dam is a half-sister to millionaire Met's Hall and her family includes Gimpanzee and Muscle Hill. A day-two horse to keep an eye on would be the first-crop sire Cattlewash colt Smooth Dream (HIP 196). He is a half-brother to 2021 O'Brien Horse of the Year Desperate Man. Dreamlands Latte has been a productive mare and he really looks the part. He is definitely one of my favorites in the sale.