Harness: Breeders Crown Charity Challenge auction sets new record

For the third straight year the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale served as an outlet for the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge benefit auction. A breeding to eight of the top stallions in Harness Racing were auctioned off to benefit various charities and a new record was set with $207,000 raised.

Leading the way was the stallion who has dominated the yearling sale this year in both gross sales and average price per yearling. A 2022 breeding to Walner brought $55,000 to winning bidder Brad Grant.

"It's obviously more than the right price, but it is a charity, a good cause, and we have a mare that we want to breed to him. We got a good deal and helped the charity," said Grant, who was thankful for the generosity displayed by those who donated. "This industry never ceases to amaze me. For Ken Jacobs to give up a breeding to Walner when he is the hottest commodity in the world speaks volumes of him and the other breeders."

The Muscle Hill breeding checked in second at $33,000 and was purchased by Indian Mound Bloodstock. Captaintreacherous and Chapter Seven both brought $27,000, with Kountry Lane Standardbreds, who also bought a Tall Dark Stranger breeding for $21,000, picking up the former and Lucas Wallin as agent getting the latter. The other breedings sold were Downbytheseaside (Tom Fanning, $17,000), Perfect Sting (Steven Head, $15,000) and Bar Hopping (Blue Chip Bloodstock, $12,000).

"Once again the industry stepped forward in a magnificent way," said Marvin Katz, who has taken the reins of the Breeders Crown Challenge as half of the Libfeld/Katz breeding partnership. "This is the highest amount we've ever raised. We'll be over $350,000 in monies that will go to charities."

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This year, the proceeds of the auction and the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge will benefit the enCourage Kids Foundation (Team Miller), John Theurer Cancer Center (Team Dunn), New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (Team Gingras) and Special Olympics New Jersey (Team Tetrick).

The battle for the first-place check will go through Friday, Oct. 29, when the freshman Breeders Crown Finals are contested at The Meadowlands. Post time is 6:20 p.m. Winners and check presentations will take place Sat., Oct. 30, prior to the Breeders Crown 3-year-old and up Finals with an unprecedented post time of noon.

To vote for your favorite, Team Dunn, Team Gingras, Team Miller or Team Tetrick, and to find out more about the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge, go to playmeadowlands.com.

Prior to the charity auction a $10,000 donation was made on behalf of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale to the city of Lexington's Mayor Linda Gorton.

"The Kentucky Standardbred Sales Company has been so generous with their venue, time and effort towards the Breeders Crown Challenge," said Katz. "They've provided everything we could ask for. We wanted to say 'thank you' to the principals who own the sales company. They didn't want anything so we came up with the idea to provide a $10,000 contribution to the Sales Company and they in turn would present it to the city of Lexington and one of the Mayor's favorite charities was the recipient, an inner-city program."

"We are the horse capitol of the world, as you know, and are thrilled with this gift," said Mayor Gorton about the $10,000 donation to the Woodhill Community Center.

-with files from Breeders Crown