Trotters were highly sought after in Monday’s opening session of the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, occupying the top seven positions on the board at the end of the day. At the front of the list was HIP 38 Date Night Hanover, a Chapter Seven-Don’t Wait Up filly bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc. A half-sister to Delayed Hanover [1:51 1/5, $483,428] and from the family of Trixton, Date Night Hanover was purchased by Jeff Snyder. "She had a great pedigree. It was the first time she'd been bred to Chapter Seven. She was bred only to Southwind Frank. She's a beautiful filly. I thought she was the best filly in the sale, and most people who I've spoken to touted her as the best filly in the sale. We were fortunate enough to buy her," remarked Snyder. "Previously we've bought mostly pacers, but the second dam and third dam are a great family, and I think there will be some residual value in her as well. She's not real big, so she'll get around the half-mile tracks, and she's Kentucky and New York eligible. "That was about my limit. I was thinking $600,000; that was my number. I don't think I would have gone any more. I was hoping to get her for about $500,000, but $600,000 was the number. We've done well in Sweden and France. We've got trotters over there. We've had a lot of luck overseas, so we switched to trotters over here." Occupying the second spot on Monday was HIP 60 Tandem Hanover, a Walner filly from the Hanover group who went to Andrew Harris for $510,000. Tandem Hanover, out of the Cantab Hall mare Think Twice, is a full sister to multiple time stakes winner Temporal Hanover. "His name's Bill Pollock. He bought Abuckabett Hanover the other day. Him and Bruce Areman are both two guys that are great friends of mine. They're hoping to strike it rich and have a little fun in the game," Harris said about the group he purchased Tandem Hanover for on Monday. "The family's just rock solid. Temporal was amazing. He made $700,000 this year. It doesn't get much better than that, and the Walners are amazing. She's got broodmare value. I know it's expensive, but I don't think with these fillies that you can overpay for the fillies when they've got that type of breeding. "I told Bill and Bruce there are no guarantees, but at least with a filly you've got a fallback plan." Serge Godin’s Determination stable purchased both HIP 109 Greenspring and HIP 119 Pennteller Hanover for $500,000. Greenspring, from the first crop of Greenshoe, is a filly who is a sister to successful horses In Range, Tight Lines, and Long Tom. Pennteller Hanover, a Chapter Seven colt, is out of the millionaire and world champion Self Possessed mare Possess The Magic. Greenspring was consigned by Concord Stud Farm and Pennteller Hanover by Hanover Shoe Farms. "You look at the family and stuff like that. She was an amazing filly," trainer Luc Blais said about Greenspring. "At Mohawk you've got lots of Grand Circuit races there, and the money's good. That's a nice track to race at." When asked about Pennteller Hanover, Blais remarked, "You can see there that's the first time they bred [the mare] with Chapter Seven, and that's the same family as In Secret and Manchego, who was a champion. He was a nice horse, too." Godin also took HIP 122 Best Day for $290,000. A Bettor’s Delight colt consigned and bred by All American Harnessbreds, he’s a brother to Stag Party and Hen Party and also to stakes-winning 2-year-old Save America. "That's a good buy, I think - nice horse, nice family," Blais said of Best Day. "We're very happy with those buys." Completing the top five list on Monday was HIP 134 Linnea G, a Tactical Landing filly who was grabbed by agent Julie Miller for $475,000. Consigned by Concord Stud Farm for Christina Takter and Solveig's Breeders, Linnea G is out of the award-winning mare Solveig. She’s gone on to produce a number of outstanding individuals, led by Trotter of the Year Shake It Cerry. "I guess what's not to like is a better question. It's a great page and a great individual, and we decided to go for it today," Miller offered. "You can't go wrong with Solveig. She's an incredible mare. The Tactical Landings, I think they've had a pretty good season, and I think the fillies have actually raced a little bit better. We took a chance on her, and I think they've got a nice horse on their hands. "Of course you always want to pay a little bit less, but yeah we were comfortable with the price. Everybody has their top pick, and she was one of them. I was fortunate the ownership group was put together, and I get to train her." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Thanks to the likes of Greenspring and Linnea G, for the second straight year, Concord Stud Farm led the averages on opening day, with their 31 offerings going for $170,742. "It was a great day. Regardless of what we did last year, $170,000 is a great number. You have to have a big smile on your face coming off the day that we've had," said Julie Meirs from Concord Stud Farm. "There's going to be ups and downs, but you have to enjoy those ups when you get them. There were good surprises. I didn't expect HIP 142 [a Chapter Seven filly named Paparazzi Rat] to go for $400,000. That was a pleasant surprise. "I feel good. We're strong throughout. We're not just strong on Monday, so I think it'll be good." The day ended with a gross of $19,716,000 and an average of $119,491. The average dipped from last year's $130,368, but the total was up from 2021's $17,730,000. Twenty-nine more yearlings sold today than on opening day last year (165 to 136), which contributed to the decline in average, and it should be noted the average was up from the last pre-pandemic year in 2019 ($114,119). "If I'm not mistaken it's probably the highest grossing single session ever for this. I was a little nervous at first because it kind of started off slow, which surprised me," said Standardbred Horse Sales Company President Dale Welk. "There were some yearlings bought there that I think guys are going to be really happy with. Once it got going, the big horses sold really big. I was very happy with the outcome. To be honest, it did exceed my expectations. We're right where I thought we would be, maybe a little more than I thought. Being the last sale [of the year], you start thinking how much [money] is left, but obviously there's money left. I can't thank the buyers enough for sticking by us and going with us. "The breed has just improved so much. The depth of the stallions and everything is just incredible. We've got probably 70 or 80 horses tomorrow that could have been sold today, so we're going to have hopefully another great session tomorrow." The Standardbred Horse Sale resumes Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. and will see HIPs 171-523 go through the ring. For full results and other details, click here. --quotes by Derick Giwner--