Harness: Downbytheseaside, What The Hill provide Ohio power for Friday's Lexington Selected Sale

First-crop sires are always of interest to those looking for the next big thing. In the "Buckeye" state of Ohio, the bar keeps getting set higher in the stallion ranks. Those paying close attention to Friday's fifth day of the Lexington Selected Sale should take notice of the abundance of colts and fillies from the first crops of a pair of well-bred and well-accomplished stallions. Downbytheseaside and What The Hill usher in an new era that begins on Friday in Kentucky and will likely lead to the many venues in Ohio to compete at the top level in 2021.

The durable Downbytheseaside is a son of the late Somebeachsomewhere and as such is a natural extension of that stallion line that continues to impose its will on the breed. Perhaps most impressive in this first-year stallion was his soundness, with 35 starts during his freshman and sophomore campaign collectively. His early speed was in evidence with his brilliant first season that concluded with a victory in the Governor's Cup and an earlier 1:49 mark set at The Red Mile. Buyers are always looking for a stallion that have the potential for 2-year-old brilliance and most certainly Downbytheseaside has those attributes.

On Friday there are six sons and daughters of Downbytheseaside worth taking a longer look at and perhaps raising your hand for (more than once if necessary).

HIP 706 Bottle N Cork is a filly and first foal of Rocknroll Vision, herself a sister to the dam of the brilliant Rock N Roll Heaven. Rocknroll Hanover-sired dams have blended quite nicely with the Somebeachsomewhere stallion line, with Papi Rob Hanover a fitting example.

The colt Coastal Front (HIP 730) offers a change in pace for the successful dam She's Poison. With four previous foals, this colt marks the first time she's been bred to this stallion line. Her second dam She's A Great Lady has had a rather successful second career.

HIP 773 Summer Slash could be getting plenty of looks on the final day of the Lexington sale. That's because buyers are looking for fillies with rich bloodlines and Summer Slash offers plenty in her veins. She's just the fourth foal from Before The Poison, a Rocknroll Hanover dam that is bred much like the $2.4 million-winning Put On A Show.

There's a sense that HIP 790, a colt out of the accomplished broodmare Cotton Candy, may be among the highest-priced from the first crop of Downbytheseaside. Big Fritz is currently his name and he's out of a top-producing daughter of Sportsmaster. Cotton Candy has three $100K-plus winning foals from her first four by various sires. Big Fritz is her first cross with the Somebeachsomewhere line after major success stories with Pet Rock (Rock Candy now nearly with $400K in career earnings).

The right stallion to broodmare cross is essential when looking through pedigrees and perhaps Rose Run Xplosion (HIP 793) is a perfect example of the value in such navigation. He's a colt from a full sister to the $1.8 million-winning Tug River Princess. Therefore, Rose Run Xplosion is bred pretty much exactly like her top performer Prince Of Tides, an elimination winner in the 2019 Adios and a $300K lifetime earner. The dam Crying Game has a 2-year-old racing this year that was just her first foal.

Downbytheseaside extends not just the Somebeachsomewhere stallion line but that of his sire Mach Three as well. That makes a look at HIP 824 Prancing Queen a bit more intuitive. The yearling's dam Ideal Helen is a $194K-winning daughter of Western Ideal that has but one foal, the Ontario Gold performer Choir Master. There's plenty of pedigree in this maternal line, with Ideal Helen having two sisters that earned in excess of $561K respectively.

What The Hill is a son of the sport's leading stallion Muscle Hill that brings something unique to Ohio. He was an 18-time starter as a 3-year-old with victories in the Breeders Crown and Canadian Trotting Classic on his record, and he finished first in the Hambletonian only to be disqualified in what some thought was an unjust decision. Needless to say, What The Hill has plenty of upside in what he can do not just for Ohio but throughout North America with his first crop.

On Friday we'll take a quick look at a half-dozen potential standouts from What The Hill's first crop.
HIP 718 Angies Valentine is eligible in Ohio and Kentucky and the filly is a half-sister to this year's Ontario Gold stakes standout Hayek. Her dam Hold Her Tight is a sister to a pair of impressive Ontario stakes-winning fillies in Angies Lucky Star and Angies Luckeylady, giving rise to the suggestion that fillies do quite well from this maternal line.

HIP 726 The Submarine has a rich pedigree that is more than coming of age in recent years. Her third dam Gala Dream produced successful trotting stallion Father Patrick, but more importantly, Springaround, her dam, is responsible for the 1:55 2/5 juvenile winner in 2020 Lockbox (Wishing Stone). Lockbox was also an Ohio Sire Stakes winner this year.

Alana Hill (HIP 762) is another filly worth looking into. She's just the second foal from the dam Andi's Alana, an Indiana-bred daughter of Swan For All that was a stakes winner at 2 and 3 and earned $528,749 during her 17-win career.

Maximus Hill (HIP 795) may be the best-bred trotter to come out of Ohio this year given that his dam UF Tady's Donato is a half-sister to a pair of awesome Ohio Sire Stakes performers in the millionaire Hez Striking and the $585K winner Tady Strikes Again. Those two alone combined for an incredible 75 lifetime victories. Not to be outdone, the immediate family also includes Romancing Rachel, a daughter of Muscle Hill that produced a $110,000 yearling that sold on Monday night here in Lexington. Maximus Hill is the first colt from the dam who has already produced a stakes-winning filly by Muscle Hill.

HIP 823 Stephanie Hill is a filly from a solid broodmare in I Like Stephanie who has seven winners from her first eight performers. Included in that group is Magical Steph, a filly by Kadabra that earned in excess of $100k on the racetrack. More notable is that when bred to Muscle Hill she produced the 1:54 2/5 2-year-old winner in 2020 Magical Muscle Man, who races Friday afternoon at The Red Mile. Thus, Stephanie Hill is bred much like that youngster.

International pedigrees along the trotting lines have been more than influential in stakes racing in North America over the last few years and HIP 855 Granite Hill represents What The Hill being crossed with some French blood. He's a colt from Motunui, she a half-sister to the stakes-winning Super Schissel. The third dam Bahama IT is a daughter of the international star Coktail Jet and she produced world champion Farifant among other success stories in Europe. Granite Hill is Motunui's first foal.

Given just Friday's assortment of yearlings from the first crops of Downbytheseaside and What The Hill, there is plenty of reason for optimism that more champions will emerge from Ohio starting as early as 2021.