Harness: Fireworks likely at opening session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale

The people of Lexington, Kentucky may want to gaze in the sky over the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion on October 1 to check for potential fireworks when the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale kicks off at 7 PM. On that Tuesday evening, 121 royally bred yearlings will head to auction and the prices have the potential to reach record levels.

Coming off a year when the first session was up 10.6 percent and gross was a record $39.77 million for the 702 yearlings sold over five nights, expectations are high in 2019 when nearly 780 yearlings will sell from Tuesday to Saturday.

“The more numbers you have, usually the lower the average, but we have a pretty strong first session this year. We’ve got a brother to Greenshoe and a brother to Kentucky Sire Stakes champion Ms Savannah Belle, Really Fast, that’s a really nice horse,” said co-Sales Manager Randy Manges, who admitted he wouldn’t be shocked if they topped 2018 first-night numbers despite increasing from 102 to 121 yearlings. “I wouldn’t be. It’s a very strong session, the first one. If I had 102 instead of 120, I’d probably feel confident we would do as well or better than last year, but I still feel good that we will do well.

“There seems to be plenty of money. The regional sales have been good. The sale in Goshen was good for what they had in it. Our Ohio sale was good for a regional sale. Of course the Thoroughbred sales have been good.”

The strong numbers are not exclusive to yearling sales. The industry in general seems to be rebounding after hitting bottom a few years back. Despite a near 3 percent reduction in racing days in 2019, gross U.S. handle and purses are each up over 4 percent.

“There has been a lot of attrition and it seems that we are now on the leading edge to a rebound,” said leading breeder and owner Marvin Katz.

As in 2017 when the first crops of Captaintreacherous and Sweet Lou went up for bids, 2019 features a large contingent of newcomers to the stallion ranks. Yearlings by co-world record holder Always B Miki, Bar Hopping, Southwind Frank, Betting Line, and others, will be available at the sale.

“It’s kind of exciting that we have new sires this year. First-year sires always sell well,” said Magnes.

As vital as the bottom line is to the sale, what makes headlines are sale-toppers. In 2016 Tactical Landing sold for $800,000 at Lexington and back in 2011 Detour Hanover set the all-time record for a Standardbred yearling at $825,000 at Harrisburg. The question looms, could a yearling from 2019 reach those heights? Is a million-dollar Standardbred yearling feasible?

“I don’t think it is that far-fetched,” said Magnes when pitched the million-dollar question. “I don’t like to be that presumptuous that it could happen, but it is a possibility. If you would’ve asked me the year Tactical Landing sold, I didn’t think we would sell one for over $500,000, let alone $800,000, so it would not be beyond the realm of possibility.

“You wouldn’t even be asking the question five years ago, and I’m not sure you would be asking the question if not for Tactical Landing three years ago. I don’t think anyone thought that would happen. Of course, we expected big numbers. The brother to Donato (Hanover) a few years ago brought over $800,000. It is hard to believe Standardbreds could bring that much money, but I’ve been doing this so long that I remember them putting out a list of 2:10 2-year-olds. That was a big list that came out in Hoof Beats at the end of the year. You were always excited when you had one on there. Regardless of what the top one brings, it will be exciting. We are going to sell maybe a couple that will be on the high end for Standardbreds.”

In an opening session packed with pedigree power, it is very difficult to pluck out the standouts of the lot. With a first pass through the 121 entrants, 29 stood out for various reasons to these eyes. Narrowing it down even further, below are my dozen of HIPs to watch on what is sure to be a night to remember as some of the best yearlings available in 2019 go under the hammer.

HIP 9 – MONTEREY JACK

(Always B Miki – Katie Said)

Pennsylvania Eligible

Bay Colt born April 7

Consigned by and raised at Kentuckiana Farms

Colt is the first foal from $506,476 earner Katie Said, a half-sister to 2003 Dan Patch Award winning 2-year-old filly Kikikatie, who produced Rockin Image (1:48 2/5, $901K), Time To Roll (1:48 2/5, $803K), Rockin Amadeus (1:48 4/5, $728K), and a few more. Family has also given us 2018 Dan Patch 3-year-old filly pace champion and millionaires Kissin In The Sand (1:47 4/5). On top of all the maternal accolades, this guy is from the first crop of Always B Miki, the co-fastest pacer in history.

HIP 10 – NASHVILLE ELGENNA

(Always B Miki – Anndrovette)

Pennsylvania Eligible

Bay Filly born February 10

Consigned by and raised at Crawford Farms

This filly is the first foal from four-time Dan Patch and O’Brien winner Anndrovette. On the track, she won over $3.5 million and combined a desire to win with blazing early speed. Pairing one of the best pacing mares in history with Always B Miki doesn’t guarantee a champion, but the possibilities are endless.

HIP 15 – HEYMIKIYOUSOPRETTY

(Always B Miki – Shes Some Treasure)

Pennsylvania and New Jersey Eligible

Bay Filly born March 30

Consigned by Preferred Equine for White Birch Farm

Shes Some Treasure didn’t do much on the track but hit a double with her first foal Odds On St Lucie, who has already won in 1:49 4/5 with seven wins in 18 career starts (as of Sept. 23). Will switching from Sweet Lou to Always B Miki mean this filly will be a Home Run? Second dam gave us the great Captaintreacherous (1:47 1/5, $3.1 million) and there are plenty of other black-types on her page.

HIP 22 – I’LL DRINK TO THAT

(American Ideal – Margarita Monday)

New York and Maryland Eligible

Bay Colt born May 3

Consigned by and raised at Winbak Farms

This guy is one of only nine New York breds on opening night, so you know he must be that good. He’s a full brother to near millionaire Tequila Monday (1:48 4/5) and his maternal line is full of talent – Bolt The Duer ($1.8 million, 1:47 1/5); Shanghai Lil ($1 million, 1:50 1/5).

HIP 39 – MY ABIGAIL

(Bar Hopping – Pleasing Lady)

Pennsylvania and Kentucky Eligible

Bay Filly born February 22

Consigned by and raised at Hunterton

My Abigail is a half-sister to 2018 Dan Patch 3-year-old colt Trotting champion Six Pack (32-17-6-5). He has earned over $1.5 million on the track with a lifetime mark of 1:49 1/5. Maternal line also shows a number of six-figure winners. From the first crop of Bar Hopping, we’ve heard good things about her as well as some of the second-night Bar Hopping yearlings.

HIP 41 – BEACH PARTY

(Somebeachsomewhere – Precocious Beauty)

Pennsylvania and Kentucky Eligible

Bay Colt born May 27

Consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency for Meadow Creek Farm

Precocious Beauty was a star on the track winning $838,004 in three years of racing and seems on her way to new heights as a broodmare. Her first foal won the Kentucky Sire Stakes finals as a 2-year-old and 3-year-old in 2018/19 and has earned $474,873. As impossible as it seems, Precocious Beauty topped her first foal with recent Metro winner Tall Dark Stranger, undefeated in six career starts as a rookie with a lifetime mark of 1:49 1/5. Just to add to the allure here, this family has also produced $1.5 million winner Sportswriter, Dan Patch and O’Brien winning 2-year-old in 2009.

HIP 44 – MAVERICK

(Father Patrick – Designed To Be)

Pennsylvania and Kentucky Eligible

Bay Colt born February 15

Consigned by Kentuckiana Farms for Walco Farms

World champion Designed To Be has one previous foal and you may have heard of him – Greenshoe, the Hambletonian runner-up and already a winner in 1:50 1/5 well before the end of his 3-year-old season. Maverick is a full brother to Greenshoe (14-10-2-0, $968,223, 1:50 1/5) by Father Patrick, who is second among sire in terms of average earnings by 2-year-olds and 3-year-old rankings.

HIP 45 – STONEBRIDGE REEF

(Somebeachsomewhere – Rock N Soul)

Pennsylvania Eligible

Bay Colt born February 16

Consigned by Spring Haven Farm for Stonebridge Farm

When the dust settles on the full brother to Greenshoe bidders will immediately turn their attention to this full brother to Stonebridge Soul, a winner of over $530,000 in less than two years of racing. Stonebridge Reef is out of millionaire Rock N Soul, whose maternal line once gave us Dan Patch-winning filly So Fresh.

HIP 49 – FASTERTHANARUMOR

(Captaintreacherous – Scandalous Hanover)

Pennsylvania and New Jersey Eligible

Bay Filly born May 5

Consigned by Preferred Equine for White Birch Farm

A 1:47 3/5 winner on the track, Scandalous Hanover passed her speed along with her first foal Treacherous Reign, she a winner of over $600,000 with a mark of 1:48 3/5 taken as a 3-year-old. Scrolling down her page you find plenty of black-type performers including double-millionaire Glowing Report from third dam Grand lady.

HIP 68 – ONE ALPHA ONE

(Father Patrick – Mission Brief)

Pennsylvania and Kentucky Eligible

Bay Filly born March 10

Consigned and raised by Hunterton Farm

Get out your checkbooks! This gal is the first foal from $1.59 million winner and two-time Dan Patch champion Mission Brief, a 1:50 3/5 winner at age 2 and 1:50 2/5 winner at 3. Her mom, Southwind Serena, produced 1:50 2/5 winner Tactical Landing, who stood his first year at stud in 2019. If you check out her video, One Alpha One is of good size and certainly sturdy-looking.

HIP 105 – DAMIEN

(Muscle Hill – Danae)

New Jersey and Kentucky Eligible

Brown Colt born March 26

Consigned and raised by Cane Run Farm

Hambletonian Oaks winner Danae has been a killer in the breeding shed having already given us Propulsion, a multiple stakes winner in Europe, Dream Together, a $703K winner stateside, and D’Orsay ($445K). Damien is a full brother to both Propulsion and Dream Together.

HIP 120 – WARRAWEE WHYNOT

(Sweet Lou – Great Memories)

Pennsylvania Eligible

Bay Colt brown April 16

Consigned by Preferred Equine for Warrawee Farm

Great Memories has foaled three sub 1:50 winners and two millionaires including the former fastest-ever Warrawee Needy (1:46 4/5) and the current fastest 2-year-old in history Warrawee Ubeaut, who is still adding to her bankroll (now at over $1.1 million) as a 3-year-old. Warrawee Whynot is a full brother to ‘Ubeaut’ and part of a family that has shown us multiple six-figure winners.