Harness: First crop sires in Ohio creating buzz

First-crop sires always create a buzz going into a fresh auction season. With new foals on the ground and yearlings being prepped for sales, breeders have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to display and market their yet-unproven harness horses to the public. The Ohio Selected Jug Sale on Friday, September 16 at the Pickaway Ag Center will offer 46 colts and fillies by these new and exciting additions to the Ohio-sired landscape.

World Champion Lather Up p,4,1:46 ($1,735,623) leads the pack with the most yearlings offered (21) and up until this year carried the moniker of 'co-fastest Standardbred of all-time.'

Lather Up serviced a full book in his first season while standing at Sugar Valley Farm in Delaware, and manager Joe McLead is very pleased with the stallion's progeny.

"The Lather Up foals that I have seen are great-bodied and have good conformation. They have a powerful look and are intelligent horses," noted McLead.

One cataloged standout is a Lather Up half-brother (Hip# 131) to 2-time Ohio Champion Queen Of The Pride p,4,1:50 2/5f ($787,211), being offered by Hickory Lane Horse Farm.

Another household name around the Buckeye State is Dancin Yankee p,1:47 2/5f ($2,003,907), whose 13 yearlings include eight colts and five fillies. A world champion and three-time Ohio Older Pacer of the Year, Dancin Yankee also bred a full book in his first season.

Still the fastest older pacer on a half-mile track (1:48 4/5), Dancin Yankee stands at Cool Winds Farm in Lima and remains one of the best Ohio-sired harness horses of all-time.

Spring Haven Farm will sell a Dancin Yankee half-sister (Hip# 222) to Mr Wiggle Pants p,4,1:49 4/5 ($483,357), the 2016 Ohio 3-year-old Pacing Colt of the Year.

On the trotting side, Dublin Valley Farms stands Volstead 1:51 3/5f ($773,903), a son of Cantab Hall with seven yearlings making their American debut. His first yearlings sold in Australia earlier in the year, with one individual fetching A$95,000, and topping the sale session.

A Group 1 European champion, Volstead won 23 races, including the prestigious Sweden Cup, and set a season's leading record at Solvalla in 2017.

Walnut Valley Equine sells a Volstead half-sister (Hip# 263) to World Champion Barn Girl 1:52 3/5h ($860,478).

Rounding out the freshmen sires is Bit Of A Legend N p,1:49 4/5h ($2,569,621), who stands at Midland Acres in Bloomingburg. With five colts and fillies being offered, the son of Bettor's Delight won nearly a third of all his starts, winning 53 races lifetime and defeating some of the top older pacers of his era.

Midland Acres will offer a Bit Of A Legend N filly (Hip# 214) that is a half-sister to Rockette Baby p,4,1:50 3/5 ($191,496) and Johnny Rockette p, 4,1:52 1/5h ($138,730), etc.

An online PDF sale catalog for the upcoming annual Ohio Selected Jug Sale is now available on the Ohio Harness Horse Breeders website: https://ohioharnesshorsebreeders.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OSJS.Catalog.Web_.22.pdf which will access the full sale catalog, and can be downloaded for quick viewing.

-edited release (Chris Tully for Ohio Harness Horse Breeders Assoc.)