Harness: Goshen Yearling Sale preview

It is hard to believe that it's yearling time already. The Goshen Yearling Sale, which has become the "kickoff" yearling event up at Mark Ford's training center in Middletown, New York, gets us started on September 14.

Following a quartet of OUTS, 126 of the original 130 yearlings from the catalogue remain. They are from nationally-known consignors like Blue Chip Farms, Cameo Hills Farm, Eric Taddeo, Leatherstocking Equine, Silver Tradition, Sunrise Farm, and Winbak Farm.

A good number of the leading sires are represented, as are familiar New York and Northeastern stallions. Let's look at a few that stand out for me:

HIP 6 PAPI DON'T PREACH

Papi Rob Hanover-She's Allright

It's the only Papi Rob Hanover in the sale, which guarantees plenty of attention. The Sweet Lou dam has a fast record and is from a family with abundant success with Sweet Lou. The full sister is racing and there will be many pulling him out of a stall for a look-see.

HIP 16 YUMYUM EAT EM UP

Cannibal-Sweet Chaos

Cannibal is an accomplished son of current leading sire Sweet Lou and his first-croppers will be well scrutinized. The dam had ability and there's black type all over the page.

HIP 27 KNICKS GO

Cannibal-Wet Your Whistle

Here's one for the New York Knicks fans. It's a Cannibal, himself from a family of successful stallions, stemming from second dam Arterra. The dam showed speed and look at her maternal family through Glowing Report!

HIP 35 ARI'S CANNONBALL

Cannibal-Arianna Grandeo

Another Cannibal from a strong maternal family going back to Must See, the dam of stallion former Pacer of the Year Well Said, among other notables.

HIP 66 WOWWHATAFLIRT

Crazy Wow-Flirtinwiththehelp

Crazy Wow gets them there, and here he can work with a sister to the well-remembered Market Share, whose accomplishments take up a good percentage of the catalog page. If you want a horse that could deliver for years to come, this could be your gal, as many of the Crazy Wow's get better with age, with Chapercraz ($1.1 million) a prime example.

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HIP 69 CORNELL QUEEN

So Surreal-Hailey's Sister

The dam is a sister to perennial New York siring mainstay Huntsville, and the sire So Surreal provides the Somebeachsomewhere blood that produced Huntsville. The Cornell Queen will have her lookers for Cameo Hills.

HIP 76 SPECIAL EDITION

Shadow Play-I'm Just Special

It's a Shadow Play, the sire of world champion Bulldog Hanover, and while we may or may not quite get Bulldog's speed, we should get a racehorse given the production records of the two dams on the catalog page.

HIP 98 CHERIE BLUE CHIP

Cannibal-Major Houlihan

A Cannibal from a strong maternal family, and taking away Bulldog Hanover from the third dam, there's enough to garner plenty of attention. Her lone sibling Barracuda Bluechip showed speed, and you get Massachusetts eligibility, in addition to New York.

HIP 122 SHAYNA

Six Pack-In Your Dreams Deo

A Six Pack filly from a notable maternal family via third dam Bold Dreamer, whose accomplishments take up most of the catalog page. Shayna is New York-sired and eligible, but Six Pack has made plenty of noise nationally with Nordic Catcher a recent Hambletonian winner.

HIP 128 BIGSEXY

So Surreal-America Ferrera

True to his Somebeachsomewhere paternal heritage, So Surreal gets his share of winners, including a world champion in daughter Racine Bell. The maternal line is fine going back to the super-productive third dam Leslie Hanover.

The Goshen Yearling Sale figures to be a good one as it offers the most horses since 2016 when 152 were put up for bids. It is also the first indicator of what we can expect the market to look like in 2026.