Trainers Andrew Harris and Ake Svanstedt purchased four of the top five sellers during the second session of the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale on Tuesday afternoon at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion. Harris, as agent for owner William Pollock, went to $550,000 to take HIP 267 Naughty Beauty, a Bettor's Delight filly consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency as agent. She is the third foal out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Beautyonthebeach [1:49 2/5, $540,428], a half-sister to former Horse of the Year and double millionaire Tall Dark Stranger. Svanstedt got HIP 201 Jennifer Palema for owner Bender Sweden at $425,000. Jennifer Palema, a filly from the final crop of the late sire Bar Hopping and consigned by Kentuckiana Farms, is a full sister to $627,733 earner and 1:50 4/5 performer Johan Palema. Jennifer Palema was bred by Kentuckiana Farms with Bender Sweden, which is now fully operated by Ove Bender following the passing of his father Karl-Erik Bender two years ago. "It's our mare, and we know what has come from that family. We were very interested, and we have been breeding together with Kentuckiana Farms. We have 50 percent of the mare from the beginning," offered Ove Bender. "We wanted to look at the horse first, of course, but for me, this was a horse we should buy. We have 50 percent of another horse here that Ake has bought, but we were looking at more on day three. We always come over here and buy some more, and we have been in this business here for many, many years." Another Bar Hopping filly Che Bella went to the Harris/Pollock team for $400,000, and then Svanstedt snagged Rambo Hanover for $385,000. Che Bella, who was HIP 149 and consigned by Kentuckiana Farms as agent, is the first foal out of a half-sister to $1,434,335 earner Bond. Rambo Hanover, a Muscle Hill colt who was HIP 179, was consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms, and his third dam Brooklyn has produced the likes of Hidalgo, this year's Peter Haughton Memorial runner-up. Breaking up the Harris/Svanstedt dominance in the top five was HIP 261 Aperfect Tillie at $360,000 to Armitage Farm. Consigned by Peninsula Farm Inc. as agent, Aperfect Tillie, a Googoo Gaagaa filly, is a full sister to Aperfect Annie, who won the Kentucky Championship Series final for 2-year-old filly trotters at The Red Mile last month. Bulldog Hanover, harness racing's all-time fastest horse, got a big ticket when his son Dax Seelster (HIP 299) was sold for $350,000 to Brad Grant, who co-owned Bulldog Hanover during his racing career. "I have a couple of colts, but this guy I really, really liked. He reminded me so much of the big guy. I was pretty determined that I was going to get him," Grant stated. "(Bulldog Hanover) throws a good colt. He's a good-looking horse himself and he's carrying that forward. We'll see what happens. “When somebody told me who was bidding underneath me, no (I wasn't surprised at the price). Luc (Blais) picks a good horse out, too, and Mr. Godin (Serge Godin of the Determination stable) is committed to the business, too. I think if they'd have gone one more I might have not gotten him. I wish they had gone a few less actually.” ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Dax Seelster, who was bred by Seelster Farms in Ontario, was consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing, Inc. as agent. David Reid operates Preferred Equine Marketing, which is currently the top consignor by gross and he is also co-manager of the sale, giving him a pair of feathers in his cap. "We say it all the time, we're privileged to represent a lot of great breeders and a lot of great people and they've been clients for a long time," Reid offered about Preferred Equine Marketing's success. "I think we have a strategic edge with that because it's probably a little more boutique-ish breeders and when people come to our consignment they're looking at a whole bunch of horses from boutique breeders that are in one area. I think it gains a lot of momentum and makes our job to expose the horses to other clients and to prospective purchasers. It's been our story forever. We've been doing it for a long, long time, just very fortunate to be in that situation." The average through two days of $129,265 is on a record pace, and the second session was up marginally (.5%), though the gross is down a bit as fewer horses have been offered thus far. "We're very happy, I haven't had time to digest it thoroughly, but it feels like the trotters are holding up very well," Reid said. "I see a lot of Europeans here. You have dominant sires on the trotting side, let's face it. Walner, Chapter Seven, Muscle Hill, they're still pretty much dominant. I thought the Captain Coreys came in here today and I thought they represented themselves very well. "For the depth of the market, there's so much diversity with the pacing sires right now. It creates, I don't want to say a buyers' market, but it creates more opportunities for a more cross-section buyer.  Obviously gross and average are in line with last year's, which was a record, which was a record over the year before. Obviously, it shows great strength in the marketplace and it shows great strength in the product we're bringing here. We've been saying it all along, the quality of our catalog and the diversity in the sire power, it's matching up to what we expected. You always hope this is going to happen, but you have to be realistic as well." Reid also doesn't see the market levelling off either and added that the sale should be seen as a positive by all members of the harness racing community. "Our sale is just one of two major sales in the industry. You have your regional sales. At the end of the year, you've kind of got to go back and recapture everything. Look at the regional sales and look at the major sales and really take a global perspective," Reid explained about his philosophy. "I think for the industry to be able to come down here and you feel the energy, you see the people in-person, you see the horses; I'm not saying (the industry) needs a boost, but it's a great sign. It's a great indicator the business is well. I think for all the participants, it has to be a positive indicator coming out of here, and we're only through day two." The sale rolls along on Wednesday with HIPs 367 through 588 going through the ring starting at 1 p.m. (EDT). --quotes by Derick Giwner--