The 2025 edition of the London Classic Yearling Sale is scheduled for this coming Tuesday and Wednesday (October 14-15) with a special showing day on Monday. There are more than 300 yearlings in the catalog and plenty of hope for buyers to find a future Ontario-bred champion that succeeds both in the provincial program and beyond. There is clear justification for the beyond part of the sentence given the enormous talent coming out of Ontario, with this year's Metro Pace champion - the undefeated Beau Jangles - a prime example. Whether the next Beau Jangles or Grand Circuit-capable trotter or pacer emerges from this year's selection is anybody's guess, but sales manager Greg Blanchard is enthusiastic. "This is the fourth year we're hosting the sale," said Blanchard, who represents the Western Fair Association. "From unsolicited comments I've received this is probably the best catalog we've had." The original group measured 305 but Blanchard expects a number closer to 290 to go through the ring on consecutive days and feels the 2025 edition has something for everybody. "There's a high percentage of Ontario-sired trotters and pacers," Blanchard said. "But there's plenty of horses with U.S. pedigrees. We've got Greenshoe, Downbytheseaside, Stay Hungry and Captain Corey sprinkled in." The diversity is a major component to the London Classic Sale, and Blanchard is hoping that it will lead to more buyers. "I think a lot of owners from the States have recognized it's more economical to race in the Ontario program," said Blanchard, obviously pointing out a lower cost to train and race, combined with a stakes program that allows horses of varied talent to maximize earnings while not having to ship far or often to do so. The emergence of pacing stallions Cattlewash and Bulldog Hanover this year, both based in Ontario, is a vital cog in the London sale and one of the reasons there is plenty of optimism. "Cattlewash has already proven himself with just a few crops," said Blanchard. "Bulldog Hanover's first crop has done well and that was from a limited group." It's not just pacing stallions when you look towards Ontario. The top older trotter in North America – Lexus Kody – is by Archangel, a stallion that has improved with every crop and has solid representation in this auction. Green Manalishi S has put up great numbers from his first two crops, with a decent number from his third in this sale. Muscle Mass is another veteran stallion with pedigree and proven performance as the sire of three $1 million winners, topped by the world champion and current stallion Six Pack, as well as the top-notch Ontario filly Adare Castle. New to Ontario this year and already getting rave reviews from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale is King Of The North. A son of one of trotting's most dominant stallions Walner, King Of The North's Breeders Crown victory as a sophomore at Woodbine Mohawk Park was an epic performance and likely led to his standing in the province. A carryover in enthusiasm from the Kentucky sale could be expected in London next week, with enough colts and fillies to look at and bid on cataloged. Over the years much has changed in the horse sales business, and the London Classic is doing its best to move and benefit from technology. Online bidding has become a staple and London's sale is no exception. "We've seen an increase in the number of people signing up to bid online and the number of bids from year-to-year," said Blanchard. "What's interesting is what we've noticed is that the attendance for the sale live is much stronger on the first day than the second day. What has happened is that many of those people can't stay for two days but instead decide to bid remotely on the second day." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter As with all technology not all parties are early adapters, but what is obvious is that time is valuable to all horsemen, especially during this time of year. "The sale is sandwiched between the Ontario Super Finals and the Breeders Crown eliminations," said Blanchard. "There's a lot of buzz up here and we're excited about that." Last year Blanchard and many others were able to select one horse from the auction that was likely to be a sale-topper and they nailed it. This year that doesn't appear to be the case. "I'd say there are as many as 15 horses I could look at from pedigree to their videos that could be the topper," said Blanchard. There were a few notable trotters in the auction that Blanchard did touch upon with HIP 35, selling Tuesday, one that came to mind. Im Just JD is a Muscle Mass-sired colt and half-brother to this year's outstanding juvenile filly Flowing Tribute, herself already a four-time Ontario Sire Stakes Gold winner. HIP 51 Twin B Kingsley is a filly from the first crop of King Of The North consigned by Twinbrook Farms. She's a half-sister to the outstanding Twin B Archie ($634K lifetime earnings), as well as a half-sister to Twin B Seven Sins, a daughter of Chapter Seven racing in Saturday's $250,000 Big Apple Trot at Vernon Downs following a strong 1:55 4/5 effort in capturing his elimination this past Saturday (October 4). HIP 53 Cote D Ivoire is another filly with solid looks and a more impressive pedigree page. She's by Archangel and is a full sister to the $1.1 million winner Fashion Frenzie, the 2021 O'Brien Award winner as the top 3-year-old trotting colt or gelding of that year. Winbak Farms is once again a prominent player in Ontario and a strong supporter of the London Classic auction. Farm manager Pat Woods senses an increased energy and interest in the group he'll be sending. "We've got 42 in and that's what I'm expecting to bring to the sale," said Woods. "There is a lot going on with the big races in the coming weeks, but I've gotten a lot of calls from horsemen inquiring about our yearlings," said Woods. "I definitely think this is the best group of horses that have sold at this sale judging from the interest I'm seeing." While Winbak has a wide array of top trotting and pacing yearlings, there were a couple of notables worth singling out. "We've got a brother to the Peaceful Way champion Sugar Packet by My MVP," said Woods, referring to HIP 302 Yankee Proud, a HIP number near the end of the sale but obviously one people will either want to wait around to bid on, or as Blanchard suggested, go online to get the job done. The dam of Yankee Proud is Sugarcane Yankee, a half-sister to the $1.4 million winner Strong Yankee that has already produced four horses with earnings more than $100K. Those staying late on Tuesday also could purchase another Winbak standout. "We've got a Cattlewash filly from a mare that won over a half-million," said Woods, referring to HIP 146, a filly named Double Hot Paddy. From the 35-race winner Hope For Paddy, this filly is the first cross the mare has had with a Somebeachsomewhere-line stallion and that could be the difference in elevating her stature as a broodmare. Hope For Paddy's full sister Machnhope had 37 career wins and more than $657K in career earnings. On a broader scale, Winbak, with a wide breadth of stallions to choose from, has one of the most diverse catalogs at the London Classic sale and literally something for everyone.