Harness: Ohio Selected Jug Sale lures big-name consignors

The 2019 edition of the Ohio Selected Jug Sale is coming up on Friday (September 13) at the Brave Horse Show Park in Johnstown, and not only will Buckeye State-based sellers be on hand to offer their yearlings, but so will the top two operations by wins and earnings in the sport in Hanover Shoe Farms and Winbak Farm.

Hanover is coming off an Ohio Super Night at Northfield Park where their Elver Hanover won the 2-year-old colt and gelding pace final and Big Box Hanover was second in the rookie colt and gelding trot. They will be looking to build on their success with a consignment of 15 individuals.

"The past two years we've had 37 Hanover Ohio-bred horses that we've sold, and of the 37, six of them made the finals, and I think that a pretty good percentage. We do really well out there with a limited offering,” said Hanover Executive Vice President Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky. “We're pretty well-represented in Ohio, even though we have a much bigger presence in Pennsylvania, our Ohio-bred yearlings do really well. We won the 2-year-old colt pace final with Elver Hanover, who is undefeated all four legs and the final, and were second with Big Box Hanover.

"It's always kind of been Hanover's position, so to say, that we want to be able to offer horses for all people. We want to have a very broad customer base, so we try to get involved in as many states and jurisdictions as we can. We breed to a multitude of sires. We're very bullish on Ohio. We bought shares in Downbytheseaside, so we bred mares to him, and we've also bred mares to Fear The Dragon. We're going to continue our support of Ohio."

Dr. Jablonsky is one of the co-owners of Elver Hanover, giving her a perspective on the Ohio program as both a breeder and an owner, and she came away very pleased with what she saw this year.

"On a personal level, I've been quite impressed both times that I've gone out there this year to watch the races. There's a lot of money, and people are enthusiastic," she stated. "I went to one leg and I went to the final, and I felt like the track and the Ohio Sires Stakes program couldn't do enough for the owners and for the people that were there watching the races. They did a really nice job.”

In contrast to Hanover, Winbak is making their maiden voyage into Ohio, offering up a group of seven for sale. Their pacers are by Well Said, and their trotters are by My MVP, who Winbak is now standing in Ontario.

"The program looks good. You can't deny it's a good, solid program, and the sales results have been real strong,” remarked Jim Ladwig, Yearling Manager at Winbak. “We have some nice Ohio-bred yearlings and we thought that was the place to sell them.”

Hanover will have a couple of fillies selling from the first crop of former Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Pace champion Racing Hill, and trotters by Uncle Peter, who was the winning sire in this year’s Ohio Sires Stakes 2-year-old colt trot championship with Action Uncle.

"It's a solid group. It's similar to what we have been bringing,” Dr. Jablonsky said of the Hanover consignment. “All three of the trotters videoed very well. They're all Uncle Peters, they all have more than enough maternal pedigree to be quite good in Ohio, and they're all nice-looking horses. Uncle Peter has had a very solid year, so I'm pretty happy that we're going with them. (HIP 92 - Replica Hanover) is very interestingly-bred and he has a great video. He's the first foal out of a Donato Hanover mare (Reflection Hanover) that had a really good 2-year-old record, and she's out of Remarkable Image, who was 2-year-old Trotting Filly of the Year in Canada, so that colt has a really good pedigree.

“I think we have a very strong group of pacing fillies. We have two Racing Hills - one is out of a mare that's just been terrific, Western Duel. She's been a really, really solid mare. The other one is also out of a very good mare in Boldnbrash Hanover who has sold yearlings for up to $350,000 in the past. Both of those fillies have a ton of pedigree, and they're both big, good-looking fillies."

Among the Winbak yearlings are HIP 138 Drinkinnotthinkin, a filly who is out Troubled Escape (Artiscape). Troubled Escape’s dam is the Hall of Fame broodmare Arl’s Troublemaker, and Troubled Escape’s first foal Breakout Session has raced well in the Excelsior A Series in New York this year with a win, a second, and three thirds in six starts. They also have the likes of HIP 209 Current Yield. A trotting colt, his dam Current Yield (Like A Prayer) has thrown two six-figure yearlings in Odessa and Triple Bottom Line with Delaware-based stallions Crown Prince Gar and CR Commando.

"They're a nice group. (HIP 138) is a nice filly, and I like her a lot too. She's racy and sharp, nice and wide under the jaw,” offered Ladwig. “(HIP 209) is a good-sized, good-looking colt. He's long and racy-looking."

The Ohio Selected Jug Sale is a one-day event, and it is scheduled to begin at 11 A.M. There are 248 yearlings catalogued, with three current outs (HIPs 55, 103, and 210).

Others to watch:

HIP 30 Tsavo Hill (Racing Hill-Lioness Hanover) - consigned by Hickory Lane Horse Farm, this colt is a half-brother to Ohio Sires Stakes champion Queen Of The Pride and multi-time stakes winner Roaring To Go.

HIP 56 Cowboy Charlie (Broadway Hall-Cynthia Iliad) - Midland Acres is selling this trotting colt, whose full brother Homer Hall captured the Ohio Sires Stakes consolation for 3-year-olds on Saturday night at Scioto Downs. He’s also a half-brother to six-figure earner Allthatnabagofchip, and the dam is a former Ohio Horse of the Year.

HIP 65 Triple M (Pet Rock-Nachomama Bluechip) - from the Midland Acres consignment, this filly is the first foal out of the dam, a Rock N Roll Heaven half-sister to millionaires Heston Blue Chip and Sunfire Blue Chip.

HIP 68 Bank Examiner (Uncle Peter-Examination) - another one from Hickory Lane, Bank Examiner is an Uncle Peter half-sister to millionaire Costa Rica and also to six-figure earner Scream And Shout.

HIP 141 Triumphant Holiday (Triumphant Caviar-Venice Holiday) - agent LMN Bred Stables, Inc. has this trotting colt to offer. Triumphant Caviar sired the winner of the Ohio Sires Stakes champion in the 2-year-old filly trot group this year in Kikimora, and Triumphant Holiday is a half-brother to millionaire Define The World, an O’Brien Award winner in Canada in 2008.