Harness: Ohio stallion trio ready to make some noise in Lexington

One of the most intriguing things about yearling sales is that you never know which first-crop sires will be fashionable and in demand or which will be ignored. At the Ohio Select Sale we were shocked to see Volstead, who had a limited number of foals, set a state-bred record with a $170,000 baby. And while the offspring of Ohio stallions (Downbytheseaside notwithstanding - I think he might be okay) are becoming more common at Lexington, there is not a single Volstead being offered at that prestigious sale.

The high profile first-crop studs this year seem to be Greenshoe on the trotting side (despite the Gural Stakes exclusion rule dinging his offspring a bit) and Captain Crunch on the pacing side. While their progeny will get lots of attention, some very good first-crop stallions may be overlooked. Among those are Lather Up, who stands at Sugar Valley Farms in Ohio, and Courtly Choice and McWicked (although I think his kids will get lots of attention), who both stand at Winbak Farms, in New York and Ontario, respectively.

While the first Courtly Choice yearlings to sell (at the Goshen Yearling Sale on Sept. 12) were all over the place price-wise ($4,500-$39,000), James Ladwig, Winbak's Yearling Manager, believes the dozen going to Lexington will demand top dollar.

"We sent a few to Goshen and did well with most of them," he said. "They might be overlooked on paper, but when anybody sees them, well, they would be remiss if they miss them. They are nice individuals."

On the track, Courtly Choice was a very good racehorse. At 3, he won his elim and the final of the Meadowlands Pace, and his Little Brown Jug elim. At 4, he won the Canadian Pacing Derby, the Commodore Barry at Harrah's Philadelphia, and a leg of the Graduate Series at the Meadowlands. He banked over $1.3 million while taking a mark of 1:47 1/5.

Courtly Choice is by Art Major out of the Camtastic mare Lady Ashlee Ann, so he is well-bred, if not regally-bred. Joe McLead at Sugar Valley Farms has a similar issue with his first-crop stallion Lather Up.

"People will look at his sire [I'm Gorgeous], but Lather Up is a grandson of Bettor's Delight, so he is still pretty well-bred (his dam is the In The Pocket mare Pocket Comb)," said McLead. "I don't think he will get lost at Lexington at all. He was really well supported. George Teague sent something like 30 mares to him and these are quality individuals."

Lather Up was an outstanding racehorse. A World Champion at 2, he won an Ohio Sires Stakes leg at Northfield. At 3, he took his elim and the final of the North America Cup, the final of the Ohio Sires Stakes, his elim of the Little Brown Jug and he finished second in the final of the Breeders Crown. At 4, he won the Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands, the Dan Patch Invitational at Hoosier and the Graduate Series final at the Meadowlands, and that is just part of his résumé. He took a mark of 1:46 while amassing $1.7 million in career earnings.

The public got a first look at Lather Up yearlings at the Ohio Select Sale, where two sold for $50,000 or more and most were in the $20,000-$40,000 range. According to McLead, the individuals going to Lexington are very nice.

"I have a couple of nice ones, but the ones at Lexington are just superior individuals," he said. "And you just never know, there will always be skeptics, but then some pop up that are amazing. Hannelore Hanover was a Swan For All. Bulldog Hanover is a Shadow Play."

Ladwig agreed that pedigree is important, but the quality of the individual is, too. "We have 10-12 each of Courtly Choice and McWickeds and I am really proud of the way those two sires' babies turned out," he said.

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McWicked grossed nearly $5,000,000 in his career while taking a career mark of 1:46 2/5. He was the Dan Patch and O'Brien 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year in 2014 and the Dan Patch and O'Brien Horse of the Year in 2018. He is yet another World Champion.

Asked to pick out a top choice, Ladwig joked that he "doesn't hate any of them," but when pressed he pointed to specifically to McWicked's Ready For Fun, a February filly out of Regally Ready (HIP 346). As to the Courtly Choices, he offered a trifecta of choices:

Courtly Prince (HIP 565) is a February foal, a colt eligible both in New York and Maryland, from the Blissful Hall mare Ruffle's Kiss, a daughter of the great White Ruffles. Courtly Prince is also a half-brother to a pair of six figure earners.

Queen's Castle (HIP 628), the first foal from the Somebeachsomewhere mare Queen Bee Hanover, is an early March foal. Second dam Queen Teen threw a couple of six-figure foals including $774,964 winner UF Dragon's Queen.

Totally Toxic (HIP 681) is a June dual-eligible colt out of the Western Ideal mare She's Poison, who has produced a pair of $200,000 winners so far and from the family of She's A Great Lady.

"The McWicked's are really nice individuals with good size," Ladwig pointed out. "He has some good mares and we are excited."

For McLead, where the horses sell is not always important. Twenty-one Lather Ups sold at the Ohio Select Sale, while 10 will sell at Lexington. "Sometimes it may be that they are dual eligible, or that a consignor has had good luck at a particular sale," said McLead. "I think Lexington people in general are looking more Grand Circuit, not Sires Stakes, but with the Sires Stakes exploding like they are there are a lot of opportunities everywhere."

Selling at Lexington (or Harrisburg) is not a guarantee of success - for the seller or the buyer - as compared to the regional sales, but the top national sales certainly put a yearling in front of more eyes and that means it is more likely a good-looking individual will bring a good price. And as they say, it takes two to tango - all it takes is a couple prospective owners wanting the same horse to drive that horse's price up.

That's it for this month. I won't be betting on anything this month - I bought into two yearlings for myself (so far) and I'm broke. See you next month.