Harness: Plenty of future stakes stars available at Timonium on Day 3

After a lifetime of knowing every nuance, nook and cranny at The Farm Show arena in Harrisburg, the scene now shifts to Timonium, Maryland, which was probably equidistant from Perretti Farms as one would simply take I95 South to the Baltimore beltway then head slightly west.

Knowing operations director Dale Welk, a sure fire Hall Of Famer in my book, I'd imagine things will go smoothly in Maryland as the facility itself is no stranger to quality horse sales, so that part should be fine.

There are plenty of hotels and watering holes in the vicinity as well, and the populace will soon figure out just where they want to hang out during the off hours.

As usual, day three features those considered less desirable by the individual consignors and sales company officials. However, it doesn't mean that there's not a host of quality prospects just waiting to get inspected. As one can readily discern from those track programs that do include yearling sales numbers, there is no shortage of modestly-priced colts and fillies making the finals in many major stakes races. Consequently, they were there to be had assuming one paid final-day attention, as that's where many of them were initially assigned.

Let's look at a few:

HIP 498 TORAH BLUE CHIP

Here's a third-day filly with a first-day pedigree from the outstanding Katie's Lucky Lady tribe renowned for getting quality fillies. She's Ohio eligible by Downbytheseaside and every bit as well-bred as those by that sire that sold so well in Ohio. The dam Lotsa Matzah is a full sister to stallions Heston Blue Chip and Sunfire Blue Chip and there's the brilliant Kikikatie right on the pedigree page. There is no way I would miss looking at this 'Buckeye' lady from Blue Chip Farms.

HIP # 583 L DEES FLASH DANCE

This is an A Rocknroll Dance colt perfectly positioned 4x3 to Western Hanover from a Well Said sister to the brilliant Captain Crunch, from Sweet Lou's sister Sweet Paprika. There's plenty of pacing power close up on the catalog page and this young lad deserves some scrutiny, It won't be a shocker if he's more than "just a nice colt".

HIP 596 TALLY HO BLUE CHIP

Here's a similar story to #498 except she's Ontario eligible rather than Ohio. Her sire Sunshine Beach, by Somebeachsomewhere, has performed well north of the border and there's that super-filly family with the American Ideal dam Onassis Blue Chip being a full sister to Heston Blue Chip and Sunfire Blue Chip. While I'm at the Blue Chip consignment, I'd ask them to stand the "two sisters in blood" close to each other for comparison purposes.

HIP # 633 TRIUMPHANTBLUECHIP

Since I'd already be at the Blue Chip consignment looking at well-bred fillies, it would make sense to have them get her primped and ready to be shown. She's a Roll With Joe, who does well in New York, and the dam is a Somebeachsomewhere sister to Fabrice Hanover, with the next dam being the remarkable Grand Lady. There's black-type galore on this page and 'Triumphant' is well worth looking at.

HIP # 649 FLUENT LOU

He's a Sweet Lou from a Rocknroll Hanover sister to the great Stienams Place. We're starting to see a lot of productive horses from Rocknroll Hanover mares lately as his better-bred ones have some of age. Spring Haven Farms always turn out a good product and I'll be looking at 'Lou' regardless of how fluent he is in horse-eese or whatever language he speaks.

HIP # 700 THX AGAIN BLUECHIP

Is this an endorsement piece for Blue Chip Farms? Not really, but it is an acknowledgement of the superior maternal lines they've acquired along the way and here's a New York eligible by Huntsville whose first crop sold noticeably well in Lexington. Huntsville is by "Somebeach" who is proving a sire of sires and the dam Exclamation is a three-quarter sister to Rocklamation, whose Captaintreacherous daughter Rocknificent has been prominent the last two seasons.

HIP # 732 HARRY HANOVER

A Roll With Joe first foal of Holla Hanover, a Well Said daughter of Hattie who takes up the rest of the catalog page with her abundant number of quality performers, including Holborn Hanover by Roll With Joe's sire Cam's Card Shark. You ignore first foals of super producers like Hattie at your own risk and Harry Hanover might do just fine as a New York Sires Stakes type.

HIP # 759 BLUES BAR

Who doesn't love a good Blues Bar, especially when Bar Hopping! That first-crop Muscle Hill stallion has shown rather well with his initial offerings thus far. The dam Kentucky Bluebird is a daughter of the well- remembered million-dollar-plus-winning mare Fern, and like many daughters of those amazons, is eligible to throw a good one at any point. Blues Bar is worth a look.

HIP # 801 COVENANT WOMAN

I'm familiar with this family having bred, sold and repurchased McGibson when she was carrying Boston Red Rocks, by Rocknroll Hanover. So we take 'Red Rock's' Somebeachsomewhere sister McGibson Beach and breed her to Rocknroll Hanover's successful son A Rocknroll Dance and who knows what we might wind up with. I know I'd look.

While nobody totally knows what to expect at Timonium, the other sales have been good and there's ample quality here. In addition, the offsite phone bidding has worked fine thus far and our Canadian cousins, who traditionally drive to Harrisburg, won't find it that much longer to reach Timonium.