Harness: Plucking some prime prospects from Friday’s Ohio Select Sale

Harness racing will soon turn its attention to Little Brown Jug week, but first all eyes will be on the Pickaway Ag Center in Circleville, Ohio this Friday as buyers will be looking to pluck their next star from the Ohio Selected Jug Yearling Sale.

There are 276 yearlings up for grabs in this year’s sale, up slightly from the 269 that were sold last year. The auction will get underway at 10 am on September 13 with a special “Show Day” on Thursday (Sept. 12).

Last year’s sale grossed $8,276,000 for 269 yearlings sold, resulting in an average of $30,766 per horse. The average price marked a 9.4 percent increase from the 2022 Ohio yearling auction. The median was $25,000.

This year’s sale has plenty to offer for every budget. Here is a look at 15 yearlings that caught our eye and should command attention from bidders:

Hip 8 MAX THE MIGHTY

Sex: Colt

Sire: What The Hill

Dam: Maxine The Mighty

Consignor: Dublin Valley Farm

Max The Mighty should attract plenty of attention early in the sale being the full brother to World Champion The Mighty Hill 4, 1:51 4/5 (15 wins, $497,705, 1:51 4/5). The Mighty Hill was also voted the Ohio 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2021. His dam also produced Petey Sarah, a winner of 8 of 29 races and $84,230 who took a mark of 1:55 1/5.

Hip 20 ROSE RUN BOUNTY

Sex: Filly

Sire: Fear The Dragon

Dam: Mrs American Pie

Consignor: Rose Run Farm

This filly stands out as a half sister to World Champion Rose Run Zane ($273,120, 1:50 4/5), who set the world record at 2 in the Ohio Breeders Championship at Delaware with a scorching 1:51 1/5 wire to wire win. Rose Run Zane has taken nine wins from 22 starts to date. She was fast early, taking an Ohio Sires Stakes event in 1:51 3/5 at Scioto Downs in just her fourth start. The dam also produced two others that earned more than $200,000 – American Rock (42 wins, $352,803, 1:51 3/5) and American Influence (20 wins, $230,368, 152 4/5)

Hip 22 NACHOMAMA SUMMA

Sex: Filly

Sire: Summa Cum Laude

Dam: Nachomama Bluechip

Consignor: Midland Acres

This filly is by a son of the great Somebeachsomewhere and his first crop will hit the racetrack in 2025. Her dam produced two winners from three foals so far including The Fear Is Real (16 wins, $186,619, 1:50 3/5). What really catches the eye here is the maternal line, specifically the production of the second dam who produced three winners of more than $500,000 topped by millionaires 2012 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year Heston Blue Chip and Sunfire Blue Chip.

Hip 30 FIRE OFF

Sex: Colt

Sire: Catch The Fire

Dam: Off To Win

Consignor: Trackside Farm and Martz Creek Farm

This colt will surely attract attention being the first foal out of a half-sister to World Champion Funknwaffles (29 wins, $1,100,600, 1:49 2/5). The dam, who took a mark of 1:53 1/5 at 3, is a half-sister to two that posted sub-1:50 winning miles – Poker Hat, who was a 1:49 4/5 winner at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 2009, and Walkin On Sunshine, who took her mark of 1:49 1/5 this August at Hoosier Park.

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Hip 51 DIOSA DE LA DANZA

Sex: Filly

Sire: Dancin Yankee

Dam: Queen Ann M

Consignor: Anvil And Lace Farm

Here is your chance to buy the half-sister to the fastest 2-year-old in harness racing history. This filly is related to Sippinonsearoc, who on August 13 paced to a 1:48 2/5 win at The Red Mile in the Kentucky Sires Stakes. The Downbytheseaside son has taken four wins from six starts and has paced sub-1:50 miles in his last three starts.

Hip 55 AUNT SARA

Sex: Filly

Sire: Uncle Peter

Dam: Missive

Consignor: Dublin Valley Farm

Here is the Uncle Peter half-sister to Ohio Sires Stakes stalwart Tennessee Tom, who took 11 wins at 2 and 3, highlighted by a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes final in 1:55 1/5 at Scioto Downs. Tennessee Tom also finished 2nd in the Mohawk Million to TCI and in the $150,000 Next Generation Stakes on debut, by a head to Spaaaazano, who has gone on to earn more that half a million dollars to date.

Hip 66 JELTA

Sex: Filly

Sire: In Range

Dam: Schlim Schlamma

Consignor: Trackside Farm and Martz Creek Farm

Here is an opportunity to acquire the half-sister to World Champion Jet Hill (12 wins at 2 and 3, $546,525, 1:51 4/5)

In June of 2023, Jet Hill delivered a world record performance at Northfield Park when he won a leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes in 1:52 2/5 to become the fastest 3-year-old trotting gelding on a half-mile track. In six starts at 2, Jet Hill notched four wins and two seconds, finishing off his season with a second-place finish in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship.

Hip 93 Who Dat Hottie

Sex: Colt

Sire: Summa Cum Laude

Dam: Sweet Camille

Consignor: Midland Acres

This colt is an interesting prospect being the first living foal out of Sweet Camille, whose mom was World Champion Camille (37 wins, $1,276,532, 1:48 3/5). Camille, who equaled the World Record for aged pacing mares on a 5/8ths mile track with a 1:48 3/5 mile at Tioga in the Artiscape Stakes in 2013, herself produced three winners of more than $100,000. Of those, Camerican earned $458,891 from six wins and finished third in the 2023 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

Hip 104 TS Cody

Sex: Colt

Sire: Catch The Fire

Dam: Time Sensitive

Consignor: Marvin Raber Farms

This Catch The Fire colt is the first foal from a daughter of World Champion Cam’s Valentine. That mare was a stalwart on the racetrack, taking 61 wins and 62 other shares from 193 starts while earning $388,654. She also produced an impressive five six-figure winners.

Hip 117 Siggie

Sex: Colt

Sire: Ready For Moni

Dam: Victory Treasure

Consignor: Winterwood Farm

Here is a chance to own a dual-eligible (Ohio and Kentucky) half-brother to top Ohio sire and World Champion Uncle Peter ($1,290,660, 13 wins, 1:50 3/5). Uncle Peter has sired two millionaires, It’s Academic and Refined.

Hip 119 Vinita Vinita

Sex: Filly

Sire: Volstead

Dam: Vida De Vie

This filly is another Ohio and Kentucky eligible who is a half-sister to Breeders Crown winner Winndevie ($787,682, 12 wins, 1:53). She is by a sire that made a splash with his first two crops producing $760,753 earner Sugar Instead, who to date has won 16 of her first 20 starts and only missed the board once in a race where she broke stride. He also sired Jurassic Hattie ($416,568, 9 wins, 1:52 3/5), who kicked off her career with an emphatic 3 1/2-length win in the $150,000 Next Generation Stakes.

Hip 124 Sum Kind Of Fire

Sex: Colt

Sire: Summa Cum Laude

Dam: Wildfire Princess

Consignor: Weaver Standardbred Farm

This black colt is a half-brother to four that won in 1:51 4/5 or faster, highlighted by $246,460 earner Seafire, who took a mark of 1:48 winning the #Senditin Stakes at Scioto Downs this August. The dam also produced Banderbear ($231,044, 25 wins, 1:49 4/5), Prince Giovanni ($213,044, 21 wins, 1:51 4/5) and Prsntpretynperfect ($206,051, 10 wins, 1:51 2/5).

Hip 147 Divvy It Up

Sex: Filly

Sire: In Range

Dam: Annapolis

Consignor: Hickory Lane Farm

This filly is the half-sister to World Champion and 2023 Dan Patch Trotter of the Year It’s Academic ($2,544,333, 32 wins, 1:50 1/5), who continues to make an impact at age 7, winning the Spirit of Massachusetts and the Tom Aldrich President’s Trot this year so far. Divvy It Up’s dam has also produced $93,260 winner I’ll Annie Up, who recorded six wins at ages 2 and 3, highlighted by a win in the $62,000 Ohio Breeders Championship at Delaware.

Hip 186 Rose Run Bang

Sex: Colt

Sire: Long Tom

Dam: Rose Run Keepsake

Consignor: Rose Run Farm

This colt will no doubt attract attention being a half-brother to the two-time Ohio Trotting Filly of the Year Rose Run Yolanda ($737,953, 12 wins at 2 and 3, 1:53). Rose Run Yolanda was stellar right out of the blocks at 2, reeling off six straight wins after finishing 2nd on debut (after recovering from an early break), culminating with a victory in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship. She repeated in that final at 3.

Hip 273 Chewbacca Beach

Sex: Colt

Sire: Bring On The Beach

Dam: Its Chewbacca

Consignor: Spring Haven Farm

This colt should get a look from bidders late in the sale being a full-brother to Heart Of Chewbacca ($409,690, 13 wins, 1:48 4/5). Heart Of Chewbacca compiled a record of five wins and two seconds from seven starts at 2, including a win in the Ohio Breeders Championship at Delaware.

The Ohio Selected Jug Sale will look to keep on building on last year’s momentum where a record for gross sales was achieved and there is plenty of quality in this sale to top last year’s number.

How to register to bid online

Now is the time to register with CCI.live for online bidding for this Friday’s (Sept. 13) Ohio Selected Jug Sale, being held at the Pickaway Ag Center, Centerville, OH. Over 270 of the State of Ohio’s finest yearlings are being offered at the annual event, which will begin at 10:00 am.

To register for the Ohio Selected Jug Sale, click here.

The process is simple. Register, watch the auction and press the bid button. That’s it.

Rest assured this is a “phone bidding” application through the internet. The online platform CCI.live does not make settlement, or collect funds for horses, or charge a fee. As always, successful bidders will pay the sales office for their purchases.