Harness: Walner stallion share sells for $750,000 at Standardbred Horse Sale

The lone Walner stallion share available at the Standardbred Horse Sale, HIP 1052, sold for $750,000 to not only lead today's first of two mixed sale sessions but the event overall.

The share was offered by Preferred Equine Marketing and was purchased by Patty Key, the widow of the late Robert J. Key.

The highest-priced horse on Thursday was HIP 1200 I D Diana NO, who was purchased by Euro Stall SE for $225,000. Also consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing, the 5-year-old Andover Hall mare is a sister to Dunk The Donato, the dam of Plunge Blue Chip, Splash Blue Chip, and Threepointbluechip. She was sold barren.

Selling for $215,000 was HIP 1056 Southwind Frank, who had been a Pennsylvania-based stallion for Diamond Creek Farm. Burke Racing Stable, who was part of the ownership group of Southwind Frank when he was 2 and 3, purchased Southwind Frank, and according to reports from Chris Tully and Ray Cotolo, Southwind Frank, a 9-year-old Muscle Hill stallion, will resume training in the Burke Brigade.

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Rounding out the top five at $205,000 were HIPs 1102 Honor Thy Daughter and 1624 Unexpected Gift, both consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing. Honor Thy Daughter, an 11-year-old Donato Hanover mare who is the grand-dam of this year's Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot champion Special Way, was acquired by Kentuckiana Farms, and Unexpected Gift, a 4-year-old Cantab Hall mare who is a sister to $1.2 million-plus earner Spider Blue Chip, went to Michelle Crawford. Honor Thy Daughter was last bred to Muscle Hill and Unexpected Gift to Walner.

The gross for 273 lots today was $10,154,000 and the average was $37,194. These numbers are down from last year ($13,565,000 / $44,330), but it should be noted that 306 horses/stallion shares sold on Thursday in 2021. The average is on par with 2019 ($37,869 for 329 horses/stallion shares).

2022's Standardbred Horse Sale concludes tomorrow with HIPs 1300-1553 in the main catalog and 1650-1655 in the supplement book available for purchase. Full results and other details on the sale are available here.