The Walner-Swan Hot Mama filly Exile drew a near record-breaking figure to the slam of the hammer to top the 115 yearlings sold during the first session of the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale on Tuesday night (Oct. 5).

Selling as Hip #62 in the session, Exile exited the ring for $800,000 – the fourth-largest auction price for a Standardbred yearling in history and highest ever for a Standardbred filly, besting the previous tag of $725,000 set with the purchase of Kadena (now named Jaya Bae) in 2020. Only Maverick (2019, $1.1 million), Damien (2019, $1 million) and Detour Hanover (2011, $825,000) have sold for more at auction, while Some Terror tied the $800,000 price tag when selling in the 2019 Lexington Selected Sale. Exile, consigned by Diamond Creek Farm, sold to Nancy Takter as agent, who also trains her half-sister Altar (3, 1:50.3M [$210,206]).

“I wish it was a lot less; I wish it was $80,000,” Takter said with a laugh about Exile’s price to the USTA. “I was expecting [$800,000]. That was kind of my limit. Physically, she’s beautiful. She looks actually a lot like Altar, although she’s a Walner instead of Muscle Hill. She’s beautiful.”

Late in the session, Mandrill lured the second-largest price tag of the night when auctioning for $750,000. The Chapter Seven-Steamy Windows filly, consigned by Concord Stud Farm, is a full sister to trotting world champion Gimpanzee (4, 1:50M [$2,792,478]) and New York Sires Stakes champ Iteration (3, 1:53.1S [$750,242]). Marcus Melander, agent for SRF Stable, purchased the filly, selling as Hip #113, and also trained her aforementioned siblings.

“Lennart [Agren of SRF Stable] was very excited about her,” Melander said. “She’s a great-looking filly. I’m very happy to get her home. We knew she was going to be expensive, but we think she’s worth it. She is probably a little bigger than [Gimpanzee] was as a yearling. She’s a gorgeous filly. It’s always a risk buying these expensive horses, but she looks great, she’s got a great pedigree, she looked good on the video, so I’m very excited about her.”

Earthquake Bi (Hip #54) brought a large price when auctioning for $620,000, the third-highest price of the session. Kenneth Jacobs purchased the colt consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency, Inc. who, as a foal from the Muscle Hill mare Dream Child, is a half-sister to Del Miller Memorial winner You Ato Dream (3, 1:52.2f [$520,135]).

Detroit City, consigned by Cane Run Farm and selling as Hip #46, brought the fourth-highest tag of the night when going for $500,000 to Robert Lindstrom signing as agent. The Muscle Hill colt out of 2007 Hambletonian Oaks winner Danae is a full brother to European star Propulsion (4, 1:52.1M [$920,029]), multiple stakes-placed mare Dream Together (4, 1:51.3M [$893,046]) and world champion Dorsay (4, 1:51.4M [$450,683]).

Cyberspace (Hip #105) matched the $500,000 auction tag when selling to Buckstone Livestock LLC. The Walner-Southwind Serena filly, consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency, is a half sister to world champion Mission Brief (3, 1:50.2f [$1,657,399]) and late-season three-year-old star in 2018 Tactical Landing (3, 1:50.2M [$812,300]).

Big bucks fired through the ring throughout the session, with 69 of the yearlings sold going for a six-digit tag. Gross sales through the first session totaled $18,540,000 with an average sale of $161,217, a sizeable increase from 2020’s opening-session gross of $15,237,000 and average sale of $129,127 from 118 yearlings sold. Tuesday's figures mark an overall record for the Lexington Sale, topping the previous record session set in 2019 when 118 yearlings sold for a gross $18,206,000 and an average of $154,288.

IMPORTANT LINKS

• Sortable Sale Roster
• Yearling Sale Catalogue (PDF)
• Outs List
• Sale Results
• Online Bidding (via Proxibid)
• Sale Streaming Video (Active during the sale)