The 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale wrapped up with Downbytheseaside offspring in demand during the fifth session on Friday evening, Oct. 6 at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky.
 
Highway Boy, Hip 890, topped the final sale session, selling for $150,000. The highest bidder was Country Club Acres of Findlay, Ohio. Consigned by All American Harnessbreds, the Downbytheseaside colt out of the Western Ideal mare, Blazing Yankee, is a half-brother to Grand Circuit stakes winners Hurrikane Kingcole ($580,102 - 1:47.3) and Hurricane Beach ($181,637 - 1:49.4f).

Johnny Smash, Hip 970, was a $135,000 purchase by Erv Miller, acting as agent for Doug Overhiser of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania. Consigned by Kentuckiana Farms, the colt is also sired by Downbytheseaside and is out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare, Cinnamon Girl. Johnny Smash is a half-brother to sub-1:50 sophomore pacer David Allan Whoa.

Ballistic, Hip 964, was purchased for $115,000 from the Diamond Creek consignment by David Kapp of Poland, Ohio. The Downbytheseaside-Shocking Beauty colt is a full brother to multiple Ohio stakes winner Sling Shock ($392,722 - 1:49.3h)

Downbythewater, Hip 961, garnered a bid of $110,000 from Jodi Schillaci of Macedonia, Ohio. Consigned by All American Harnessbreds, the Downbytheseaside colt is out of the Grand Circuit stakes-winning mare Pirouette Hanover, also the dam of Alexa Skye ($438,019 - 1:49.4f) and Macadoodledoo ($388,219 - 1:49.4f).

Rounding out the top priced yearlings that sold for six-figures during Friday's session were three more Downbytheseaside offspring, each going for $102,000.

Kapp bought both Taiyaki, Hip 912, and Billion, Hip 938. The former is a filly from the Crawford Farms consignment out of Taiya Hanover, a half-sister to double millionaires and Breeder Crown champions American Jewel and Luck Be Withyou, and the latter, a colt out of Western Drag consigned by Diamond Creek, is a full brother to Ohio champion and Breeders Crown runner-up Gulf Shores ($653,270 - 1:50.3f).

Also consigned by Diamond Creek, Pelican Al, Hip 918, a colt out of Stipple Hanover and a half-brother to multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner Charlie May ($2,024,177 - 1:47.1), was purchased by The Stable of Macdeonia, Ohio.

The fifth session featured 134 yearlings with gross sales totalling $4,457,500 for an average price of $33,265, down from $35,174 last year.

Over the course of the five-day sale, a total of 949 yearlings sold for $67,916,300, a new high for the sale, up by four per cent. The previous high for gross sales of $65,289,000 was set last year when 886 yearlings passed through the ring. The average yearling price of $71,566 was down approximately 2.9 per cent from the 2022 average of $73,690.

Yearlings from the first crop of Gimpanzee had the highest average throughout the five-day sale with 21 selling for an average price of $168,238. His stallion, Chapter Seven, led for gross sales ($7,578,000) and ranked second for average price with 56 yearlings selling for an average of $135,321. Among the top three for average price was Walner with 48 yearlings selling for an average of $128,979.

Captaintreacherous was the leading pacing stallion with an average price of $114,854 for his 48 yearlings. The first crops of Tall Dark Stranger ($92,483 average, 60 yearlings) and Papi Rob Hanover ($86,629, 35) also attracted interest from buyers as they rounded out the top three for average by a pacing stallion. Tall Dark Stranger had the highest gross sales on the pacing side ($5,549,000), just $36,000 more than Captaintreacherous.

For recaps of the each session, click here.

IMPORTANT LINKS

• Sale Roster
• Sale Catalogue (PDF)
• Catalogue Corrections & Updates (PDF)
• Outs List
• Online Bidding (via Proxibid)
• Live Video Stream (also available below)
• Sale Results