Total sales for Ontario-sired yearlings surpassed the $5 million mark for the first time in the history of the Standardbred Horse Sales Company's Select Yearling portion during Wednesday's third session.

In 2010, 171 Ontario-sired yearlings sold for a total of $4,987,500 with an average of $29,167 -- the previous high total for Ontario-sired yearlings at Harrisburg. Total sales for the 185 Ontario-sired yearlings sold through this year's first three days was $5,717,000, resulting in an average price of $30,903 per yearling.

The numbers are bolstered by strong sales thus far from Bettors Delight ($45,516 yearling average), Big Jim ($33,038), Kadabra ($46,803) and Sportswriter ($38,611) all selling close to the sale's $37,718 average at the conclusion of Wednesday's third session.

Numbers improve on Wednesday at Harrisburg

Through the close of sales on Wednesday, the cumulative yearling average at the Standardbred Horse Sale made up some ground from losses against 2013 as the average of all horses sold is down about 5.1 per cent.

However, comparing Wednesday against Wednesday from last year to this, the day was up about 5.1 per cent, which helped make up ground from the previous two days. Wednesday’s yearlings averaged $20,156 overall against $19,170 last year.

The highest priced yearling of the day was High Fashion Model, Hip No. 751, bought by John Como Jr. from the All American Harnessbred consignment. The filly is sired by Western Terror and is the first foal out of the Jennas Beach Boy mare Makes You Wonder. The filly's dam is a full-sister to Shanghai Lil (1:51.2 - $1,073,839) and Blue Claw (1:57.2 - $576,635), and half-sibling to Ponder son Bolt The Duer (1:47.4 - $1,827,995).

Paul F. “Pete” Spears, CEO of the Sales company, has no clear indication of the soft spots in the market.

“We picked up a little bit of ground today, not enough to make up for the first two days, but it was stronger today. We do have certain consignors that like to backload their consignments and obviously it’s not a usual thing to have a $200,000 filly sell on Wednesday so it’s an example of that.

“I’ve been walking around and asking people what they think of the sale and many people have said to me that they’re scratching their heads, too. Certain horses that were going to bring too much money for them -- so they didn’t bother to look at -- suddenly they’re bargains, but because they didn’t look at them, they didn’t bid. Other horses that they wanted to go after they suddenly found they couldn’t touch, so it’s been a very schizophrenic sale.

“I think we kind of obsess a little too much about average sometimes and I think that’s part of the reason we are so focused on the average of each and every single day. When I talk to people, they’re still looking for horses and as I say some are still puzzled. Some of them have told me they’re going to intensely re-review tomorrow in more detail because of what has happened to them, so they don’t overlook a good horse tomorrow.”

Other yearlings topping the six figure mark on Wednesday were colt All Time Lindy (Cantab Hall-Love To Lindy), Hip 739, purchased by Brixton Medical from the Preferred Equine Marketing consignment for $130,000 and filly Pizza Queen (Credit Winner-Armbro Domino), Hip 568, purchased for $100,000 by Noel Daley from the Peninsula Farm consignment.

Pizza Queen sells for $100,000

The pizza was timed just right, according to Carter Duer, proprietor of Peninsula Farm, whose consignment includes the $100,000 Credit Winner–Armbro Domino filly, Pizza Queen, Hip 568.

The six figure sales price is an outlier for Wednesday, when yearlings are generally more modestly priced than Monday and Tuesday. Noel Daley signed the sales slip on the February 22 foal.

“Her mother hadn’t really done anything and she had one go to Russia [multiple European stakes winner Betterthancheckers]. I guess that’s the reason she was there [Wednesday],” said Duer. “I’d just as soon have her there than somewhere else. She was better [priced] today than she would have been Monday. She had a great video and she’s very correct -- and just a great video -- that was it.”

For Duer, age 75, the return to routine farm tasks like videotaping yearlings was not a foregone conclusion after a car accident in June.

“We didn’t video until the Lexington sale and I was there then, but I was in the hospital for seven weeks in Virginia. I had surgery in Norfolk, Va., and I was there about 10 or 12 days then to rehab. I’m still doing rehab, but I got a week off this week.

“I broke this [his right, still splinted] arm, I’ve got a plate from my elbow to my wrist. I broke this [right] hip and this [right] femur and I’ve got a rod going down my leg and I broke some ribs on this [left] side, but I’m doing OK. The ribs were OK after about two and a half weeks.”

Shopping with Dave Menary -- what he doesn’t want watching him

Two years ago, Dave Menary got the bargain of a lifetime at Harrisburg when he bought the eventual $1.1 million winner Hes Watching for a mere $3,000. He’s shopping again this year, but without the illusion that there’s another $3,000 millionaire to be found.

“I just take it by the right situation,” he said. “I wouldn’t try to make a living buying $3,000 horses. You’re going to go broke pretty quick, but that one [Hes Watching] worked out.”

Compromises have to be made when shopping in that price range and Menary said he made concessions for Hes Watching.

“Size. He had a great foot and back end on him. He had a great pedigree. I didn’t think he was a $3,000 colt, he wasn’t on my short list, I pegged him at $25,000 to $30,000. I wasn’t looking for a June [birthday], New York-sired colt, but when I saw him in the ring, I thought they’d brought out the wrong horse. I actually had to make two bids, but I owned him at $3,000.

“The only two things I won’t take are a horse that’s back at the knees and I don’t want to train any walleyed horses,” he added, referring to horses with white around their eye. “It doesn’t affect them, but it gives me a bad feeling every day. They don’t get a fair start from the beginning, so I try to just stay away. I think they’re always looking at me the wrong way.”

(With files from HRC)

Important Links:

• Online Catalogue

• Sale Results

• Live Video Stream (active during the sale)