The Fall Blooded Horse Sale, held November 16-19, posted its best gross and average in 68 years. Buyers from 25 states and Canada flocked to the Delaware, Ohio fairgrounds in search of yearlings, weanlings, racehorses, and breeding stock.

Monday featured 180 black type yearlings led by the Dejarmbro colt Dust Off The Gate at $35,000. Winklepleck Farm consigned the promising young trotter that was purchased by Patrick Graham of Illinois. The Big Bad John colt, Johns Messenger, consigned by Conquest Acres Lp, was purchased by Dan Ater, agent, for $22,000. Duets Too, another son of the hot young sire Dejarmbro, was purchased by Crist Hershberger of Ohio from the Winterwood Farm consignment for $20,000.

Walnut Hall Ltd. continued its downsizing by offering a formidable group of mares and weanlings. These were led by the stunning two-year-old Choice Hall out of the great Canland Hall. Jonas Schlabach of Ohio got the prized half-sister to Cantab Hall for $38,000. David Wayne Miller of Kentucky was happy to get the winning bid on Acapulco Hall, the Deweycheatumnhowe half-sister to Hambletonian winner Amigo Hall, at $32,000. Cum Laude Hall, from the immediate family of CR Kay Suzie, was purchased by Pond-A-Acres of Indiana for $26,000.

Burke Racing Stable LLC brought a powerful consignment, including the sale topper Life Is A Beach. Racing very competitively in upper level conditions at Pocono, the four-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere was purchased for $47,000 by Randy Bendis of Pennsylvania. Also in this consignment were the Indiana Sires Stakes competitors Jumpinthejailhouse, purchased by Kate Marotta of Michigan for $26,000, and U R It BB, purchased by Ernest Graber of Indiana for $25,000. Mark Goldberg of Pennsylvania signed the tickets for conditioned pacer Chip Again and Invitational trotter Princess Pablano at $27,000 and $25,000, respectively.

Alvin Miller of Indiana brought four competitive "non-winners of two to four" three-year-olds that attracted a lot of attention. Rene Allard was the winning bidder on the Always A Virgin son Am Magic Man for $45,000 and the Dontgetinmyway gelding Winning Is Sweet for $32,000. JL Adams of Pennsylvania got the nod on the Keystone Blitz trotter Cash Leebrook at $19,000.

A handsome pair of Mr Cantab geldings racing strongly in "non-winners of two" sparked notable bidding wars. Rose Run Quickley, consigned by Winterwood Farm, agent, was purchased by Tom Ceraso of Connecticut for $30,000 and Grand Premiere, consigned by Henry Wilson, went to Simon Allard of Pennsylvania for $27,000.

The Blooded Horse Winter Sale is February 8 and 9. Entries close in early January. For more information and complete sale results visit bloodedhorse.com.

(With files from Blooded Horse Fall Sale)