In this week's Rewind Robert Smith takes a look at some of the results and highlights from 25 years ago with The Canadian Classic Sale of 1985
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Years ago when a sale was held it sometimes took quite a while to get the results. Not like today when we often find out a few seconds after the auctioneer receives the final bid and it is posted on the Internet. In those days it might be a week or two before the paper arrived and the list could be scanned. When U.S. sales results appeared in harness racing magazines such as The Harness Horse, my father used to go through the list first and put a tick mark on a Canadian buyer or for that matter anything that might interest the next reader. How many times do we say "times change"?
I have assembled some facts, figures and highlights from a major sale from 25 years ago and hope that it provides some interest and also some comparisons to today. The Sale was held at Woodbine on September 11 and 12 and the auctioneer was Paul Martin Jr.
Total Gross Sales - $4,001,200
Total No. Horses sold - 279
Average per head - $14,341
The average was up almost 15 per cent from 1984 and resulted in an all time record figure.
Top Yearlings
Horse Name & Price: Purchased By : Armbro Fare - $77,000 John Burns Cosmos Maud - $62,000 Wm. Wellwood Armbro Fame - $60,000 Wm. Wellwood Bio Zindabad - $ 57,000 Jim Miller Jazzy Jen - $52,000 Thos. Abramoff Stables Armbro Foxy - $48,000 Grants Direct/Waples Stable Good Time Jazz - $47,000 Moe Graif - Agent Armbro Foley - $47,000 Trent Valley Stables Armbro Freda - $47,000 John Burns Armbro Fizz - $ 46,000 Robert Waxman P F Joey - $45,000 Torlando Farms/Stew Firlotte Grand Jazz - $ 41,000 Helen Lawrence Clinton Seelster - $41,000 Gerry Vanboekel
Stallion Averages (Top 10)
Sire No. Sold Average 1. Royce 2 $30,500 2. Dream Of Glory 20 $27,925 3. Jazz Cosmos 13 $27,746 4. Worthy Bowl 6 $20,003 5. Justin Passing 3 $19,500 6. Armbro Omaha 36 $19,169 7. Armbro Splurge 15 $14,740 8. Brisco Hanover 4 $14,250 9. Smog 4 $13,875 10. Balanced Image 12 $12,875
Consignor Averages (with 5 or more sold)
Consignor No. Sold Average Armstrong Bros. 32 $26,772 Cantario Farms 27 $15,240 Halton Bloodstock 26 $10,408 Seelster Farms 18 $18,667 Rockwood Stud, Agt. 11 $16,654 Bio Test Farm 6 $17,583 Cuddy Farms Agt. 6 $15,950 Wilson Farms 5 $8,280
The following is a random list of purchasers showing the colt's name and price paid. List does not include horses shown in "Top Sellers" listing above.
John Burns, Mississauga
Armbro Festive - $ 19,000
Just Plain Scarey - $26,000
Armbro Fabius - $15,000
Armbro Filly - $25,000
Armbro Fatima - $27,000
Armbro Fascination - $8,500
Pat Crowe, Stoufville
Classic Breeze - $11,000
Doctor Magic - $10,000
Wm. Fritz, Walkerton
Torys Encore - $8,000
Island Love - $6,000
Cape Mitchell Stables, Campbellville
Supreme Example - $27,000
Fun Money - $12,000
Spring Tiger - $7,200
Swingfire Skipper - $13,000
Rau D Kid - $10,000
Bio Reaction - $17,000
Mark Steacy, Kingston
Wilcos Express - $3,700
Whistlers Tristar - 6,500
Windsong Prince - $9,500
Tom Strauss, Milton
Armbro Fallon - $30,000
Ellies Doug - $12,000
Lapidiste - $11,000
Wayne Horner, St. Marys
Windsong Jade - $4,000
Canadian Mint - 1,200
Secret Skipper - $9,500
Alice Kopas, Ilderton
Rebecca Seelster - $8,000
Fog Patch - $18,000
Graham Seelster - $17,000
Imperialist - $12,000
Bob McIntosh, Windsor
Mr. Lang - $25,000
Sammi Killean - $15,000
Justin Dispute -$34,000 (with E. Forbes)
Dave Wall, Komoka
Tantallon Royale - $8,500
JN Prize Package - $31,000
Wm. Wellwood, Milton
Armbro Fission - $24,000
Yarley Seelster - $12,500
Arbor Cosmo - $24,000
James Wellwood, Ancaster
Wilcos Energy - $15,000
Omaha Station - $23,000
Norm McKnight Jr., Campbellville
Vegas Trick - $16,000
No Prisoners - $9,500
Armbro Form -$27,000
Eugene Forbes, Walkerton
Skippy Omaha - $8,500
Justin Dispute - $34,000 (with R. McIntosh)
Rusty Cart Stable, Windsor
Village Umpire - $13,000
Ancestral - $3,700
Benjamin Seelster - $18,000
Fraud Squad - $9,500
Embattled - $5,500
Royal Performer - $17,000
Kaiser Seelster - $12,000
Robel Brian - $8,200
Casimir Gambler - $9,700