The week-long sale extravaganza known as harness racing's Black Book Sale wrapped up on Saturday at Harrisburg's Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Sales Arena
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Saturday's mixed session featured top racehorses and two-year-old trotting colt Royal Shyster fetched the highest price of the day at $450,000. The Rc Royalty-Spin The Planet colt, a New York Sire Stakes champion, was purchased by William Weaver of Freehold, New Jersey from agent Preferred Equine Inc. Royal Shyster recorded nine wins and three seconds in 14 starts this year while earning $259,677. His mark of 1:57.1 was taken at Tioga Downs in a division of the New York Sire Stakes.
Rays San earned the second highest bid of the day at $135,000. Consigned by agent Fox Den Farm, the sophomore son of The Panderosa and Santastic was purchased by Gaston Bi Beau. He has put together a record reading 7-4-5 in 30 career starts while earning $77,646 and taking amark of 1:50.4 at The Meadows. He is a full-sibling to sub-1:50 pacer and $600,490 earner Santastics Pan.
Whats New Pussycat was purchased for $122,000 by White Birch Farm of Allentown, New Jersey. Consigned by the Northwood Bloodstock Agency, the three-year-old filly is sired by Art Major and is out of 2002 Breeders Crown champion Molly Can Do It. Whats New Pussycat, a half-sister to $536,368 eaner Billie Bluechip, took her mark of 1:51.4 in the Adioo Volo at The Meadows earlier this year. Her career record stands at 7-6-3 in 26 starts with $287,330 earned.
A trio of racehorses garnered bids of $120,000. Reckless Ric was purchased by Tyler Raymer of New Ringgold, Pennsylvania from the consignment of Winbak Farm. The three-year-old son of Quik Pulse Mindale and Sand Speed sports a career record reading 4-5-8 in 23 starts with $180,351 earned. The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competitor took his 1:50.3 mark in a conditioned event at Meadowlands Racetrack earlier this year. He is a half-brother to 2011 Nassagaweya and Champlain Stakes winner Speed Again.
Weaver also collared two-year-old trotting filly Zanna Royal for $120,000 from agent Preferred Equine Inc. The daughter of Rc Royalty and Zanns Fan was a close second behind For A Dancer in the New York Sire Stakes Championship this year. She has put together a record reading 2-5-2 in nine outings while banking $114,808.
Someheartsomewhere -- the full-sister to the great Somebeachsomewhere, also fetched a bid of $120,000. The three-year-old daughter of Mach Three and Wheres The Beach was purchased by Pennsylvania's Hanover Shoe Farms from agent Preferred Equine Inc. Hanover's Murray Brown noted that a future mate for Someheartsomewhere was yet to be determined.
"When we buy mares, there is very little consideration to which stallion they might be bred to," Brown told Trot Insider "We buy them because we believe that they will be a good addition to the broodmare band. We stand enough stallions and have shares in others, so this is never a problem."
A total of 952 horses were sold during the two-day mixed sale session for $20,928,200, with the average price at $21,983. These numbers are quite comparable with the 2010 mixed session totals: 940 horses, a gross of $20,695,200 and an average of $22,016.
The virtually negligible decrease on the mixed side was certainly offset by a rise in the yearling sales. A total of 1,096 yearlings went through the ring, with gross sales of $34,152,000 during the four sessions. The yearling average was $31,161 – an increase compared to last year’s average of $30,730. That number was put up from the 1,124 yearlings which sold for $34,540,700.
Brown, the Vice President and General Manager of Black Book's Standardbred Horse Sales Co., noted that yearling buyers are extremely conscious of pedigree and looks.
"The yearling sale was very strong if you had the right horse. Conformation, general appearance and presence have become far more important than pedigree, although obviously pedigree is what draws people to look at a horse," said Brown. "If you have the strongest pedigree out there and the horse's looks didn't match you were in trouble. Conversely a horse that was striking, but might not have had the strongest pedigree usually did exceptionally well."
Two horses in the sale that certainly fit the bill on all accounts were the headline-making siblings to Donato Hanover and Somebeachsomewhere. Detour Hanover and Some Of The Beach were purchased by Tom & John Cancelliere for a combined total of more than $1.25 million.
"I obviously didn't expect Detour Hanover and Beach's brother to bring quite as much as they did, but I was very certain that they would top the sale in their respective categories," continued Brown. "Both were as close to being perfect horses as one could possibly find. I hope the brothers make tens of millions with them."
Geographically speaking, Brown noted that Canadian content was a large part of the sale - both for breeding and buying.
"Ontario-breds were very strong as was the Canadian presence at the sale. PA breds were good. NY breds sold well, but not near as well as last year and the year before. New Jersey breeding took a huge hit as it did last year.
"The broodmare portion of the mixed sale was very much the same, although pedigree still held sway there. Substitute the Europeans for the Ontarioans and you have a similar picture. Racehorses continue to sell exceptionally well and will continue to do so long as the overnight purse structure remains as strong as it is."
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