The last yearling sale of the season drew a record crowd for the first day of the 66th annual Fall Blooded Horse Sale.
Monday featured 346 yearlings, including nearly 25 per cent of the Ohio crop and 120 Indiana-breds. There were also large numbers of Ontario, Pennsylvania and New York-breds along with a handful of very scarce Kentucky-breds. The strong catalogue of slots-enhanced sire stakes eligibles drove prices to a record high.
An Always A Virgin filly, Brown Color, topped the day at $43,000. Consigned by Emerald Highlands Farm, the full sister to 2013 Indiana champion Colors A Virgin was purchased by Dan Shetler.
Midland Acres brought a large consignment of Ohio-breds by the leading sires Feelin Friskie and Chip Chip Hooray. Among those, Over Friskie was purchased by Burke Racing Stable LLC for $42,000; Ed Telle signed the ticket on Feelin Shady for 34,000; and Lanterns Chip went to Rich Lombardo for $32,000.
The Spring Haven Farm consignment was led by a Total Truth brother to the top Indiana colt Totally Kissed at $37,000 and the Feelin Friskie filly Friskie Buckeye at $36,000, purchased by Kirk Nichols and Bruce Soulsby, respectively.
Charisma Hall, a gorgeous Deweycheatumnhowe filly, was purchased by Michael Andrew of Maine from the Walnut Hall Ltd. consignment for $32,000.
The Walnut Hall Ltd. reduction also features a large, attractive group of weanlings and in foal mares on Wednesday.
The Blooded Horse Sale continues Tuesday through Thursday with more than 1,100 horses, including 198 two-year-olds, 297 three-year-olds, 87 weanlings and hundreds of raceway horses and broodmares.
The catalogue and sale results are available online at bloodedhorse.com.
(Blooded Horse Sale Company)