The Standardbred Horse Sale returned to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for 2021 and kicked off on Monday, Nov. 8 with In Italian topping the opening session at a premium price of $750,000 for Canadian buyer Brad Grant.
In Italian is a full-sister to world champion trotting mare Atlanta, a career winner of $3,269,538 with a mark of 1:49 taken in the Allerage Farms Mares Trot last month at The Red Mile. Bred by Sweden's Order By Stable and consigned by Concord Stud Farm, the Chapter Seven-Hemi Blue Chip filly sold as Hip 69 to Grant. The Milton, Ont. resident is currently part-owner of Atlanta.
“Everything said she was the best in the sale, as far as we were concerned,” Grant said about In Italian. “I thought we might have to pay a little bit more, so I’m really pleased at the price. We’ll hope for the best. If she’s half as good (as Atlanta), I’ll take that.
“Ronnie [Burke] checked her over, I don’t know how many times, and other people checked her over for me, and everybody came back saying she was a little bit bigger than Atlanta but has all the tools. They’re the experts, I’m just along for the ride.”
Bidding on Swanky Hanover, Hip 118, also reached the $700,000 mark. Consigned and bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, the Muscle Hill-Secret Magic filly was purchased by Jeffrey Snyder of New York City. She is a full-sister to the retired trotting mare Manchego, also a 1:49 world record holder with more than $3.2 million in earnings.
“The other one went for $750,000, so I got a steal,” Snyder joked.
“We hope to get lucky. We’re concentrating on trotters this year. We sold a few pacers, so we can fund it a little bit. We have some real good residual value there (as a future broodmare). That’s one reason we went that high. The only thing I was a little concerned about is she’s a June 11 foal. So, we’re going to have to take our time and wait on her.”
Craft Made, a Walner son out of Woodshopper, was the third highest priced yearling to sell during the first session as the brown colt was purchased for $610,000 by Determination of Montreal, Que. Selling as Hip 16, the Fair Winds Stable-bred Craft Made was purchased from the Preferred Equine consignment. He is a half-sibling to Grand Circuit stakes winner Fashionwoodchopper, who took a mark of 1:53 as a two-year-old and earned nearly $500,000.
“He is a nice-looking horse,” said Luc Blais, who trains for Determination. “I saw him at the farm first. I saw him a few times, and every time I saw him, I liked him. I have a good feeling about him. I think he has a good pedigree and he’s a Walner, and Walner did very good this year.
“I’ve seen a lot of Walners, and for me, that’s one I wanted,” Blais continued, adding with a laugh, “Not at that price, but if I had a choice, I choose him. If you see the horse, he is amazing. He has a nice head and everything in the right place. He’s very balanced. He’s a young one, but he looks very athletic. I’m very pleased about him.”
Lord Bridgerton, Hip 58, garnered a high bid of $530,000 from Robert Linstrom of Sweden. Bred and consigned by Concord Stud Farm, the Muscle Hill colt is the first foal out of multiple stakes winner Fine Tuned Lady, who earned $643,987 lifetime.
“He was a big horse, but he was born early (Jan. 23, 2020),” Lindstrom said. “He has nice conformation, moves so easily. I was looking at him at the farm before and he was super. He’s a super nice horse. Of the colts, he was one of the best available.
“It’s a little bit more than we expected (to pay), but not much. We were talking about $400,000, $450,000 maybe. We had to stretch a little bit.”
Defacement, selling early as Hip 2, also topped the half-million-dollar mark and was purchased by Andy Miller Stable of Millstone Township, New Jersey. Consigned by agent Concord Stud Farm and bred by Order By Stable, the Muscle Hill filly is out of 2010 Merrie Annabelle Stakes winner Thatsnotmyname. Defacement is a full sister to Fifty Cent Piece and a half-sibling to Future Secured and Basquiat -- all three are six-figure earners, with the latter mare being a Grand Circuit stakes winner with $289,748 banked and a mark of 1:51.2.
“She has a great gait, and we loved the family,” Andy Miller said. “We’re really excited about her.”
A total of 136 yearlings were sold during the first session for gross sales of $17,730,000. The average price was $130,368, up from the $83,201 average for the opening day of the 2020 sale, which was held at Timonium Fairgrounds in Maryland.
“We knew it would be a good sale, but it exceeded my expectations, and, I think, a lot of people’s expectations,” said Dale Welk, the Standardbred Horse Sale’s president and director of operations. “We knew there were a lot of great individuals, but it was just unbelievable.
“Selling hip No. 2 (Defacement) for $500,000 was definitely a great way to start. I think it sets the momentum, and you can keep those kinds of horses going — $80,000, $90,000, $100,000, $150,000 — it just gets that roll going and seems to carry right over.”
The Black Book Yearling Sale continues on Tuesday and Wednesday with sessions that each begin at 10 a.m. The Mixed Sale portion of the five-day auction will be held on Thursday and Friday, starting at 10 a.m. on both days.
IMPORTANT LINKS
• Sale Catalogues
• Outs List
• Sale Results
• Monday Averages
• Online Bidding (via i-bidder)
• Sale Live Streaming Video (Active during the sale and will also appear below. Click 'watch live' and then 'play' to view the live stream.)
(with quotes from USTA)