The Blooded Horse Sales Company presented the 57th annual Winter Speed Sale at the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio on Tuesday, February 11.
Horsepeople from Canada and 27 states converged at the one-day sale to replenish their racehorses, look for young prospects, pick up broodmares, and sort through yearlings.
“People love coming to a sale to actually see and touch the horses they want to buy,” said sale manager Jerry Haws. “It may take a bit more time and resources, but the dividends far outweigh the cost. Bringing horses to a venue of eager buyers is a tremendous marketing tool. Consignors seemed to be pleased as there were substantially less RNAs.”
The catalogue and supplement featured a total of 293 Standardbreds, and the sale got underway shortly after 9:30 a.m. (EST).
A highlight of the sale came during the first half of the session, as a pair of four-year-old trotting mares owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC both went through the ring simultaneously as Hip #120. The successful bidder had the choice of which mare they wanted to acquire. Mark Weaver had discussed the rare occurrence leading up to the sale. To read his comments, click here.
The mares in question were Wildfire Seelster and Matterlei, who were Hip #120A and Hip #120B, respectively. The auctioneer’s hammer ultimately dropped at $43,000 for Hip #120, and it was Herman & Morgan Hagerman of Millersburg, Ohio who became the new owner of one of the mares. The connections opted to acquire Wildfire Seelster (Matterlei was then retained by the ‘Burke Brigade,’ according to the stipulations of the sale).
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Wildfire Seelster and Matterlei, pictured going through the sales ring as Hip #120.
Wildfire Seelster was not the sale topper during the session, though. That distinction went to Hip #83, Sneeker Hanover, who attracted a sale-topping bid of $49,000 on Tuesday.
Sneeker Hanover, who is a five-year-old daughter of Donato Hanover, has been retired since the fall of 2018. She had compiled a slate of 3-1-4 and $58,709 in purses from a total of 16 starts during her career on the track (all of her starts came for trainer Duane Marfisi). She is from the Conway Hall mare Slow Dance Hanover and took her mark of 1:55.2 over Woodbine Mohawk Park as a three-year-old.
Sneeker Hanover, who has not delivered a foal to date, is currently in foal to Kadabra, according to the previous owner’s statement prior to the sale. Sneeker Hanover is a full sister to Sky Hanover 4,1:54 ($136,049) and a half-sister to Desert Runner 3,1:53.1f ($150,472), Celebrity Stimulus 5,1:54.2s ($211,718), Somedancer Hanover 5,1:55f ($143,634), Senia Hanover 3,1:55.2f ($51,420), Spiceberry Hanover 3,1:56.3f ($153,239) and Step Hanover 3,2:02.3f ($12,812). She is from the immediate family of many top stakes performers, including the great Marion Marauder.
Sneeker Hanover, pictured victorious at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Other notables that attracted near sale-topping bids on Tuesday were the aforementioned Hip #120 Wildfire Seelster ($43,000), Hip #125 U Need Stones ($45,000) and Hip #75 Shes Lights Out ($41,000).
To view the results from the sale, click here.
(with quotes from Blooded Horse Sales)