Harrisburg, PA — Bidders were active at Monday’s (Nov. 5) opening session of the Standardbred Horse Sale from beginning to end, resulting in a 24.2 percent increase in the average purchase price compared to the first day in 2017. A total of 170 yearlings sold for a gross of $15.9 million and average of $93,541, up from $75,305 last year.

Fifty Cent Piece was acquired for $500,000 by Lennart Agren’s SRF Stables. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

Eight horses sold for at least $300,000 led by Muscle Hill-sired trotting filly Fifty Cent Piece, who was acquired for $500,000 by Lennart Agren’s SRF Stables.

She was one of three horses to sell for at least $400,000, joined by Trixton-sired trotting filly Krickan ($415,000 to John Floren’s Coyote Wynd Farms) and Captaintreacherous-sired pacing colt Honorat Hanover ($400,000 to Myron Bell as agent for the Captain’s Court ownership group).

Overall, 21 horses sold for at least $200,000 and 56 reached six figures. The totals for those two categories in 2017 were 11 and 42, respectively. Last year’s top sellers for the first day, Sheer Muscle and The Ice Dutchess, were $320,000.

“It was a fantastic sale, top to bottom; trotters, pacers, colts, fillies,” Standardbred Horse Sale President and CEO Pete Spears said. “I looked down preliminarily through the consignors and it looks like they all did well. Everyone I’ve talked to is very excited and pleased, so obviously I am too.

“I was hoping to get (a day like this). There is always the possibility things won’t work out the way you hope, but we really felt we had a very strong catalogue and that this type of day was possible. We’re very happy the buyers recognized the strength of the entries and have bought a bunch of good horses.”

Fifty Cent Piece, out of the mare Thatsnotmyname, is a half-sister to stakes-winner Basquiat and the family also includes 2010 Hambletonian winner Muscle Massive. She was bred by Order By Stable and consigned by Concord Stud Farm.

“It was great that we got her,” said agent Lina Alm, who bid on the filly for Agren. “I got a text from Lennart right before (the bidding closed) — $500,000. It was at the last moment.

“We do the same thing every time we pick out horses. They have to have the pedigree, which she has obviously, and they also have to make a good video. We know the fact that some horses do not make good videos and still are good, but we like to see at least a tiny bit of what we want to have in a horse in the video. And then the last thing is me looking at them and feeling energy and (that they have good) conformation.”

Swiss House Onfire, a trotting colt by Muscle Hill out of Brooklyn, was hammered down for $335,000. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

Agren’s other purchases on Monday included $335,000 Swiss House Onfire, a trotting colt by Muscle Hill out of Brooklyn from the family of Dan Patch Award-winner Pizza Dolce and stakes-winner Creamy Mimi. He also was bred by Order By Stable and consigned by Concord Stud Farm.

“He was by far the most athletic and most good-looking horse in the sale,” said agent Robert Lindstrom, who handled the bidding on Swiss House Onfire. “That was the colt we liked most.”

The Trixton filly Krickan is out of Hall of Fame mare Solveig and a half-sister to Dan Patch Award-winner Shake It Cerry and international millionaire Uncle Lasse. She was bred by Solveig’s Breeders and consigned by Concord Stud Farm.

Trixton-sired trotting filly Krickan sold for $415,000 to John Floren’s Coyote Wynd Farms. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

“I’m in the breeding business and you don’t get to buy out of that type of mare very often,” Floren said. “She’s a very nice filly as well. One of the nicest ones out of that mare from what (Jimmy Takter) just told me, and I think he’s trained them all.

“I expected her to go for $400,000. I’m happy about this one. (The sale) is very strong.”

The Captaintreacherous colt Honorat Hanover is out of the millionaire mare Hana Hanover and a three-quarter brother to stakes-winner Hayden Hanover. The horse was bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms.

Captaintreacherous-sired pacing colt Honorat Hanover sold for $400,000 to Myron Bell as agent for the Captain’s Court ownership group. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

Bell also signed for $350,000 In Reality Hanover, a colt by Captaintreacherous out of It Was Fascination. He is a full brother to stakes-winner Captain Trevor. He also was bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms.

“Whether they were (sired by Captaintreacherous) or not, we felt these were the two best colts that Hanover Shoe Farms had,” Bell said. “We were very fortunate to be able to buy them.”

Captaintreacherous is the leading sire of 2-year-old pacers this year, with his first crop totaling $3.07 million in purses. His 21 yearlings that sold Monday in Harrisburg averaged $119,333, which was the best among pacing stallions.

“When you get on stage, you better perform,” Bell said. “The Captain is under pressure because now everybody expects that every Captain out there is going to be a world champion, which we know cannot happen. But when you breed a good mare to Captain and they present themselves like these two colts, I think we have a fighting shot.”

Muscle Hill led trotting stallions, with 14 yearlings selling for an average of $185,429. Father Patrick was not far behind, with seven horses averaging $182,143.

Trotting colts led the first day with an average of $108,667 for 33 horses. Trotting fillies were next with $100,561 for 41 followed by pacing colts with $96,569 for 51 and pacing fillies with $72,622 for 45.

The yearling portion of the sale resumes Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex. The final day for yearlings is Wednesday, also beginning at 10.

“We hope for a strong day tomorrow and Wednesday,” Spears said. “We have a very good catalogue tomorrow and a good catalogue Wednesday. I think there will be more strong days to come. The economy is good, people are feeling good; they’re having a lot of fun.”

Day One Top 10
Hip–Sex–Gait–Name–Sire–Dam–Buyer–Consignor–Price
144-F-T-Fifty Cent Piece-Muscle Hill-Thatsnotmyname-SRF Stables-Concord Stud Farm, agent-$500,000
133-F-T-Krickan-Trixton-Solveig-Clark Beelby, agent-Concord Stud Farm, agent-$415,000
47-C-P-Honorat Hanover-Captaintreacherous-Hana Hanover-Myron Bell, agent-Hanover Shoe Farms-$400,000
170-F-T-Hello Tomorrow-Muscle Hill-Armbro Deja Vu-Marvin Katz, Brixton Medical, Bud Hatfield-Fair Winds Farm-$380,000
60-C-P-In Reality Hanover-Captaintreacherous-It Was Fascination-Myron Bell, agent-Hanover Shoe Farms-$350,000
13-C-T-Swiss House Onfire-Muscle Hill-Brooklyn-Robert Lindstrom, agent-Concord Stud Farm, agent-$335,000
118-F-T-Quadrille Hanover-Father Patrick-Queen Of Grace-Jeff Snyder-Hanover Shoe Farms-$300,000
127-C-T-Shadrack Hanover-Muscle Hill-Shared Past-Elite Trotting, agent-Hanover Shoe Farms-$300,000
45-C-T-Gangster Hanover–Father Patrick-Global Desire-Ake Svanstedt-Hanover Shoe Farms-$275,000
145-F-T-Queentrix-Trixton-The Ice Queen-David McDuffee-Preferred Equine, agent-$260,000

To view the full results of the Monday session or the upcoming catalogue, please click here.