by Kim French, USTA Internet News Editor

Lexington, KY — On yet another flawless fall Wednesday evening (Oct. 5), the energy and attendance on the grounds of the Fasig-Tipton facility remained just as stout and pervasive for the second edition of the Lexington Selected Yearling sale as it was for the first. Despite the lack of a near record purchase price, the event continues to establish new standards of its own with increases across the board and also served notice that Muscle Hill is on the cusp of achieving super-sire status, not only in North America, but throughout the planet. Three of that stallion’s offspring in Go To Hill ($350,000), Tae Kwon Deo ($240,000) and Stylish Volo ($220,000) fetched the highest bids and will become members of barns based outside the confines of this nation.

“We are just fortunate our consigners have continued to show us such strong support and that the buyers also return each year,” said Randy Manges, the co-manager of the sale with David Reid. “Without our breeders and consigners providing us with top quality horses each year, we would not enjoy success. They are the people responsible for what we have to offer and while Muscle Hill has certainly looked very strong, we were lucky most of his foals from this year are being sold here. We also have Somebeachsomewhere, Cantab Hall and a number of other excellent stallions represented. In fact, Chapter Seven had a yearling that went for $200,000. While we are very pleased with how the sale has progressed so far, there are still many nice horses to follow in the next sessions.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Go To Hill sold for $350,000 and was the sales topper of the second session.

Of the 20 yearlings by Muscle Hill that went through the ring on Wednesday, Go To Hill (Hip No. 153) possessed the highest price tag, which is tied for the fourth highest overall at the sale, and now belongs to Robert Lindstrom, agent for Lennart Agren’s SRF Stable of Boden, Sweden. Out of the Andover Hall mare Habit Of Creature, the colt was consigned by Preferred Equine, is the third foal out of his dam and is a half-brother to the 2-year-old stakes winner You Cant Habit (Cantab Hall, $50,412) and the 4-year-old Fancy Step (Deweycheatumnhowe, $18,164).

Go To Hill’s second dam, the Supergill mare Habit, not only collected $171,776 during her racing days, but has produced 11 winners from 12 foals of racing age including Civil Action (Pine Chip, $1,123,053), Muscle Bound (Muscles Yankee, $196,724), Over Ruled (Self Possessed, $266,527), Civic Duty (Angus Hall, $226,149), Big Short (Cantab Hall, $114,547) and Habit’s Lady (Muscles Yankee, $104,796).

Checking in behind Go To Hill, who looked every bit the part of a six-figure yearling, was Hip No. 166, Tae Kwon Deo. This colt, consigned by Preferred Equine and selected by Lufti Kolgjini AB of Sweden, is out of the 2008 O’Brien Award older mare champion, Brigham Dream. The daughter of Kaisy Dream earned $639,280 during her career and is a half-sister to another O’Brien and Dan Patch award winner in Crys Dream (2010, 2-year-old filly).

Finishing the Muscle Hill triumvirate was the filly Stylish Volo (Hip No. 129), who was consigned and raised by Kentuckiana Farms and is now the property of Emilio and Maria Rosati of Australia. The daughter of the Donato Hanover mare Sterling Volo, is a half-sister to the 2-year-old Simply Volo (Crazed, $55,793). That horse has already collected a victory on the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit and was second in a leg of the Kindergarten series at the Meadowlands this year.

Striking a very impressive pose in the ring, Stylish Volo’s second dam is none other than Hambletonian Oaks winner Silver Springs (Yankee Glide, $626,500). This exceptional mare is just as outstanding as a broodmare as when she was in competition as six of her seven foals of racing age are winners including Springtime Volo ($383,984).

Stylish Volo’s family does show success competing in Europe with her third dam responsible for world champion Sugarcane Volo (Sugarcane Hanover, $1,019,151) who collected 35 victories on that continent over the course of six years.

Although it appeared that Muscle Hill dominated the evening’s purchases, his average yearling price of $105,240 was second to Kadabra’s $108,333. The difference between the two stallions is Kadabra was only represented by three yearlings, while 25 Muscle Hill horses were offered for sale.

On Wednesday, 146 yearlings were purchased for an average price of $70,897, which was an increase in average price of a noteworthy 26.5 percent, compared to 154 yearlings averaging $56,045 a year ago.

Through two sessions, 233 yearlings have sold for an average price of $92,717. In 2015, 252 yearlings sold for an average price of $76,845. The percentage increase is 20.7. Despite a reduction of 19 horses, the gross is up $2,238,000.

“Thank you to all our breeders and consigners for all they do,” Manges said. “Nothing is possible without them. We look forward to the many other very nice horses still to be sold and hope the momentum we have built on the first two days of the sale continues over the next several days.”

Complete results from the sale can be found at this link.

The third session of the five-day sale, which operates until Oct. 10, is underway once again at the Fasiq-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Lexington on Thursday at 7 p.m.