by David Carr

Lexington, KY — The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale continued with its third session on Friday night, having a steady performance. The prices are following the pattern of previous editions of the sale, by gradually declining through successive sessions. Friday, a total of 156 yearlings sold, with an average price of $34,628. This represented a drop of about 17 percent from the same session in 2008. Overall, the sale is down about 14 percent from a year ago.

The general decline in prices did not prevent some spirited bidding that enabled five youngsters to reach the coveted $100,000 level. Sharing top honors Friday were a pair of colts, a trotter and a pacer. Credit Caper, a son of Credit Winner, was the first to sell for the evening’s top price of $125,000. His dam is Caper Caillie, a stakes winning sister to millionaire and two-time divisional champ Wesgate Crown. Myron Bell, no stranger to buying high-priced horses that had great success racing, was the winning bidder on this Peninsula Farm-consigned colt.

Greg Peck is also no stranger to great success in racing this year, and with more than just the sensational Muscle Hill, leading candidate for Horse of the Year. Peck is more likely to be associated with trotters, such as Muscle Hill and Holiday Road, but, in Lexington, two of his three $100,000 purchases have been pacers. Friday, he acquired for $125,000 a Real Desire colt that is the first foal of his dam Western Wisdom. This stakes-winning mare has quite an array of superstars in her family, including Delinquent Account, Artiscape, and Western Terror. Perretti Farms consigned this colt named Westwood Wizard.

A trio of fillies comprised the remainder of the $100,000 club on Friday, each going for exactly that amount. Although pacing fillies tend to be the laggards in prices, Village Michelle certainly has the breeding to merit significant attention. Her dad is Rocknroll Hanover, the leading money-winning sire of 2-year-olds in 2009, while mom is Michelle’s Fantasy, a world champion winner of more than $400,000. The Uncirculated Stable had the winning bid for this filly, which was consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing Inc. as agent for Village Acres.

New Yorkers Adam Victor & Son Stable LLC acquired Brooklyn (the yearling, not the borough). This is a daughter of Conway Hall and is the first foal out of Anna Karin’s Girl. Two of the most notable performers in the dam’s immediate family were outstanding fillies sired by Conway Hall. Peninsula Farm consigned Brooklyn.

Hot Off The Press was the last of the $100,000 yearlings on Friday. She is by Cantab Hall out of Psychiatrist, a dam of three $100,000 winning foals. Dunroven Stud bred and consigned this filly, which was purchased by Jacqueline Ingrassia.

The Lexington Selected Sale continues through Sunday.

Session Three
Gait-Sex-Number Sold-Average-$100K
Pace-Colts-43-$37,907-1
Pace-Fillies-28-$27,750-1
Trot-Colts-40-$34,925-1
Trot-Fillies-45-$35,511-2
All-156-$34,628-5

Through three sessions
Gait-Sex-Number Sold-Average-$100K
Pace-Colts-110-$60,364-15
Pace-Fillies-75-$41,707-2
Trot-Colts-112-$54,857-14
Trot-Fillies-110-$48,982-10
All-407-$52,334-41

Sale leaders in third session
Yearling-Sire-Dam-Gait-Sex-Price-Buyer
Credit Caper-Credit Winner-Caper Caillie-T-C-$125,000-Myron Bell, Agent
Westwood Wizard-Real Desire-Western Wisdom-P-C-$125,000-Greg Peck
Brooklyn-Conway Hall-Anna Karin’s Girl-T-F-$100,000-Adam Victor & Son
Hot Off The Press-Cantab Hall-Psychiatrist-T-F-$100,000-Jacqueline Ingrassia
Village Michelle-Rocknroll Hanover-Michelle’s Fantasy-P-F-$100,000-Uncirculated Stable
Lookinforadventure-Rocknroll Hanover-Student Driver-P-C-$85,000-Bruce Saunders, Agent
Massive Drama-Credit Winner-Shannon Hall-T-F-$85,000-Eugene Kurzrock
Poppy Hills-Credit Winner-So Wonderful-T-C-$85,000-Diane Giuliano
Abstract Fact-Western Ideal-Schoolofcardknocks-P-Filly-$80,000-Tony Alagna, Agent
Npr-Artiscape-Classical Lady-P-C-$80,000-Tony Alagna, Agent