Lexington, KY – Trotting colt Kountry Prince, a son of Walner out of Plunge Blue Chip, sold for $825,000 to Åke Svanstedt to top Monday’s (Oct. 5) record-setting opening session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion.
Monday’s session concluded with 111 yearlings selling for $22.18 million, good for a record average of $199,883. The previous record average of $190,547 was set in 2024, when 117 horses sold for $22.29 million. This year’s average bested 2024 by 4.9 percent and topped last year’s average of $181,675, for 120 horses, by 10 percent. The gross last year was $21.80 million.
Kountry Prince’s siblings – Kountry Plunge and Sonmar Pond – both are multiple stakes winners by Walner’s sire, Chapter Seven. Kountry Plunge, co-owned and trained by Svanstedt, won the New York Sire Stakes championship for 2-year-old female trotters last month. Svanstedt also trained Kountry Prince’s mom, millionaire Plunge Blue Chip.
Kountry Lane Standardbreds bred and consigned Kountry Prince, who is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.
The colt was one of eight yearlings to sell for at least $500,000 on Monday. Another 14 sold for at least $300,000.
Second on the best-sellers list was trotter Maestro Volo, a son of Chapter Seven-Mommamia Volo, who went for $800,000 to Peter Cimino, as agent. The colt is the first foal out of Mommamia Volo, who won the 2023 Kentucky Filly Futurity and is a half-sister to Dan Patch Award-winning double millionaire Amigo Volo.
Kentuckiana Farms and Jorgen Jahre Jr. bred Maestro Volo, who was consigned by Kentuckiana Farms. He is New York and Kentucky eligible.
Cimino, as agent, also signed for the night’s fourth-highest-priced yearling, trotting colt Special Account. The son of Walner-Special Hill sold for $650,000 and is a full brother to Dan Patch Award winner Special Way. He was bred by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld and consigned by Kentuckiana Farms. He is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.
The remaining two yearlings in Monday’s top five sellers, trotting colts Lake Placid and Indestructible, were both purchased by Jeff Snyder and S R F Stable.
Lake Placid, a son of Chapter Seven out of Adirondack, sold for $700,000. His second dam is Hall of Famer Mission Brief, who is the mother of this year’s Hambletonian winner, Apex, as well as 2-year-old graded stakes winner Command Center. Snyder and S R F Stable are among the owners of Apex; S R F Stable is among the owners of Command Center. The family also includes stallions Tactical Landing and Muscle Hill.
The colt is New York and Kentucky eligible. He was bred by Diamond Creek Farm and consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency.
Indestructible, a son of Walner-Jolene Jolene, sold for $600,000. He is a full brother to Dan Patch Award winner Venerable and his other siblings include graded stakes winner Voguish and multiple stakes winner Crucial, the dam of Dan Patch Award winner Maryland. He was bred by Maumee River Stables, Black Creek Farm, Martin Schmucker, and Steve Stewart. The New Jersey and Kentucky eligible colt was consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency.
Targeter, a daughter of Tactical Landing-Sarcy, sold for $575,000 to Al Libfeld to be the top-priced trotting filly. She is a full sister to Dan Patch Award winner Tactical Approach, the 2023 Hambletonian winner, and half-sister to millionaire Double Deceiver, who has enjoyed success in North America and Europe. She was bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms. She is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.
The top 12 sellers were all trotters. The highest selling pacer was colt Odds On Warrior, a son of Sweet Lou-Odds On Whitney who went for $425,000 to Andrew Harris as agent for Punisher 11 Stable. His family includes world champion Papi Rob Hanover. He was bred by Odds On Racing and consigned by Concord Stud Farm. He is Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible.
Harris, as agent for Punisher 11 Stable, also purchased the highest-priced pacing filly. Ubeautiful, a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Warrawee Ubeaut, sold for $350,000. She is a three-quarter sister to Seaside Ubeaut, who won a Kentucky Championship Series final and Bluegrass Stakes division in her past two starts, and half-sister to stakes-winner Ubrute. She was bred by Burke Racing Stable, Crawford Farms Racing, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, and Phil Collura. The Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible was consigned by Crawford Farms Racing.
Svanstedt was the top buyer Monday, at $2.14 million for seven yearlings. Marcus Melander, as agent, was next at $1.71 million for six yearlings, while Harris, as agent for Punisher 11 Stable, was third at $1.48 million for five.
Walner led all sires in gross, with $7.12 million for 30 horses. Chapter Seven led in average, with $317,471 for 17 horses.
Confederate, with his first crop, led pacing sires in gross, at $2.23 million for 16 yearlings. The leader in average was Huntsville, at $191,250 for four horses.
The four-day sale will continue Tuesday and Wednesday with 11 a.m. (EDT) start times. Thursday’s final session will begin at 7 p.m.
Find the sale’s catalog here. For the livestream, visit the sale’s company website here, and for complete results, click here.
For complete details, visit lexingtonselected.com.