by Kim French, USTA Internet News Editor

Johnstown, OH — A change in venue and an alteration in format did not dissuade those in attendance at the Ohio Selected Jug Sale on Friday (Sept. 15) from investing in the sport’s future. Trotters, most notably the first yearlings from world champion and Breeders Crown winner Uncle Peter, took center stage at the Brave Horse Show Park in Johnstown, Ohio, as his daughter Tu Eres Mi Corazon went through the ring for $150,000, equaling the highest-price ever paid for an Ohio-bred Standardbred.

Another daughter, Majestic Lexi, was the third most expensive horse sold at this event when she fetched the sum of $95,000, while the recently deceased Dragon Again led pacing stallions when his son, Dragon Ruler, changed hands for $100,000.

The buzz prior to the sale was about the first progeny of Uncle Peter, who stands at Hickory Lane Farm for a stud fee of $6,000 and his pacing counterpart Rockin Amadeus, a full brother to top Indiana stallion Rockin Image. Rockin Amadeus provides his services from Cool Winds Farm for $3,500 and owns the distinction of defeating Pacer of the Year Captaintreacherous in the 2012 edition of the Breeders Crown.

Tu Eres Mi Corazon gets a kiss from Senena Esty of Spring Haven Farm, who co-bred the filly with Doug Millard Holdings USA Inc.

One of 40 yearlings by her sire originally consigned to the sale of 237 head prior to withdrawals, Tu Eres Mi Corazon was selected by Ron Burke Racing Stables as Hip No. 71 and placed in the sale by her breeders, Spring Haven Farm and Doug Millard Holdings USA Inc.

The striking brown filly is the second foal out of the Muscle Hill mare Corazon Blue Chip and is a half-sibling to 2-year-old Fourth Dimension (Chapter Seven, $81,750). That colt brought $200,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is now owned by Courant Inc. He is a perfect four-for-four in his young career and has established a new track record at Monticello Raceway as well as equaling the track standard at Yonkers Raceway.

“We bought her dam in foal (with Fourth Dimension) at the Harrisburg Sale in 2014,” said Senena Esty, the proprietor of Spring Haven Farm. “She is just a gorgeous mare and she has passed on her looks to Fourth Dimension and this filly.

“This filly’s name means ‘a piece of my heart’ and she really is like that to me. She is just so classy and cool, calm and collected. It is so rewarding to see a horse like this go on to top the sale, but there is always a part of you with them when they go on. Maybe it’s a woman thing becoming emotional about it, but we follow all our horses and we have been cheering for Fourth Dimension all year long, just like we will always watch her.”

Dragon Ruler was hammered down for a bid of $100,000.

The second horse to equal or exceed the $100,000 mark was the Dragon Again-Canary Island colt, Dragon Ruler. Presented as Hip No. 52 with Hunterton Sales Agency Inc. on behalf of Willow Oak Ranch, the bay colt is the first foal out of his dam who won $155,327 during her racing career and is a half-sister to Elusive Prey (Western Hanover, $802,706) Aba Daba Doo (Cam’s Card Shark, $541,037) and Duneside Perch (Cam’s Card Shark, $160,325).

When asked to discuss the legacy of Dragon Again as a stallion and his immediate impact in the Buckeye State, Joe McLead, the co-owner and manager of Sugar Valley Farm, was succinct.

“Ed Mullinax’s (Dragon Again’s owner) heart always belonged to his home state and he is the only one responsible for the success of this horse,” he said. “His contributions to the sport have simply been immense.”

Purchased by M.K. Bencic as the agent, Dragon Ruler’s granddam, Duck Duck Goose has foaled 12 horses and every one of them is a winner. His third dam Misty Bretta, by Bret Hanover, gave birth to 20 offspring with 13 of them collecting at least one victory. Four of her foals amassed more than $250,000 in purse money.

The third highest priced horse to leave the grounds under new ownership was Majestic Lexi. The daughter of Uncle Peter-Majestic Taglet was purchased by Black Magic Racing for $95,000 from the LMN Bred Stables Inc., who also bred her.

USTA/Mark Hall photos

Mitchell Nault and Majestic Lexi, who brought a bid of $95,000.

“Breeding is the hardest part of this business,” said Mitchell Nault, the co-owner of LMN Stables with his wife Laura. “I’ve trained horses, I’ve driven them and I’m the tattooer for Michigan and Ohio. We are like a bunch of riverboat gamblers (breeders) every time we come down the pike.

“It is incredibly rewarding to be able to come into a sale like this where people are looking for pedigree, not only to race in the Ohio Sire Stakes, but in Grand Circuit events. To be able to satisfy what people want to buy when you begin planning for something like this more than two years in advance is a great feeling. We also have a full brother to this filly that we are hoping to bring to next year’s sale, but you just never know what is going to happen. We are just very, very happy with what this filly brought today, but we felt she did have the pedigree and a lot to offer.”

Majestic Lexi’s dam banked $200,116 during her days of competition and is a half-sibling to world champion Muscle Up The Goal (Muscle Mass, $348,858) and Kahoku (SJ’s Caviar, $236,965).

This filly also possesses the distinction of being the first foal delivered from Uncle Peter and her arrival was heralded by Hoof Beats magazine when the image shortly after her birth was published.

“She was born on Jan. 19 and was the first one of his to hit the ground,” Nault said. “We believe in breeding to foal as early as possible in the year because we think it helps in the long run when they race.”

Although the three horses that accrued the largest bids nearly always receive the most attention, the entire sale was a tremendous success as other yearlings by the stallions Rockin Amadeus, McArdle, Manofmanymissions, Pet Rock, Dejarmbro, Triumphant Caviar and Yankee Cruiser were all well received.

Complete sales results can be found by clicking on this link.