Record-setting opening session for Lexington Selected Sale
October 6, 2015,by David Carr, the U.S. Trotting Association
Lexington, KY — The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale opened its 2015 edition in record-setting style on Monday (Oct. 5), as the 98 yearlings sold for an average price of $109,531, a 4.4 percent increase over the auction’s previous record set in 2014.
A total of 47 yearlings, nearly half of those walking through the ring, sold for at least $100,000, also representing a record for a single session for Lexington Selected, smashing the prior record of 39.
Federal Hill is a half-brother to a pair of divisional champion millionaires, Father Patrick and Pastor Stephen.
Sale manager Randy Manges was ecstatic with the strong showing, stating that he was just hoping the sale would do as well as last year. There were understandable reasons for caution about prices, with a recent dip in the stock market, and the strong dollar against foreign currencies has made prices more costly for Canadian and European buyers. Encouragingly, Canadian and European buyers were active all night, signing for many of the highest-priced horses.
Sharing honors as the sale toppers at $350,000 were a pair of trotting colts. The first of these was Federal Hill from the Brittany Farms consignment. By Muscle Hill out of Gala Dream, he is a half-brother to a pair of divisional champion millionaires, Father Patrick and Pastor Stephen. Mario Zuanetti’s Atlantic Trot purchased the colt as agent for Reima Kuisla.
Live For Greatness, a Cantab Hall colt from Forever Graceful, a full sister to Muscle Massive, also sold for the massive price of $350,000. Swedish agent Robert Lindstrom signed as agent for this colt from the Kentuckiana Farms consignment, which was acting as agent for breeders Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz.
USTA/Mark Hall photos
Live For Greatness, a Cantab Hall colt from Forever Graceful, also sold for the massive price of $350,000.
Next in price, and tops among trotting fillies at $310,000 was Julieann B, a Cantab Hall half-sister to Muscle Hill. Nancy Johansson signed as agent on behalf of the buyers Stall Courant AB. Winbak Farm consigned the filly.
Rounding out the top five were another trotting colt, Mountain Of Love, by Muscle Hill, selling for $280,000 out of the Crawford Farms consignment, and the top pacer of the evening, the Art Major filly Evelix AM, hammered down at $275,000. This filly was in the Hunterton consignment. Both of these were purchased by Tony Alagna as agent.
The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale continues each evening at 7 p.m. through Friday at the Fasig-Tipton Sale Arena.
Session One Averages
Gait-Sex-Sold-Average Price-Total Price-Highest Price
Pace-Colts-25-$96,000-$2,400,000-$230,000
Pace-Fillies-24-$99,417-$2,386,000-$275,000
Trot-Colts-33-$121,485-$4,009,000-$350,000
Trot-Fillies-16-$121,188-$1,939,000-$310,000
Session One Leaders
Yearling-Sire-Dam-Sex-Gait-Price-Buyer-Consignor
Federal Hill-Muscle Hill-Gala Dream-C-T-$350,000-Atlantic Trot, Agent For Reima Kuisla-Brittany Farms
Live For Greatness-Cantab Hall-Forever Graceful-C-T-$350,000-Robert Lindstrom, Agent-Kentuckiana Farms, Agent
Julieann B-Cantab Hall-Yankee Blondie-F-T-$310,000-Nancy Johansson, Agent For Stall Courant Ab-Winbak Farm
Mountain Of Love-Muscle Hill-Somebody To Love-C-T-$280,000-Tony Alagna, Agent-Crawford Farms
Evelix Am-Art Major-Credit Rating-F-P-$275,000-Tony Alagna, Agent-Hunterton Sales Agency, Agent
Blue Beach-Somebeachsomewhere-Rainbow Blue-F-P-$270,000-Michele Crawford-Cameo Hills
Beach Showoff-Somebeachsomewhere-Put On A Show-F-P-$250,000-Richard Young-Northwood Bloodstock, Agent
Signal Hill-Muscle Hill-Special Appeal-C-T-$250,000-Tony Alagna, Agent-Brittany Farms
Dream Together-Muscle Hill-Danae-F-T-$240,000-Determination Stable-Cane Run Farm
Hurricane Beach-Somebeachsomewhere-Blazing Yankee-C-P-$230,000-Determination Stable-Allamerican Harnessbreds
Notable-Muscle Hill-Impressive Kemp-C-T-$220,000-Robert Lindstrom, Agent-Hunterton Sales Agency, Agent
Brand New Key-Cantab Hall-Bar Slide-C-T-$210,000-Robert Lindstrom, Agent-Cane Run Farm
Sheer Assault-Chapter Seven-Sheer Soul-C-T-$205,000-Andy Miller Stable, Agent-Kentuckiana Farms, Agent
Major Account-Western Ideal-Cpa-C P-$200,000-Tony Alagna, Agent-Hunterton Sales Agency, Agent
- Lexington Selected Sale continues to show increases (Wednesday, October 07, 2015)
The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale continues to show increases in average prices over last year’s excellent auction, through the completion of its second session on Tuesday (Oct. 6).
- Lexington Selected Yearling Sale maintains positive numbers (Thursday, October 08, 2015)
The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale completed on Wednesday (Oct. 7) the third of its five evening sessions, maintaining its growth in average price compared to last year’s auction. The 409 yearlings to have walked through the sales ring have commanded final bids totaling $24,543,000, an average price of $60,007. This is 2.8 percent higher than the average through three sessions in 2014.
- Positive numbers continue in fourth session of Lexington Selected Yearling Sale (Friday, October 09, 2015)
Having completed the fourth of five sessions, the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale is showing increases in average sale price compared to last year for both the specific session, 4.3 percent, and for the entire sale, 1.7 percent, to this point.
- Late surge ends Lexington Selected Yearling Sale (Saturday, October 10, 2015)
Like a champion racehorse, the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale sprinted to the wire, as the average price of $16,022 on the fifth and final session on Friday night surpassed the same session a year ago by 15.1 percent.