by David Carr, the U.S. Trotting Association

Lexington, KY — The all-time record sale price in the nine-year history of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale was equaled, then smashed, during the auction’s first session on Tuesday night (Oct. 1).

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Custom Fit sold for a record $475,000 on Tuesday during the opening session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Trotting colt Custom Fit claims this honor, going for the price of $475,000. By Cantab Hall out of Gala Dream, this youngster is a full brother to the holy terrors Pastor Stephen, 2-year-old champion in 2010, and Father Patrick, this year’s dominant trotting colt. Jimmy Takter, who trained both of the older brothers, made the winning bid for this Brittany Farms-bred colt. A name change might be ahead, perhaps a Monsignor moment in the making?

It was another trotting colt that briefly shared the old record price of $450,000. This was Mr Lucky Luke, from the first crop of Lucky Chucky. Multiple stakes-winning dam Graceful Touch has already produced three winners of more than $200,000, headed by millionaire Muscle Massive. John Cancelliere had the final bid for this colt in the Hunterton consignment and is likely to turn the training responsibilities over to Chuck Sylvester, who so successfully campaigned Lucky Chucky.

Horse sales bidding typically starts a bit sluggishly through the first few hip numbers, but it was pedal to the metal time on Tuesday, with the second yearling, the Muscle Hill filly Bright Eyes, fetching a whopping $260,000. This was one of a pair of yearlings that Swedish agent Robert Lindstrom purchased for that amount, signing for six yearlings over the course of the session. That trailed only Takter, who acquired nine in all. Several other European bidders were active, assisting trotters to take the top five high priced positions.

Taking honors among pacers at $180,000 was the regally-bred filly Hey There Delilah, by Rocknroll Hanover out of Stienam’s Place. The Kentuckiana Farms-consigned yearling is a full sister to champion and $2 million-winner Put On A Show. Buyer Richard Young is hoping that the filly can emulate these distinguished relatives, as well as his own Rocknroll Hanover daughter, the nearly untouchable I Luv The Nitelife.

Overall, the first session of the sale finished in a virtual dead heat in average price with the comparable session in 2012, declining a mere $131 to $86,324. A total of 105 yearlings sold, six more than last year, pushing the gross sales to $9,064,000. The 36 yearlings to sell for $100,000 or more topped the 33 from a year ago.

Here are the summary statistics by gait and sex, and the leading horses by price, from the first session:

Group-No. Sold-Total Price-Average Price-Top Price-Median-$100,000+
Pacing Colts-28-$2,462,000-$87,929-$150,000-$82,500-13
Pacing Fillies-22-$1,605,000-$72,955-$180,000-$60,000-6
Trotting Colts-31-$3,231,000-$104,226-$475,000-$77,000-11
Trotting Fillies-24-$1,766,000-$73,583-$260,000-$51,500-6
Total-105-$9,064,000-$86,324-$475,000-$75,000-36

Yearling-Sire-Dam-Sex-Gait-Price-Buyer
Custom Fit-Cantab Hall-Gala Dream-C-T-$475,000-Jimmy W. Takter
Mr Lucky Luke-Lucky Chucky-Graceful Touch-C-T-$450,000-John Cancelliere
Bright Eyes-Muscle Hill-Caught My Eye-F-T-$260,000-Robert Lindstrom, Agent
Madrid-Credit Winner-Starcelona-C-T-$260,000-Robert Lindstrom, Agent
Hey There Delilah-Rocknroll Hanover-Stienam’s Place-F-P-$180,000-Richard Young
Marquis Volo-Credit Winner-Margarita Momma-C-T-$180,000-Jeff Gillis
Flirting Filly-Broadway Hall-Flirtin My Way-F-T-$170,000-Jimmy W. Takter, Agent
Darden-Credit Winner-Yalta Hanover-C-T-$165,000-Robert Lindstrom, Agent
Southwind Sonic-Muscle Hill-Spice On Ice-C-T-$155,000-Lindy Racing Stable
Asap Hanover-Somebeachsomewhere-Allamerican Coed-C-P-$150,000-John Mehlenbacher
Bright Baby Blues-Andover Hall-Bar Slide-F-T-$150,000-Melvin Hartman
Mission Brief-Muscle Hill-Southwind Serena-F-T-$150,000-Burke Racing Stable Llc

The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale continues each evening at 7 p.m. through Saturday at the Fasig-Tipton Sale Arena.