by David Carr, the U.S. Trotting Association

Lexington, KY — Buyers have responded this week clearly and positively to questions about the state of the top level yearling market, as the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale concluded with significant gains over 2010. During the sale’s fifth and final session on Friday afternoon, 156 yearlings sold for an average price of $11,298, and increase over the comparable session last year of more than 11 percent. This closing surge helped to boost the Lexington Selected sale to an overall gain in average price of 8.7 percent.

Over the course of five sessions, a total of 761 yearlings sold for an average price of $33,706. Despite the fact that there were 30 fewer yearlings offered compared to 2010, the gross of $25,650,500 actually exceeded the total amount in 2010 by more than $1.1 million.

On Friday, there were three yearlings that reached the $80,000 price level. Topping the sales chart for the day at $85,000 was Galex, a pacing colt by Ponder out of Miss Deeds, making him a half-brother to $250,000 winner Mystique Cruiser. John Como Jr. signed the ticket for this colt consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing as agent for Considine Farm.

Just two hips earlier Como had again been the winning bidder, this time for $80,000 for another pacing colt. A son of Real Desire and the $300,000 mare Special Magic, Real Illusion is a full brother to a pair of horses with records faster than 1:51.2. He was bred and consigned by Brittany Farms.

The pacing filly Request For Parole squeezed in between these colts on the leader board, selling for $82,000. She is by Badlands Hanover out of the 100% producer Give Me Life, whose foals are headed by Gallant Yankee, a winner of nearly $500,000. The Winbak Farm bred and raised filly has been acquired by R Berthiaume Inc.

Pacing colts dominated throughout the entire sale both the list of leaders as well as the average prices. The final average of $40,338 was more than $3,500 greater than the runners-up trotting colts, and nearly 20 percent more than the average paid on pacing colts a year ago.

First crop sire Somebeachsomewhere made a big splash, attaining the highest average among all sires at $76,465 and also setting a record for a yearling pacing colt, when Hitting The Cycle was hammered down at $450,000 on opening night. Two other pacing stallions averaged more than $40,000; Art Major at $56,387 and American Ideal at $53,400.

There was greater balance among trotting sires. Donato Hanover led the way with an average price of $65,773, while six other stallions, Kadabra, Credit Winner, Yankee Glide, Muscles Yankee, Deweycheatumnhowe, and Cantab Hall all surpassed $40,000 mark.

Here are the top priced horses and averages.

Yearling-Sire-Dam-Sex-Gait-Price-Buyer

GALEX-PONDER-MISS DEEDS-C-P-$85,000-John Como Jr.
REQUEST FOR PAROLE-BADLANDS HANOVER-GIVE ME LIFE-F-P-$82,000-R Berthiaume Inc
REAL ILLUSION-REAL DESIRE-SPECIAL MAGIC-C-P-$80,000-John Como Jr.
NOT SO FORGIVING-DRAGON AGAIN-NASSAU LOOP-C-P-$42,000-Mark Horner, agent for Joe Muskokoman
REVE ENCORE DREAM-INFINITIF-LE REVE-F-T-$42,000-Cdra Totun Somni

Session 5
Group-Number Sold-Total Price-Average Price-Top Price-Median-$100,000+
Pacing Colts-47-$753,000-$16,021-$85,000-$12,000-0
Pacing Fillies-60-$496,000-$8,267-$82,000-$5,500-0
Trotting Colts-20-$214,500-$10,725-$29,000-$8,250-0
Trotting Fillies-29-$299,000-$10,310-$42,000-$8,000-0
Total-156-$1,762,500-$11,298-$85,000-$8,000-0

Total sale
Group Number-Sold-Total Price-Average Price-Top Price-Median-$100,000+
Pacing Colts-210-$8,471,000-$40,338-$450,000-$26,500-18
Pacing Fillies-191-$5,100,000-$26,702-$170,000-$16,000-7
Trotting Colts-191-$6,982,500-$36,558-$210,000-$22,000-14
Trotting Fillies-169-$5,097,000-$30,160-$170,000-$20,000-10
Total-761-$25,650,500-$33,706-$450,000-$20,000-49