Wilmore, KY — In spite of coronavirus concerns and the opportunity to bid online, horsemen thronged the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio, on Tuesday (Aug. 25) to view and purchase horses in person. The Blooded Horse Summer Sale was strong throughout all categories and consistent with last summer’s best sale in 64 years.

Three-year-old Indiana Sires Stakes winner Nassau Desire topped the sale with a $32,000 bid from Brandon Bartley. The Real Desire gelding was consigned by Burke Racing Stable. Bartley also signed the ticket for $22,000 for the Ohio Fair Stakes winning 2-year-old pacer Pan’s Pro. Another Indiana-bred, Ron’s EOM, was the sale runner-up at $25,000. The upper-class conditioned pacer was purchased by No Recall Stable and was consigned by Vicki Givens of Delaware.

Vicki and Wayne Givens came to Springfield determined to replenish their racing stable. They went home with two promising Indiana bred 3-year-olds in Life Is A Highway ($24,000 and Candy’s Image ($22,000), both consigned by Simmons Stable. The Givenses also picked up the conditioned trotter Teddy Brosevelt from Tim Betts for $21,000, along with two more green pacers that fit the Delaware conditions.

A couple of young mares were purchased for their fine bloodlines rather than their racing lines. Kota’s Swan, a stakes winning daughter of Swan For All, went to Cool Winds Farm on a $21,000 bid, and the 3-year-old pacing filly Off To Win, out of the dam of Funknwaffles p,5,1:49.2f ($959,194) and Poker Hat p,5,1:49.4f ($916,790), was purchased by Jonas Schwartzfor $17,000.

Ohio-breds topped the 118 catalogued yearlings. Long Hilltop, a Long Tom colt out of the double $300,000 producer Angel Touch went to Jack Wray for $19,000. The colt was consigned by Marlin Yoder. Next was Rose Run Xtatic, a son of And Away We Go out of the New York Sire Stakes winner Incredible Fortuna, purchased by Mike Polhamus for $18,000. Also hammered down for $18,000 was the Fineartnrosa, consigned by Trotting Tradition. The daughter of The Panderosa and Fine Art Mindale p,2,1:54.1; 4,1:52.3f was purchased by Matt Rowe.

“We were pleased that 17 of the horses sold via Proxibid, along with a lot that were underbidders,” said Blooded Horse sale manager Jerry Haws. “Nonetheless, it inspires people to physically see and touch the horses, and experience the excitement of being in the hunt at the sale. Most of the time, that translates into on-site bidders prevailing over the internet competition.”

Visit bloodedhorse.com for full sale results and to enter horses for the Fall Blooded Horse Sale, which will take place Nov. 17-19.