Harrisburg, PA – Trotting filly Coffeeshop Hanover, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Crucial and full sister to 2024 Dan Patch Award-winning colt Maryland, sold for $800,000 to Jeff Snyder to top Monday’s (Nov. 2) opening session of the 88th annual Standardbred Horse Sale at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex.
Coffeeshop Hanover became the third consecutive yearling out of Crucial to lead the opening session of the Standardbred Horse Sale, following filly Climatic Hanover (by Walner) at $725,000 in 2025 and colt Cambridge Hanover (also by Walner) at $1 million in 2024.
A total of seven yearlings sold for at least $550,000 on Monday, helping push the sale’s gross to $18.8 million for 174 horses, an average of $108,126. Last year, the opening day’s gross was $16.3 million for 170 horses, an average of $95,841. This year’s numbers reflected a 15.3% increase in gross and 12.8% hike in average. Trotting fillies led the way, with 46 selling for $6.7 million, an average of $145,739.
“I thought maybe with what we had in the catalog we’d be up some, but I thought we’d be a little above last year,” said Dale Welk, the Standardbred Horse Sales Company president and director of operations. “Once they got started today, it was just unbelievable.
“Trotting fillies, you can’t go wrong with. If their legs are going the right way, they’re after them. What’s nice about it is that there are usually two or three people (bidding), but there were maybe a dozen people that were after them. Two or three people bought them, but they weren’t bidding against just each other.
“I think all-in-all all the consignors are happy. I’ve talked to most of them.”
Coffeeshop Hanover, who is New York eligible, was bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms. In addition to Maryland, Cambridge Hanover and Climatic Hanover (who was a Grade 2 stakes winner this year), her family includes 2021 Dan Patch Award-winning filly Venerable and graded stakes winner Voguish.
“What’s there not to like,” Snyder said about Coffeeshop Hanover, who will be trained by Marcus Melander. “I really feel that she was the best-bred filly in both (the Standardbred Horse and Lexington Selected) sales. She’s a great-looking filly. With a filly like this, you’re not gambling the entire amount. Even if she’s just a so-so filly on the racetrack, she’s well worth the money. When it’s time for her to be a broodmare, she’s got strong residual value. We were prepared to go more for her, so we’re very happy.”
Second on the list of Monday’s best sellers was pacing colt Loudemetry, a son of Sweet Lou-Geometry and full brother to 2023 Dan Patch Award-winning filly Geocentric. He was purchased for $750,000 by trainer Andrew Harris of the Punisher 11 Stable. His second dam is multiple Dan Patch Award-winner See You At Peelers, whose offspring include graded stakes winners Gentleman’s Club and Champagne Room.
Loudemetry was bred by Joseph Davino, Anthony Perretti Farm, and Brad Shackman and consigned by Concord Stud Farm. He is Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund eligible.
“It was a lot more (to spend) than I wanted to, but apparently Determination (stable) thought it was worth chasing too, so the two of us battled it out,” said Harris, who purchased a total of nine yearlings on Monday, about buying Loudemetry. “When you get two guys that go against each other like that you’re going to get a big number.
“He’s a gorgeous animal. He looks the part. I thought he was the best pacer in the sale. Then you mix it with Geocentric – and she was a Sweet Lou and they finally bred back to Sweet Lou – and this is the first colt out of the family, so there is a lot to like there.”
Also reaching $700,000 – exactly – was trotting filly Glory Road, a daughter of Muscle Hill-Goldy Mary FR who was purchased by trainer Lucas Wallin for owner Kjell Magne Andersen. She is a half-sister to New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Custom and is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible. She was bred by Diamond Creek Farm and Order By Stable AB and consigned by Concord Stud Farm.
“She was one of the nicest fillies in the sale, and the pedigree, the individual – we loved everything about her,” Wallin said. “I’m very fortunate to have an owner like Kjell in the barn that invests so much money every year. Last year, he bought (Climatic Hanover) and he bought a very nice colt in Lexington this year, and now this filly. Every trainer doesn’t have owners like that, so I’m just very grateful.
“Everyone probably saw that she was a fantastic individual,” Wallin added about the price. “Maybe it was a little bit wider group (of trotting fillies) in Lexington and here you had four, five, six that really stood out. It looked like everyone went for them.”
Andersen also came away with the next highest-priced yearling, buying trotting filly Book A Spa Day for $685,000. The daughter of Walner-Hot Mess Hanover is a full sister to multiple Dan Patch Award-winning mare Jiggy Jog S. She was bred by Vestmarka AB and consigned by Anvil And Lace Farm for owner Winning Key Inc., who purchased Hot Mess Hanover in foal for $1 million in 2024. Book A Spa Day is New Jersey eligible.
“The breeding is the first thing, but when you looked at her, she was a pretty nice individual,” Andersen said. “There were other horses in the sale that we kind of looked at, but we thought this one stood out. Being a full sister to Jiggy Jog is not going to hurt. There is some residual value regardless if she becomes a racehorse or not. I think she will be OK. She was my top target. It will be fun.”
Completing the top five sellers Monday was trotting colt Mr Sean Hanover, a son of Captain Corey-M Diddy, who was purchased for $675,000 by Determination. His second dam is multimillionaire Maven and the family includes 2022 New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Pretender as well as millionaires Elista Hanover and Little Brown Fox. He was bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms and is Pennsylvania eligible.
“I had two Captain Coreys (this year), two fillies, and I like them,” said Luc Blais, who trains for Determination. “They’re very laidback horses, very smart horses. They’re not nervous. They’re very professional. I was not the only one who liked (Mr Sean Hanover). I’m very happy.”
Determination also purchased trotting filly Finest Chapter, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Fine Tuned Lady, for $550,000. She is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Oh Well. She was bred and consigned by Concord Stud Farm and is New York, Kentucky and New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund eligible.
Between Mr Sean Hanover and Finest Chapter was trotting filly Empressofwalnford, who was purchased for $660,000 by Åke Svanstedt as agent. She is a daughter of Walner-The Empress Ice and her family includes multiple-stakes-winners The Ice Dutchess and Ice Attraction as well as Southwind Serena, the dam of Mission Brief and Tactical Landing. She was bred by Stephen Dey III and David Reid and consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing. She is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.
The second session of the three-day yearling portion of the Standardbred Horse Sale will begin at 10 a.m. (EST) Tuesday. The final yearling session will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
A two-day mixed sale will be held Thursday and Friday, with sessions beginning at 11 a.m. on both days.
“I think we’re going to be good,” Welk said about the remainder of the yearling portion of the sale. “Maybe we won’t be up 13(%) or 15% each day, but I think we’re going to be up. The reason I say that is because a lot of people got shut out today. I’ve had guys that normally come in with six, seven, eight slips and they came in with one. So, there is money left. And the crowd was phenomenal. I think it’s the biggest crowd we’ve had in the last three or four years.”
Complete Standardbred Horse Sale details are available at theblackbook.com.
Find the sale’s yearling catalog here and mixed sale catalog here. Mixed sale supplements can be found here.
For the livestream, visit the sale’s company website here, and for complete results, click here.