by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

East Rutherford, NJ — Tony Alagna signed the ticket for the sales topper at Monday’s Tattersalls January Select Mixed Sale at the Meadowlands, and it won’t take the trainer much time to get familiar with the horse.

Dr J Hanover was the sales topper at Monday’s Tattersalls January Select Mixed Sale at the Meadowlands.

Alagna purchased Dr J Hanover for $280,000. Dr J Hanover, a 4-year-old gelded pacer, spent his first two years in Alagna’s stable, winning eight of 19 races and earning $326,773. The majority of Dr J Hanover’s success came last year at Yonkers Raceway, where he won six times. On the Grand Circuit, he finished third in the Messenger Stakes, Little Brown Jug, and a division of the Tattersalls Pace.

In addition, Alagna bought 4-year-old pacing stallion American Passport for $135,000. American Passport also raced in Alagna’s stable at ages 2 and 3, winning five of 27 races and earning $314,656.

The two horses were sold as part of dissolving partnerships.

“Some partners wanted out, some wanted to stay in; we’ll wait until the dust settles and see who’s staying in,” Alagna said. “It will be new partnerships put together for both horses.”

One of the new partners on both horses will be Canada’s Brad Grant.

“Brad and I have had great luck,” Alagna said. “He bought Wake Up Peter from me, he bought Sandbetweenurtoes, Revenge Shark, Witch Dali; he’s had a great run with horses that we’ve had. These fit what Brad is looking for. They’ll be nice horses for the 4-year-old year.”

Dr J Hanover, named in honor of Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky, the farm manager at Hanover Shoe Farms, was purchased as a yearling under the name Stepenwolf Hanover for $300,000 at the 2014 Standardbred Horse Sale. He is a son of stallion Somebeachsomewhere out of the stakes-winning mare So Perfect and his family includes stakes-winners Perfectionist, Lifetime Member and Copywriter as well as millionaire Image Of Dawn.

Alagna will target the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series at Yonkers for Dr J Hanover’s first test.

“He’s back training,” Alagna said. “We gave him a nice proper break, so he’ll be ready for the Levy if everything goes well. We’ll play it by ear. If he’s getting beat up in the Levy we won’t continue and we’ll get him freshened up and get him ready for the 4-year-old restricted races.

“With the way the races are, and the money they’re going for at Yonkers, and if you have a horse that’s a half-mile track specialist, why not? Dr J Hanover got so good on the half, and that made him a horse. You normally don’t find that. He learned to leave the gate fast.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photos

Tony Alagna also bought 4-year-old pacing stallion American Passport for $135,000.

American Passport is a son of American Ideal out of the mare Star Of The Show. He sold as a yearling for $29,000 under the name Rose Run Rascal at the 2014 Standardbred Horse Sale. His mother is a half-sister to both Ideal Treasure, who is the dam of 2015 Canadian Horse of the Year State Treasurer, and stakes-winner Ideal Matters. The family also includes world champion Hit Parade.

“I like his speed,” Grant said. “He’s a very fast horse. I think he’s got a lot of upside ahead of him. He’s lightly raced. I really think he’s got a lot of racing ahead of him.”

Grant purchased last year’s top seller at the January sale, trotter Lindy’s Tru Grit, for $125,000. He also purchased then 3-year-old Easy Lover Hanover, who capped last season by winning the Progress Pace, for $70,000.

“Brad’s already got Easy Lover (Hanover),” Alagna said. “He’s got (multiple) opportunities to race for good money in the 4-year-old restricted (races). We’ll do the right thing and get American Passport ready for the 4-year-old year. I’m not going to rush him to be ready for the Levy because I don’t think he’s ready to do that yet. But he’s got a lot of upside.

“There are a lot of 4-year-old restricted races and then by midseason hopefully he can step up. There’s no (Horse of the Year) Always B Miki, no Racing Hill, no Betting Line. You take a lot of horses out of the mix, so he’s got a shot to make some serious money.”

A total of eight horses sold for at least $100,000 at this year’s sale, compared to two horses last year. Following Dr J Hanover on the list was 4-year-old pacing stallion Gerries Sport, who was purchased for $145,000 by trainer Josh Green as agent. Last year, Gerries Sport won five of 20 races and earned $187,978 while racing for trainer Richard Moreau. He finished second to Betting Line in the Ontario Sire Stakes championship.

Multiple-stakes-winner Katies Rocker, a 4-year-old gelded pacer with $405,069 in career purses, sold for $140,000 to Howard Taylor. The horse raced for trainer Jim Campbell at ages 2 and 3.

In addition to the eight horses to top $100,000 this year, 4-year-old pacer Western Fame and 4-year-old trotter Lagerfeld were each hammered down for more than $200,000, but neither reached his reserve price.

Cinamony, a 6-year-old mare pacer, was the top seller among the ladies, going for $90,000 to Mark Mullen of Fair Winds Farm. Mullen plans to breed the mare, who won 25 of 89 races and earned $532,404 in her career. Cinamony is a half-sister to stakes-winner Fear The Dragon and her second dam is Dan Patch Award-winner Mattaroni.

“She had a good record and she was racy looking,” Mullen said. “Mattaroni is a pretty nice family.”

Below are the top sellers from Monday’s sale.

Horse–Sire-Dam–Buyer–Consignor–Price
Dr J Hanover (4gp)—Somebeachsomewhere-So Perfect—Tony Alagna—Preferred Equine, agent—$280,000
Gerries Sport (4hp)—Mach Three-Perfect Sport—Josh Green, agent—Northwood Bloodstock—$145,000
Katies Rocker (4gp)—Rocknroll Hanover-Just Wait Kate—Howard Taylor—Peninsula Farm, agent—$140,000
American Passport (4hp)—American Ideal-Star Of The Show—Tony Alagna—Preferred Equine, agent—$135,000
Bentley Spur (5gt)—SJ’s Caviar-Sweetie Spur—Richard Banca—Northwood Bloodstock—$135,000
Missile J (4gp)—American Ideal-Cantor’s Daughter—Scott DiDomenico—Preferred Equine, agent—$115,000
Rodeo Romeo (5hp)—Rocknroll Hanover-Southwind Vanna—Chris Ryder, agent—Preferred Equine, agent—$110,000
Voracity (4gp)—Sportswriter-Lu Lu Q—Burke Racing—Preferred Equine, agent—$105,000
Cinamony (6mp)—Art Official-Armbro Cinnamon—Mark Mullen—Preferred Equine, agent—$90,000
Latest Desire (7gp)—Real Desire-Latest Design—Virgil Morgan Jr.—Preferred Equine, agent—$90,000
Bettor Rock On N (8gp)—Bettor’s Delight-Jingle Belle Rock—William Hartt—Preferred Equine, agent—$85,000
Fine Diamond (4hp)—Rock N Roll Heaven-Yellow Diamond—S. Descheneaut—Preferred Equine, agent—$82,000
Newcastle (5gt)—Cantab Hall-Blushed—Cad Gregory—Preferred Equine, agent—$82,000
Elliesjet N (7mp)—Jereme’s Jet-Elle Mary Rose—Chad Foulk—Northwood Bloodstock—$70,000
Tipitina (7mp)—Rocknroll Hanover-Hi Ho Molly—Rene Allard—Preferred Equine, agent—$70,000
The Rock (5gp)—Sportswriter-Shy Ticket—Tyler Buter—Preferred Equine, agent—$70,000

Complete results of the sale are available at www.tattersallsredmile.com.