by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Judy Davis – Wilson of the Delaware Sires Stakes – “I’ve worked here for 11 years and been coming here since I was this high and I have never seen so many people on Monday and Tuesday. The crowd today has held from earlier in the week.”

Bob Heyden – Statistician at The Meadowlands and pedigree reader at the sale – “The leaning toward the trotting end of the game. It seems likes there are an awful lot of $300,000 trotters selling. The overseas market is strong; the whole trotting market is strong. The Horse of the Year contenders are trotters; there’s just a lot of interest and maybe at the expense of the pacers.”

Jean Brown of Blue Chip Farm – “No real surprises, a continuation of Lexington – if you had good stock, it sold well. The New York market is still strong and the Art Majors were well received, Credit Winner kept up and the Bettor’s Delights were great. A few of ours went for higher than we thought, but everything evens out.”

Blair Burgess – trainer of 2006 Hambletonian winner Glidemaster and top pacer Armbro Deuce – “The Andover Halls have just been crazy, I tried on a few of them but didn’t get one. When I buy a horse, the pedigree and the conformation and I don’t think much about the jurisdiction they come from. I think of that maybe last, but other people make it their fall back position. We already have a strong sires stakes program in Ontario and 16 tracks and no one else has that many tracks.”

Bob Marks – Marketing Director at Perretti Farms – “The high end was very, very good. The low and middle end was lower than expectations. Overall, it was a very, very good sale. We were particularly pleased with how the Red River Hanover and McArdle’s (first crop sires) sold.”

Tom Fanning – NJ-based trainer and purchaser of several NJ sired yearlings – “I was surprised at how well the New Jersey sired horses went for, even in a state without slots.”

Ray Remmen – New Jersey based trainer – “I knew the New York breds would be highly sought after, but they were even more so than I thought. I bought a few but I had to go quite a bit more than I wanted to. I was surprised that the Andover Halls were awfully well accepted. I got a filly (hip # 960, Three Palms – Andover Hall – Deux De Mai); I tried on a few colts but didn’t get them. It’s a good sign for the business; I don’t know if we’re ever short of money for good horses.”