by Dean A. Hoffman

Lexington, KY — The momentum continued through the third session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale on Friday night (Oct. 6) in Lexington.

There were eight $100,000 yearlings sold on Friday, topped by the $225,000 paid for Jadestone, a Western Ideal colt purchased by Gary Mills of Cambridge, Ontario. He is the first living foal of Bewitching Jewel by Artsplace and was consigned by Brittany Farms.

Trainer Doug Miller purchased as agent Victorious Girl, a Conway Hall filly from Armbro Victorious by Valley Victory. The price was $200,000.

The average price through three sessions stands at $57,382, an increase of 19 percent over comparable sale sessions last year.

Demand for trotting yearlings remained remarkably strong. Eight of the top 10 yearlings through the first three sessions have been trotting-bred. The demand for the sons and daughters of Andover Hall has been relentless. Four of those top 10 sales yearlings are offspring of Andover Hall. (Another one is out of a sister to Andover Hall, and a sixth one is by Conway Hall, a brother to Andover Hall.) The 25 yearlings by Andover Hall have averaged $102,200.

Credit Winner’s six yearlings have averaged $85,833.

The top pacing sire in the averages thus far is Camluck. His seven yearlings have averaged $73,142.

Trotting fillies continue to be the strongest segment of the market, averaging $66,766, an increase of 35 percent over the 2005 sale. Trotting colts are averaging $63,029, an increase of 13 percent over last year.

Pacing fillies, often the weakest segment of the Standardbred yearling market, are getting a good reception from bidders, averaging $50,947, up 22 percent over the same three sessions of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale last year.

Pacing colts, often considered the “glamour” boys of harness racing, are averaging $49,343, the lowest of the four gait-sex categories. Still, that represents an increase of eight percent over the 2005 sale stats.