by David Carr, Research Manager, USTA

Lexington, KY — A huge crowd descended upon the Fasig-Tipton sale facility on Wednesday night, October 3, for the opening session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, and they were prepared to spend their dollars, euros and loonies. Spend they did, as the sale posted a whopping gain of more than 22 percent compared to last year’s excellent first session, averaging $87,824 for the 119 youngsters sold.

Trotters led the way, with the average price for colts actually exceeding $100,000. Their filly counterparts followed closely behind, averaging $93,560.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

The trotting filly Highscore Kemp was the first session sale topper at $300,000.

Filly trotters did lay claim to the sale topper, as Highscore Kemp was the high price of the night at $300,000. Lindy Farms of Connecticut made the winning bid on this daughter of Muscles Yankee–Emilie Cas El, with mom being an international major stakes winner of more than $400,000 and a full sister to the terrific trotting trio of Andover Hall, Angus Hall and Conway Hall.

Another Muscles Yankee filly captured the second highest price of the night, and Lindy Farms was associated with this one as well, but as breeder this time. Lindy’s Sugar Baby sold for $285,000 to John Bootsman of Boko Stables of Sweden, who was quite familiar with the European success of the dam’s full brother, Civil Action.

A pair of trotting colts came next in line in the price parade. Ventoux Nourrir, from the first crop of Windsong’s Legacy, is the first foal from a full sister to champion Blur, and sold to Myron Bell, agent, for $230,000. Victor Blue Chip, by Credit Winner and the first foal of dam Precious Lindy, sold to David Scharf for $225,000.

Scharf, no stranger to owning great horses, including presumptive Horse of the Year Donato Hanover, made a big play on the pacing side as well, taking home That’s The Plan, a filly by Western Ideal out of $400,000 winner Best Laid Plans for the price of $210,000. This is the same price paid by Richard Young for Her Angel, a filly by Western Hanover out of the great Cathedra Dot Com, herself a winner of more than $1.5 million and a half sister to divisional horses of the year Cabrini Hanover and Western Shooter.

A pair of prominent individuals returned to families that brought them fame and fortune. Jef Snyder purchased for $200,000 the pacing colt Artillery Officer, by Art Major and out of a mare that is the half or three-quarter sister to Cam’s Card Shark, Michelle’s Jackpot, and Cam’s Magic Trick, all campaigned with enormous success by Snyder. Trainer Blair Burgess signed the ticket for $200,000 for Truth In Action, a colt by first crop sire Cantab Hall out of Cressida Hanover, dam of Glidemaster, the colt that Burgess skillfully managed to Horse of the Year honors in 2006.

These eight yearlings selling for at least $200,000 were among the 39 topping the $100,000 mark, compared to 27 reaching that level in the first session at Lexington Selected a year ago.

Here are some statistics for the opening session, with the sale continuing daily through Sunday: