by David Carr, Research Manager, USTA

Lexington, KY — The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale posted a healthy increase in average price of more than 15 percent compared to 2006, and a margin of more than 40 percent over its inaugural sale in 2005. Overall, the 791 yearlings sold for an average price of $45,072.

The fifth, and concluding, session on Sunday was actually a bit soft. The average price of $15,419 fell a couple hundred dollars shy of the comparable numbers for the final session a year ago. With no racing on Sunday, the sale moved its starting time to 12:00 noon, and there were some fillies that made the most of their time to shine.

A pair of fillies, both raised and consigned by Kentuckiana Farms for owner Tom Crouch, shared honors for being the sale toppers for the session at $70,000. Legs Up To Here is by Yankee Glide out of Show Me Leg, making her a full sister to a pair of sub-1:58 trotters. Celebrity Farms LLC was the winning bidder.

Wherever You Go is by Allamerican Native out of Whiffed It, whose only previous foal is the sub-1:55 2-year-old Swingbatterbatter. Agent Jim Miller signed the sales slip for this pacing filly.

There were two other yearlings selling for at least $50,000 during Sunday’s session. Trotting colt Hall Oats is by Conway Hall out of the unraced Valley Victory mare Imperial Girl, a half sister to two $300,000 winners. Agent Ole Bach acquired for $55,000 this colt that was bred by Allerage Farm and consigned by Northwood Bloodstock.

No Nina sold for $50,000 to DM Stables LLC. This daughter of Like A Prayer is out of Nannina Ambrosio, a producer of four trotters with 2:00 records. Peninsula Farm consigned this filly as agent for breeder Walter Fister’s Walstan Farm.

For some statistics by gait and sex for the fifth session and the entire sale, click here.

A total of $35,652,000 was spent at the Lexington Selected Sale, much of it recently converted from Euros and Canadian dollars, as both currencies have gained considerable value against the U.S. dollar in the last year. It is impossible at this point to determine precisely how many of the yearlings sold to European buyers, due to the use of agents and leading foreign-born trainers, such as Jimmy Takter and Trond Smedshammer, who have both American and European clients. Even after eliminating the trainers and some agents, Europeans, spent more than $4.8 million.

Europeans race trotters exclusively on the continent, and their active bidding on fashionable trotting yearlings resulted in a significant increase in the number of $100,000 horses sold this year in Lexington. In 2007, 56 of the 87 youngsters selling for six figures were trotters, compared to 36 of the 58 in 2006. Of the 11 horses selling for at least $200,000, eight were trotters.

Despite this concentration on trotters, it was pacing colts that posted the biggest gains over 2006. There were 224 pacing colts sold, for an average price of $43,871, representing an increase in price of more than 24 percent. Trotting colts attained the highest overall average, $53,194, improving by 15 percent from a year ago, while pacing and trotting fillies gained 10 and eight percent, respectively.

The honor of being the highest-priced yearling for the entire sale belongs to Mr Cantab, a colt by Cantab Hall out of Miss Marita. This mare produced two-time divisional Horse of the Year Passionate Glide, as well as major multi-stakes winners Marita’s Victory and Mr Vic.

For a list of the 11 yearlings selling for at least $200,000, click here.

First crop sensation Cantab Hall, who with three was the leading sire of $200,000 yearlings, also had the greatest number reaching the $100,000 mark, at 13. He was closely followed by trotting sires Conway Hall (12) and Muscles Yankee (10). The late great Western Hanover led all pacing sires with eight yearlings selling for at least $100,000.

In terms of average price, it was Credit Winner who gets credit for being the winner. His eight foals sold for an average price of $98,375. Just a nose back was Cantab Hall, who had 35 foals pass through the ring, bringing an average price of $93,143. Both of these topped the sale leader last year, Andover Hall, who averaged $91,900 in 2006.

For a summary for sires with at least five yearlings sold, click here.

Let’s turn our attention to some of the humans responsible for these lofty figures. Ole Bach gets the writer’s cramp award, as he signed for 31 yearlings, 13 in his own name and an additional 18 for nine different Scandinavian clients, for a total of $996,000.

Trainer Erv Miller purchased a total of 11 yearlings, for himself and a variety of clients, for a grand total of $1,325,000, tops for the sale.

Myron Bell was an active participant as well, being the winning bidder on 10 yearlings for a total price of $1,072,000.

Trainer George Teague remained true to his formula for success, nabbing 10 medium-priced yearlings for a total of $390,000, ranging in price from $13,000 to $75,000.

Blue Chip Bloodstock purchased 10 for $623,000, then partnered with Adam Victor for an additional blue blood at $175,000.

Agents dominated the ranks of consignors, let by Preferred Equine Marketing, offering 96 yearlings for $5,387,000. Kentuckiana Farm sold as agent 93 yearlings which brought $3,858,000, plus an additional 61 yearlings in the name of the farm itself, generating $2,605,000 in sales.

For a list of the leading consignors by total and average sale prices, click here.