Lexington, KY — Pacing filly Naughty Beauty, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight-Beautyonthebeach, was purchased for $550,000 by Andrew Harris as agent for William Pollock on Tuesday (Oct. 1) to lead the second session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion.
Her price is the highest ever for the Lexington sale’s second session. The previous high was $525,000 for trotting filly Wall To Wall, who sold in 2021.
Naughty Beauty is a full sister to stakes winner Blazing Belle out of the family of Hall of Fame broodmare Precious Beauty. The family includes 2020 Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Tall Dark Stranger as well as Dan Patch Award winners Precocious Beauty and Sportswriter, plus 2023 Metro Pace champ Captain’s Quarters.
The filly was consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency and bred by Jim Avritt Sr. She is Ontario and Kentucky eligible.
“That was definitely our No. 1 pick for today,” Pollock said. “That’s who we had circled, and that’s who we went after. We didn’t think (the price) would be that high; we were a little surprised.
“Casie Coleman picked her. That was her No. 1 pick. She loved her. She said she looks at a horse and determines if it looks athletic, if she thinks it meets all her criteria. She doesn’t get involved in the price, and she doesn’t care about the book, she just goes by that. We trusted her, and we rolled with her No. 1.”
Tuesday’s 227-yearling group sold for a total of $22.1 million and average of $97,678. The average set a second-session record, narrowly beating last year’s $97,247. Last year’s second-session gross, when 239 horses were sold, was a second-day record $23.2 million.
Overall, this year’s sale has seen 344 horses sell for $44.4 million, an average of $129,265. Last year through two sessions, the gross was $45.4 million for 360 horses, an average of $126,289. The 2023 sale ended with an average of $71,566, second best to the record average of $73,690 set in 2022.
Harris and Pollock also bought the day’s third-highest seller, trotting filly Che Bella, for $400,000. The daughter of Bar Hopping-New Wave is a three-quarter sister to 2023 Dan Patch Award winning filly Bond, with Dan Patch Award recipients Bella Bellini and Pizza Dolce also in her family. She was consigned by Kentuckiana Farms and bred by Al Libfeld. She is Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible.
“My son (Billy) wanted that one the most,” Pollock said. “We saw the video and liked the way she looked, a big bruiser. He really loved that horse.”
Pollock purchased 15 horses through the first two sessions of the sale for a total of $5.1 million.
“We wanted 15 horses, that was our goal,” he said. “We bought 11 fillies. I think we’re going to branch into the breeding a little bit down the road in the future. We want to have some broodmares. I want to have an ongoing business to pass down someday to my son. The prototypes are the Diamond Creeks, the Brittany Farms, Crawford Farms. I just love those types of things. That’s our goal, to maybe do a smaller version of that, but have something ongoing. This way, you at least have a future going forward.”
Åke Svanstedt signed for Tuesday’s second- and fourth-highest priced yearlings.
Trotting filly Jennifer Palema, a daughter of Bar Hopping-Sobti Hanover, sold for $425,000 to Svanstedt as agent for Bender Sweden.
The filly is a full sister to 2021 Yonkers Trot winner Johan Palema. Her family also includes near-millionaire Spellbound Hanover, the dam of 2016 Trotting Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder. She was consigned by Kentuckiana Farms and bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Bender Sweden. She is Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible.
Svanstedt also got trotting colt Rambo Hanover, a son of Muscle Hill-Riding High, for $385,000. He is the first foal out of Riding High, and his family includes Grand Circuit winners Hidalgo, Kings County, Brooklyn Hill, and Creamy Mimi, the dam of millionaire French Wine. He was consigned and bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. He is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.
Rounding out the top five sellers Tuesday was trotting filly Aperfect Tillie, who sold for $360,000 to Armitage Farm. The daughter of Googoo Gaagaa-Asixpakfromperfect is a half-sister to Grand Circuit winner Aperfectyankee. She was consigned by Peninsula Farm and bred by Robert Detweiler. She is Kentucky eligible.
Through two sessions, Walner led trotting sires in gross with 42 horses selling for $8.32 million. Bar Hopping led in average with $228,667 for six yearlings. Walner was second among stallions with more than one yearling sold, coming in at $198,262.
Captaintreacherous led pacing sires in gross with 26 horses going for $2.97 million. First-crop sire Perfect Sting was second with 19 horses going for $2.37 million. Bettor’s Delight led in average with $197,500 for four yearlings. Downbytheseaside was next with $149,727 for 11 yearlings.
The third session of the five-day sale begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 2).
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