Harrisburg, PA — The three-day yearling portion of the 83rd annual Standardbred Horse Sale concluded Wednesday at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex, where it set the record for average and nearly for gross following a year absence from the arena because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three-day yearling portion of the 83rd annual Standardbred Horse Sale concluded Wednesday at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex, where it set records for gross and average. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

This year’s sale totaled $42.4 million for 777 horses and averaged $54,653. The previous record for average was $48,903 in 2019. The record for gross, $42.7 million, was set in 2007 when 1,048 horses sold.

Compared to 2019, this year’s yearling sale showed an increase of 11.7 percent in average.

Last year’s sale, held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, grossed $29.5 million and averaged $38,215 for 773 horses. This year’s numbers represented a 43.7-percent hike in gross and 43-percent jump in average.

Wednesday’s top seller was Unity Blue Chip, a New York eligible trotting filly by E L Titan out of Credittomyfamily, for $145,000 to Paul Kelley. She was bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock and consigned by Blue Chip Farms. Her family includes Moni For Lindy, who won this year’s Massachusetts Sire Stakes championship for 3-year-old filly trotters and finished second by a nose to Iteration in the New York Sire Stakes final.

Next on the list were two pacers that sold for $100,000 — Duck Dynasty to Shane Tritton and Sublime Hanover to Wilma and James MacKenzie.

Duck Dynasty, a New York eligible colt by Huntsville out of Rockn Opium, was bred by Blair and Erna Corbeil and consigned by Blue Chip Farms. His family includes millionaire Sharky Spur.

Sublime Hanover, an Ontario eligible filly by Sportswriter out of Sammy’s Magic Girl, is a half-sister to 2020 O’Brien Award-winning filly Scarlett Hanover. She was bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms.

The Standardbred Horse Sale’s two-day mixed sale begins at 10 a.m. (EST) Thursday.

For complete results, click here.