by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Harrisburg, PA — For John Floren’s Coyote Wynd Farms, the opening of the Standardbred Horse Sale on Monday (Nov. 6) was a break-even kind of day.

First, Floren watched Coyote Wynd Farms-bred trotting colt Sheer Muscle sell for $320,000. Then, as the session neared conclusion, Coyote Wynd Farms bought trotting filly The Ice Dutchess for $320,000. The two horses, both sired by Muscle Hill, shared the honor of being the day’s top sellers.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Sheer Muscle sold as hip No. 112 for $320,000.

“How often does that happen?” said trainer Clark Beelby, who signed the ticket for The Ice Dutchess. “It’s just a little kind of trade.”

The “trade” was part of a day that saw Muscle Hill listed as the sire of the session’s four highest-selling horses and seven of the 11 that brought at least $200,000. A total of 21 Muscle Hill-sired trotters passed through the ring and sold for an average of $148,762.

Overall, a total of 164 yearlings sold for an average of $75,305. The average was a drop of 4.28 percent from last year’s average of $78,676 for 170 horses. The first-day average two years ago was $55,781 for 258 horses.

A total of 42 horses sold for at least $100,000 compared to 40 in 2016.

Trotters on Monday sold for an average of $88,441 while pacers sold for an average of $66,000. There were 68 trotters sold and 96 pacers.

Pacing colts sold for an average of $64,557, a decrease of 13.6 percent from last year, while pacing fillies sold for $68,514, an increase of 14.8 percent from 2016. Trotting colts averaged $91,838 on Monday, a dip of 6.69 percent from last year when two trotting colts reached $400,000, and trotting fillies averaged $84,387, which was nearly identical to last year’s $84,545.

“The pacing colts were light,” Standardbred Horse Sale Company President and CEO Pete Spears said. “I really can’t give you a reason for that. Everything else was very strong. Pacing fillies were very strong. Why did the pacing fillies out-average the pacing colts? If you can tell me that one, then I’ll understand. But I really don’t understand.

“The trotters were very strong. If it weren’t for the pacing colts, I think we would have been far above last year’s average. I can’t explain it.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

The Ice Dutchess, as hip No. 162, was also hammered down for $320,000.

Mario Mazza was the winning bidder for Sheer Muscle, a son of Muscle Hill out of the mare Sheer Glide. His family includes stakes-winner Flex The Muscle. Earlier in the day, Mazza was out-bid on trotting colt Summit In Sight, who went for $300,000 to Stroy Inc.

“This makes up for it,” Mazza said. “I thought (Summit In Sight) went for a little too much, but they’re all going for big money. I figured I better jump in and get him. I like (Sheer Muscle’s) family. I just trusted in Muscle Hills this year, so I decided to go for it. Hopefully it’s going to work out.”

Francisco Del Cid will train Sheer Muscle for Mazza.

The Ice Dutchess was the seventh-to-last horse to sell Monday. She is a daughter of Muscle Hill out of the mare The Ice Queen. She is a full sister to Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Ice Attraction and her family also includes 2007 Breeders Crown champion Southwind Serena, who is the dam of two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Mission Brief.

“First, I liked her breeding and pedigree; it speaks for itself,” Beelby said. “She had a great video and is a nice racehorse size. She’s just an overall beautiful filly. John picked her out. I just gave him the thumbs up.

“I’m not sure who else was bidding on her, but bids were coming from everywhere. I didn’t think she would sell that strong, but I always underestimate.”

Summit In Sight is a son of Muscle Hill out of the mare Bluff. The colt’s second dam is Dan Patch Award-winner Blur. Julie Miller will train the trotter for Natalia Stroy’s Stroy Inc.

Next on the list of top-sellers was filly trotter Personal Paradise, by Muscle Hill out of the mare Armbro Deja Vu, who went for $265,000 to Ake Svanstedt on behalf of owner Mellby Gard Inc. She is a half-sister to stakes-winner Dejarmbro and her family includes 2010 Breeders Crown winner Manofmanymissions.

“I liked the pedigree,” said Svanstedt, who trained Personal Paradise’s half-sister Katniss. “She is a good-looking horse. I liked everything about her. She was the No. 1 filly to me.”

The top-selling pacer of the day was Unseen, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight out of the mare Sight To See. The filly, a half-sister to stakes-winner Casual Cool, sold for $200,000 to Scott Horner. Her family also includes O’Brien Award-winner Glowing Report and stakes-winner Must See, who is the dam of 2009 Pacer of the Year Well Said.

Izzy Hanover was the second leading pacing filly, selling for $170,000 to agent Perry Soderberg on behalf of owners Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. She is a daughter of Captaintreacherous out of the mare Ideal Newtown. She is a three-quarter sister to recent Elevation Pace winner Closing Statement and her family also includes stakes-winner Newborn Sassy.

“To me, she was the nicest horse in the entire sale,” Soderberg said. “She was kind of Thoroughbred-like to me, like a classy Thoroughbred. She had very few faults, excellent in the field, great attitude; the complete package. She was my No. 1-horse in the whole sale. I’m extremely happy.

“She is going to be a broodmare down the road, but hopefully she races good before.”

The yearling portion of the Standardbred Horse Sale continues Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex. The final day of the yearling sales is Wednesday, followed by the two-day mixed sale.

“I think compared to last year we cut a lot off the bottom end, so I think Tuesday and Wednesday will be stronger than last year,” Spears said. “We’ll hope that the sales prove that (Tuesday).”

Day One Top 10
Hip–Sex–Gait–Name–Sire–Dam–Buyer–Consignor–Price
112-C-T-Sheer Muscle-Muscle Hill-Sheer Glide-Mario Mazza-Peninsula Farm, agent-$320,000
162-F-T-The Ice Dutchess-Muscle Hill-The Ice Queen-Clark Beelby-Preferred Equine,agent-$320,000
29-C-T-Summit In Sight-Muscle Hill-Bluff-Stroy Inc.-Fair Winds Farm-$300,000
49-F-T-Personal Paradise-Muscle Hill-Armbro Deja Vu-Ake Svanstedt-Fair Winds Farm-$265,000
139-F-T-So Diane Hanover-Cantab Hall-Shared Past-Chuck Sylvester-Hanover Shoe Farms-$240,000
76-F-T-Inge Hanover-Muscle Hill-I’m On Cloud Nine-Jules Siegel-Hanover Shoe Farms-$225,000
31-C-T-Kings County-Muscle Hill-Brooklyn-Lindy Farms-Concord Stud Farm, agent-$210,000
43-C-T-Battenberg-Trixton-Coffeecake Hanover-Crawford Farms-Millstream Farm-$210,000
104-C-T-Hillofamistery-Muscle Hill-Mistery Woman-Perry Soderberg, agent-Millstream Farm-$210,000
141-F-P-Unseen-Bettor’s Delight-Sight To See-Scott Horner-Fair Winds Farm-$200,000
150-C-T-Steuben Hanover-Trixton-Star Hanover-Determination-Hanover Shoe Farms-$200,000

For complete results visit The Black Book.