by Chris Tully, for Goshen Yearling Sale
Middletown, NY — An exceptional crowd of enthusiastic buyers flocked to the spacious Mark Ford Training Center on Sunday (Sept. 10) to purchase the next crop of Standardbred champions. Sunny skies and a cheerful outlook prevailed as 110 colts and fillies passed through the auction ring for a gross of $1.57 million, averaging $14,300 per offering, which was an increase of 18 percent over the 2016 sale.
Chris Tully photo
The 2017 Goshen Yearling Sale was up 18 percent over the 2016 sale.
The first major yearling sale of 2017 attracted owners and trainers from all points across the Eastern United States and Canada. They arrived seeking future stars of the lucrative New York and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes programs, and quickly demonstrated the powerful demand with vibrant and determined bidding.
The sales topper was Zekefromcabincreek (Hip No. 18), a handsome So Surreal colt from Love The Game. Consigned and owned by Steve Jones’ Cameo Hills Farm, the New York-bred pacer was purchased by Ken Jacobs of Baldwinsville, N.Y., for $50,000.
A total of eight yearlings by So Surreal were sold for an average of $25,500.
Sale president Bob Boni noted that, “We had a great turnout and an early indication was the significant number of people that came out Saturday to look at yearlings. I think we gave both the buyers and sellers a great opportunity and we look forward to making things that much better in the future.”
Trying to keep up with the Jonses was elusive as the six Cameo Hills farm-owned yearlings averaged $33,500, followed by Blue Chip Farms, Agent, who averaged $21,100 for 10 horses offered.
The highest priced trotter was an Explosive Matter (PA) colt named L Dees Trump who commanded $47,000 from Tracy Brainard of Pine Bush, N.Y. Cameo Hills consigned him as agent for Larry Dumain.
The sale’s two largest consignors, Hanover Shoe Farms and Winbak Farms, each shipped more than 30 yearlings to the sale, and were rewarded with over a third of their offerings fetching $15,000 or more.
Hanover Shoe Farms had several New York-bred trotters bring over $30,000.
An entire set of sales results sheets, including sire averages and other statistics, can be accessed online at this link.