by Ellen Harvey, for Harness Racing Communications

Harrisburg, PA — The final day of the four day yearling portion of the Standardbred Horse Sale concluded on Thursday, November 11. The mixed sale will run on November 12 and 13.

The co sales-toppers on Thursday were a pair of $70,000 colts.

USTA/Ellen Harvey photo

Bolt The Duer was sold for $70,000.

It’s a family affair for Bolt The Duer (Ponder-Wonderbolt-Artsplace). He was purchased for $70,000 by John Como for trainer Pete Foley, who have had many other members of the family. The colt sold from the Peninsula Farm consignment.

“He’s a great looking individual,” said Foley. “You couldn’t find a better looking colt. The owners (father and son John and John Como of Towaco, N.J.) have had pretty much the whole family except Devilfish (a Cam’s Card Shark half brother, with a mark of 1:48.3). The mare died this year (carrying a Rock N Roll Hanover foal), so there’s no more.”

Foley has trained Shaghai Lil (by Jenna’s Beach Boy, 1:51.2, $866,828), Blue Claw (by Jenna’s Beach Boy, 1:49.4, $396,419) and an unraced 2-year-old full sister named Margarita Monday.

“He’s a different individual from Blue Claw because he’s (Bolt The Duer) by Ponder, but I like the 2- year-old sister. I quit with her after she trained down to 2:07. I thought she needed a little time to develop, but I like her a lot so this is a full brother.

Bolt The Duer, who Foley expects will retain his name (after Peninsula Farm proprietor and breeder of this colt, Carter Duer) will head to Foley’s Stable at Henry Lunsford’s training center in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

The other $70,000 purchase was the Tell All colt Arc De Triumph, also a son of the top race mare Animated Art (1:49.3, $560,346). That Hunterton Farm-consigned colt was purchased by A. Warren Giegold of Garrett, Indiana.

Sales Manager Murray Brown was pleased with the outcome of Thursday’s session.

“It was very good. In relative terms, today was like all other days. It held up. The horses they wanted, they were willing to pay for. People stuck to the very end and I’m quite pleased.”

Brown noted that this is a second year that strictly yearlings have sold on the first four days, rather than the traditional three days. “That’s very satisfactory,” he said. “We’re very pleased with it. It’s a numbers thing, too. It’s dependent on the number of yearlings we get that are acceptable. If the number lessens, it might change. It’s kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. You put the pieces where you think they belong.”

I think we’ve got to give real, real credit to the Canadians. The Canadian market was exceedingly strong. Ontario-breds sold very well. New York-breds sold exceptionally well. To a lesser degree, Pennsylvania-breds sold well. The biggest disappointment was Jersey-breds and one understands why.”

Tomorrow the market shifts to a mixed sale, with bloodstock and racehorses taking the stage. “I have no feel for the broodmare market,” said Brown. “I think the trotting broodmares will be somewhat dependent on the number of foreigners that are here and what they’re willing to spend. I think the racehorse market will be exceptional. I think it will be very, very strong, especially for a horse that’s ready to race and put into the box.

“I think good race mares and fillies will sell well. I look forward to a very, very strong racehorse sale.”

Through the four days of strictly yearlings for sale, a total of 1,124 horses were sold for a total of $34,455,700. The average was $30,682 per horse. The 2009 numbers were 1,073 horses sold for a gross of $34,185,000 and an average of $31,859.

For Thursday only, the 280 horses sold went for $5,040,000 or an average of $18,000. 80 pacing colts sold for an average of $21,119 on Thursday, pacing fillies sold for an average of $15,420, trotting colts sold for an average $18,193 and trotting fillies averaged $17,169.

This year’s yearling breakdowns for 4 days:

PC – 346 gross was $18,755,501 avg was $29,771
PF – 284 gross was $7,151,000 avg was $25,180
TC – 264 $8,948,000, avg was $33,894
TF – 230 gross was $6,853,700 avg was $29,799