Southwind Thundra, a Bettors Delight 2-year-old with only four starts to her credit, topped the Midwest Mixed Sale on Friday at a price of $77,000. Life Is A Highway, an Always A Virgin colt, topped the Michiana Classic Yearling Sale’s Saturday session, bringing a $38,000 final bid.

by James Platz

The auction season in Indiana concluded over the weekend as both the Midwest Mixed Sale and the Michiana Classic Yearling Sale were held on back-to-back days in Shipshewana, IN. The second edition of the Midwest Mixed Sale took place Friday, Nov. 23, featuring broodmares, racehorses, stallion shares and a few babies. The second annual Michiana Classic Yearling Sale kicked off Saturday, Nov. 24 with a catalog that included 224 babies.

Southwind Thundra, a Bettors Delight 2-year-old with only four starts to her credit, topped the Midwest Mixed Sale at a price of $77,000. Consigned by Winterwood Farm as agent for John Kuhns, the filly is a full sister to Dan Patch Award winner and double millionaire Southwind Tempo and millionaire Hulas Z Tam. An $85,000 yearling purchase, Southwind Thundra was purchased by breeder Merlie Schwartz.

Next on the list was sophomore trotter Red Rose Swan, which brought a $70,000 final bid. Sired by Swan For All out of the Pine Chip mare Red Rose Kosmos, the filly earned just over $150,000 during the 2018 campaign, finishing third in the $220,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final and winning a $28,600 Circle City division at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. A winner of $170,000 in her career with a mark of 1:55.3, Red Rose Swan was purchased by Marlin Eash of Shipshewana, Indiana.

Czech It Out and Cash Cow Volo were the top selling broodmares Friday, each brining $33,000 final bids. Czech It Out, cataloged as Hip 80, is an Explosive Matter mare consigned by In Law Stables. A winner of close to $180,000 on the racetrack, she was bred to new Indiana stallion Dover Dan and is carrying her first foal. Gabriella’s LLC of Howell, New York, purchased the mare. Cash Cow Volo was the last horse in the sale, consigned by Benjamin Graber. The Yankee Glide mare, a full sister to Banker Volo 3, 1:52.3 ($406,898) and Overdraft Volo 3, 1:52.2-’17 ($364,764), is in foal to Swan For All. Jerry Yoder of Topeka signed the ticket.

A total of 70 broodmares passed through the auction ring for sales of $527,500, producing an average of $7,536. By contrast, 34 racehorses grossed sales of $546,000, good for an average of $16,059.

Life Is A Highway, an Always A Virgin colt, topped the Michiana Classic Yearling Sale’s Saturday session, bringing a $38,000 final bid. Consigned by Homestead Acres as agent for Ernie Hochstetler, the colt is out of Allamerican Native mare Hey Soul Sister, a half-sister to Art’s Chip p,3, 1:52.2, 4, 1:49.3 ($726,999). Cataloged as Hip 4, Benita Simmons signed the ticket as agent.

Closely following Life Is A Highway at the top of the session was Hip 117, Racin Cream Pie. Part of the In Law Stables consignment, the filly is from the first crop of Cantab Hall stallion Whom Shall I Fear. The second foal from Lous Legacy mare Tanyas Legacy, the family includes Indiana Sires Stakes finals winners BL Sugar An Spice and Yadubist Bluegrass. Racin Cream Pie was hammered down for $35,000, purchased by John Barnard.

Barnard also purchased Meadowbrook Nitro, a Swan For All colt that is a brother to $100,000 winner Energy Bar. His dam, Truffles, is a sister to Judge Joe 3, 1:55.1f ($938,792) and Crème De Cocoa 3, 1:55 ($494,070). Consigned by Meadow Brook Farm, the colt garnered a $26,000 final bid.

The sale average for the Michiana Classic dipped 14 per cent compared to one year ago; however, Hoosier Classic Sale Company cataloged nearly double the yearlings. In 2017, 111 yearlings averaged $7,595. Saturday, 199 babies sold for $1,295,000, signaling an average of $6,512.

One of the highlights of the weekend was a fundraiser aimed at assisting with medical costs for three local families. A benefit dinner was held Friday night at the conclusion of the Midwest Mixed Sale, breedings for 10 different Indiana stallions were auctioned, and a raffle was conducted Saturday during the Michiana Classic to assist the families of Dean R. Miller, Topeka, IN, Leon E. Slabach, Shipshewana, IN, and Nate Yoder of LaGrange, IN. The fundraiser generated $126,900 in support of family members diagnosed with Leukemia, Parkinson’s Disease and stage 3 Legg Perthes Disease.