by James Platz

Peninsula Farm arrives in Lexington with a 45-horse consignment this year. The Georgetown, KY-based nursery will offer six yearlings of their own while serving as agent on 39 others. Carter Duer believes the farm has a solid group of trotting fillies cataloged, with the first entering the sale ring on Tuesday.

“Our strongest category will be trotting fillies,” Duer said. “We have five or six that I think are very, very good fillies. It’s a good group of horses, I just don’t have any big bell ringers. We have two outstanding Walner fillies and a nice Muscle Hill filly. We also have three nice Gimpanzee fillies.”

The highly-anticipated first crop of Gimpanzee is represented by 21 babies at the Lexington Selected sale. Peninsula farm has four — three fillies and a colt — as part of their consignment. Three of the four are agent horses for Robert S. Detweiler.

Panzee Bea, Hip #332, will be the first to sell from the group. The filly is the second foal from Yankee Glide mare Cousin Bea, a full-sister to millionaire Guccio and PASS final winner Lagerfeld. Colt Energetic Julio, Hip #581, is the third foal from Credit Winner mare Bundle Of Energy, who has already produced Father Patrick winners Partner Dolan and I’m Out. Filly Gymboree, Hip #608 also selling on Wednesday, is the second foal from a sister to double millionaire Crystal Fashion. The other filly, consigned as agent for Coyote Wynd Farms, sells Tuesday. Moveslikeasoldier, Hip #359, is a second foal from a full-sister to Plunge Blue Chip.

“They’re nice,” Duer said of the first offspring from the son of Chapter Seven. “The only ones I’ve seen are those that I have on the farm. Talking with those coming through, they’re going to be pretty well accepted. I don’t know what you wouldn’t like about him. Hopefully he’ll be a good sire. I really like what we have.”

Also consigned are three Walner fillies and two from Muscle Hill. Frameable, Hip #227, is a Walner first foal out of Shape Shifter, a Kadabra mare that is sister to Allegiant 2,1:52.2-’23 ($295,320), third-place finisher in the Mohawk Million. Cozy Time, Hip #275, is a Walner half-sister to Peter Haughton Memorial winner You Know You Do. Rosetta, Hip #415, is a full-sister to Simon 2,1:55.1 ($34,887). The Muscle Hill fillies include Drama Hill, Hip #307, first foal from a full-sister to Caprice Hill, and Linda’s Way, Hip #565, a first foal whose second dam is world champion Queen Serene 4,1:51.4; BT1:51.3 ($748,602).

Perusing the consignment, one will find a wide variety of sires, with a strong international presence. Duer likes to breed mares to foreign sires, even if that means sacrificing financial returns in the yearling market.

“They won’t sell well, but they’re pretty nice horses,” he said of breeding to the likes of Love You and Googoo Gaagaa. “I’ve had a lot of luck with Googoo Gaagaa and Love You particularly. With Love You I think there are five European countries, and I believe he is in the top five in all of them, plus New Zealand. He’s been a wonderful horse. The few he has in the United States are pretty darn good horses.”

Peninsula Farm will offer five of the 14 yearlings by Googoo Gaagaa, Luvly As U, Hip 217, is a full-sister to Hambletonian champion Captain Corey. The farm is also selling three of the nine Love You babies to be offered at Lexington. Also included is I’ma Dinosaur, Hip #682, sired by Ready Cash son Fabulous Wood. Dam Mama’s Brokn Heart has produced three winners to date.

“This year I noticed in the catalog there are more of them selling at Lexington than there have ever been,” Duer said of the international bloodlines. “We need some of that breeding in our pedigrees. I think the foreign trotters are pretty good. They don’t particularly sell the best over here because most of them come later in life as far as the speed. We’re looking for early speed. I’ve had a lot of luck with them, and hopefully I’ll leave some fillies around here with some foreign blood in them for my kids to continue on with.”

After two record setting years in Lexington, Duer expects another strong sale.

“The catalog is very strong, especially the first two nights,” he said. “There’s so much money people can go for now, but you’d better have a good one. The money is there if you have the right horse. You’ve just got to come up with the right horse. There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm from the people that are looking, and that’s what it takes.”