by Dave Briggs

Blue Chip Farms’ owner Tom Grossman said he is disappointed he doesn’t have more New York-breds to sell at this year’s Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling auction, which begins Monday (Nov. 6) at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA.

In late September, New York announced it will allow the progeny of mares bred to New York stallions via shipped semen beyond state borders to be eligible to the rich New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) program.

“Because the New York program was largely mismanaged for a while by politicians, the number of New York breds at Harrisburg went down from 162 to less than 100,” Grossman said.

That means a smaller number of New York-eligibles will compete for the same money in the NYSS.

“If I was shopping, I would really buy New York breds and I’m looking on my list and I really don’t have as many as I usually do,” Grossman said. “So, bad on me, but good on whoever buys New York breds.

“I’ve met people looking for a New York pacer and there’s just none to buy.”

The change in the shipped semen rule is already paying dividends in terms of attracting stallions. This week, Diamond Creek announced it would stand its pacing stallion Cannibal at Blue Chip in Wallkill, NY in 2024.

“Without shipped semen, we couldn’t get the stallions,” said Grossman, who was key in getting out-of-state shipped semen authorized. “I did sort of sell my soul to the politicians to say, ‘I’ll go get some stallions if you get me shipped semen, but I can’t without it’ so we’re starting to deliver on that.”

Blue Chip is selling some 36 yearlings in Harrisburg. They are offering a mix of their own yearlings and ones as agent.

“I think Hip #423 [Winchesterbluechip] is an interesting American Ideal colt, out of a mare whose first foal was much better than the catalogue page,” Grossman said. “He is a very nice individual. Again, against a very limited number of New York pacers, that’s a very interesting horse.

“On the trotting side, E L Titan I don’t think is respected near enough. I have a nice colt… and Moni Maker is the third dam, at Hip #775 [Wordplay Blue Chip].

“The more obvious one would be a beautiful Chapter Seven colt, #313 [William Blue Chip]. Again, a very young mare. This is her second foal and it’s out of that Queen Serene family.

Grossman also touted Hip #259 Waffle Blue Chip, a Sweet Lou colt out of a Somebeachsomewhere mare.

“It’s a great family,” Grossman said. “That Fortify was a great horse and, obviously, Sweet Lou is hot as hell. So, we’re excited about that one as well. He’s a nice colt.”

As for the future, Grossman said he is already planning for more New York-breds.

“I’ve already added a bunch of mares in anticipation of [the shipped semen rules being changed],” he said. “I think we have 15 first foals to sell next year which are already on the ground. Our percentage of our consignment that is New York bred will go up drastically. I like racing in New York and we’ll have much more choices.”