The gross of $65,704,700 and the average of $72,203 were both second best for the auction all-time.

story by Dave Briggs, quotes by James Platz

The 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale concluded Friday night (Oct. 4) with both the second-best gross and average in history.

In all, the 910 yearlings sold over the five days produced a total gross of $65,704,700 and an average of $72,203. The median was $40,000 and 187 yearlings sold for $100,000 or more, down from both last year (233) and 2022 (196).

This year’s gross was behind only the $67,916,300 set in 2023 when the auction set 12 records. It’s important to note 38 fewer horses were sold this year compared to last.

It is the third straight year the sale has had sale in excess of $65 million.

This year’s average is second-best to the record of $73,690 set in 2022 when 25 fewer horses sold.

“We were very close to the all-time record average despite selling more horses, so we feel it was a great auction,” said sale co-manager Bruce Brinkerhoff. “We appreciate the great horses that consignors brought to offer and I think the buyers responded accordingly all week.”

Sale co-manager David Reid added, “You end up with a sale averaging $73,000 with 906 horses sold, I mean, that’s second-best in the history of the sport. If we continue to do that and keep swinging for the fences and bringing in a line up like we do every year, then I think that’s quite an accomplishment for any sales company… but I’m proud to say it’s for the Lexington one.”

Though no total sale records were set this year, the 2024 auction did set the following five records:

• First session average — $190,547

• Second session average — $97,678

• Fifth-session # of yearlings sold for $100,000 or more — 8

• Cumulative average through the first two sessions — $129,265

• Cumulative average through the first three sessions — $97,996

Friday’s session — which featured mostly “regional” midwestern horses — grossed $4,663,700 for 139 sold for an average of $33,552. A record eight yearlings sold for $100,000 or more. The median was $25,000. It was the second-best gross for a fifth session behind only the $4,854,000 reached in 2022. The average was second behind the average of $35,174 from 2022.

“We had tremendous response on our Ohio-breds today,” Brinkerhoff said. “We also had quite a few Indiana-breds, as well, for good prices. It’s come to be known as the day for regional programs here in Lexington and, once again, it’s proven to be a great marketplace for those horses.

“Today was a great session. We were up over last year’s session and it helped create a great wind up or ending to a great week of sales.”

Reid added, “It was a really energetic crowd. The Buckeyes came to town and we had a good night. It was a good sale, with the average right on par with what it has been the last three or four years.

“Downbytheseaside is obviously the staple, but I was happy to see the first-crop sires on the trotting side, Ready For Moni held up very well.

“I think this night works perfect in the rotation. There were a lot of new faces here tonight. It was energetic and I thought it was a very good night for sure.”

In terms of a total sale money breakdown, it was as follows:

• Yearlings selling for $200,000 or more — 71 (7.8 per cent)

• Yearlings selling between $100,000 and $199,999 — 116 (12.7 per cent)

• Yearlings selling between $50,000 and $99,999 — 220 (24.2 per cent)

• Yearlings selling between $25,000 and $49,999 — 246 (27 per cent)

• Yearlings selling between $10,000 and $24,999 — 206 (22.6 per cent)

• Yearlings selling between $5,000 and $9,999 — 50 (5.5 per cent)

• Yearlings selling for $4,999 or less — 1 (0.1 per cent)

PREFERRED FIRST CONSIGNOR TO EVER TOP $12 MILLION

In other notable numbers, Reid’s Preferred Equine became the first Lexington consignor in history to top $12 million in sales. The sales agency ended the auction with gross sales of $12,588,000 for 165 yearlings sold.

“That’s a big number,” Reid said. “Even on a night like tonight, we sold the second-highest priced pacer for $150,000. There was another that sold for $160,000.”

They were followed by Kentuckiana with total sales of $9,347,700 for 131 sold and Hunterton with $9,027,000 in sales for 94 sold.

Hanover Shoe Farms, which sold 13 yearlings over the first two sessions, was the leading consignor by average at $216,318. They were followed by All American Harnessbreds ($136,889) and Cameo Hills ($112,469).

SESSION-TOPPER BRINGS $160,000

Topping Friday’s session was Hip #870 Spoil Me Silly, a Swan For All filly out of Wishimaywishimight purchased for $160,000 by M & L of Delaware LLC and sold by Kentuckiana Farms.

Hip #810 Malibu Barbie Deo, a Downbytheseaside filly out of Miss L A, fetched $150,000 from Odds On Racing LLC from the Preferred consignment.

Hip #851 Sweet Wave, a Downbytheseaside colt out of Hula Shuffle, was purchased for $145,000 by Jodi Schillachi out of the All American Harnessbreds consignment.

WEAVERS PLEASED WITH FIRST CONSIGNMENT

Enos Weaver, whose Weaver Standardbred Farm sold for the first time in Lexington, said it was a good experience.

“We had a good week and we’re very happy,” Weaver said. “It was great, people were great. We had a lot of fun and a great week. Hopefully we’ll be back next year.”

Anvil And Lace’s Beth Yontz said she thought the farm had a “very good sale. We had our ups and downs, which you always have, but overall I thought it went really well.

“Splash Blue Chip’s [Hip #35, Kountry Splash, $175,000] brought nice money the first night, then we had an American Ideal colt that brought over $100,000, which was very good for him. He’s a very nice colt.

“I think opening night was just phenomenal. It kind of goes down a little throughout the week, but now that we’re at Friday, it’s all here again. They did have Ohio-breds and the [Downbytheseasides] spread throughout the whole sale, but the majority are still here [selling on Friday] so it brings a whole new excitement.”

HARRIS, POLLOCK SPENT $2.5 MILLION MORE THAN NEXT CLOSEST

Despite not buying a single horse in the last three sessions, the tandem of Andrew Harris and Bill Pollock dominated the buyers’ standings with $5,115,000 spent, total, to take home 15 yearlings. Nancy Takter was second with total purchases of $2,626,000 for 24 yearlings, followed by Tony Alagna ($2,316,000 for 30 yearlings) and Ake Svanstedt ($2,127,000 for 12).

Alagna was still active during the fifth and final sessions.

“There was a Trixton filly that I bought,” Alagna said. “I saw her when I went up to Jim Avritt’s farm to look at some other horses. She was kind of one of those ones that I thought if I could buy her in the right range with her having dual eligibility, then I’d take a shot. So, I got her bought.

“Then, I also came out to support John Barnhard. He’s one of my clients and has Fiftydallarbill in Indiana, so I wanted to make sure his horses sold okay.

“This type of sale when a lot of them had dual eligibility so people are waking up to that. With us having the farm in Kentucky, it’s easier for us to race in Ohio and venture into Indiana a little bit more than we used to.”

TROTTERS DOMINATE SIRE LIST

The first four sires on the money list were all trotters:

• Walner — $8,936,000 for 51 sold ($175,216 average).

• Chapter Seven — $7,581,000 for 50 sold ($151,620).

• Muscle Hill — $4,349,000 for 35 sold ($124,257).

• Gimpanzee — $4,089,000 for 42 sold ($97,357).

The top pacer was Captaintreacherous ($3,867,000 for 42 sold ($97,071)). But, Downbytheseaside thoroughly dominated the final session with $1,941,000 in sales (for 34 sold) to jump up to sixth overall, just behind Captaintreacherous in the complete sale list. Overall, Downbytheseasides had $3,588,000 in sales for 45 sold.

“Downbytheseasides are always great to sell,” Reid said. “He’s a stallion on a national level, but he just happens to be in Ohio. This year, we tried a little something different by putting some [of his] in earlier in the week. We’ll go back through and reassess that whole situation, but I thought they held up very well tonight and it’s just a bookend of a great week.”

As for the most prominent first-crop sires, they were as follows:

• Perfect Sting — $3,159,000 for 46 sold.

• Captain Corey — $2,549,000 for 39 sold.

• Bulldog Hanover — $882,000 for 9 sold.

• Ready For Moni — $795,000 for 18 sold.

CANADIANS MADE UP 11 PER CENT OF TOTAL SALES

Canadian buyers spent $7,257,000 in all, about 11 per cent of the total sales. European buyers accounted for 4.6 per cent of the purchases after spending just over $3 million in total.

As for U.S. buyers, those living in New Jersey dominated ($22,256,000 in sales), followed by Florida ($7,301,000), Pennsylvania ($4,707,000), Ohio ($4,308,000), Delaware ($4,263,000) and New York ($4,248,000).

Overall, Reid and Brinkerhoff said the sale more than met expectations.

“We set session records, average-wise, for most days this year,” Brinkerhoff said. “We’re very pleased about that. It carried from the very beginning of the sale and all the way through to the end of the auction. We had tremendous participation and we’re very pleased.

Reid added, “I probably sound like a broken record but when we were out there looking at the horses and you’re doing the catalog, the pages just keep getting better and better. It’s not a perfect science, but the quality of the animals that are being presented to us by the consignors is very strong.”