by Matthew Lomon

Tom Grossman is well aware of the external factors swirling around this year’s Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling sale, but the owner of Blue Chip Farms is doing his best to shut out the noise.

Heading into the 2024 sale with a larger consignment than usual — 45 agent horses — Grossman’s focus remains on doing right by his yearlings and the buyers who take them home.

“We have a really big, well-rounded consignment,” he said. “We brought fewer horses than usual to Kentucky, and thus have more than usual for Harrisburg. We’re very excited, but a little nervous with the election and everything else happening at the same time.

“Overall, we have a very strong group that we’re excited about.”

The impending presidential election (Tuesday, Nov. 5) is set to coincide with this year’s Harrisburg Sale (Nov. 4-8), and with that has come increased levels of uncertainty for consignors and buyers.

Grossman, however, believes that certain economic indicators bode well for yearling buyers regardless of the election’s outcome.

“The biggest factor is the purse amounts you can race for,” he said. “Nothing that’s going to happen in the presidential election is going to affect these yearlings that are selling in terms of purses out there. And the purses are at all-time highs, total, and certainly in New York.

“I think that usurps all the political worries and other factors.”

The New York angle is especially important for Grossman, who’s been a key proponent of the state’s burgeoning sire stakes program and views New York eligibility as a legitimate incentive for buyers in Harrisburg.

Grossman isn’t just talking the talk, either.

“I was so blown away by the New York program that I actually bought a couple New York-breds in Lexington,” he said.

“It’s well documented on our Facebook and other platforms, but not only are the purses way up, at the same time, the number of New York-breds is way down. There’s only 99 New York-breds in Harrisburg. There was only a like amount in Lexington. We’re going for 20-30 per cent more money with 20-30 per cent less eligible horses.

Of the 46 yearlings listed in Blue Chip’s catalog, 13 are New York eligible.

“I have a lot of New York breds, probably more than anybody, but as a percentage, it’s on the lower end of what we normally do,” Grossman said. “Fortunately, for the next two years after this, we have a ton, because we have some new stallions [Back Of The Neck and Cannibal] standing in New York.”

After a strong showing in Kentucky, Grossman is betting on another healthy run on New York eligibles in Pennsylvania.

“I’m putting my money where my mouth is,” he said. “I’m buying some New York-breds from other people and wish we had more New York-breds to sell.

“I did start to see a little bit of a New York premium starting to develop in Kentucky for the first time in many years. I do think the message that we’re talking about is starting to get out there. But the New York-breds in general sold very well in Kentucky, and I expect them to sell extremely well in Harrisburg.”

As for some of Blue Chip’s can’t-miss prospects, Grossman was particularly bullish on youngsters from American Ideal and E L Titan.

The former is tied with Tactical Landing for the most yearlings in Blue Chip’s consignment (six).

American Ideal’s crop includes a colt by the name of Aries Blue Chip, Hip #460 out of Fox Valley Shaker.

Grossman foresees a very bright future for the pacer, whose parents found great success previously with Hitman Hill.

“We knew this cross works great, and this is the first time we got back to it, and it’s a really nice individual and New York-bred,” he said.

“It’s hard for me to see that horse not being competitive in New York, and the likelihood of him earning more than he sells for, I believe, is extremely high.”

Grossman is equally enthused about a pair of E L Titan’s in Avalon Blue Chip, Hip #811 and Aquarius Blue Chip, Hip #753.

Much like Aries Blue Chip, Grossman’s excitement for Avalon and Aquarius is rooted in familial results.

“Avalon’s 2-year-old brother, Wendell Blue Chip, raced very well at the end of the year,” Grossman said. “We think he’s going to be a top 3-year-old. We’re really excited about both of them.

“Aquarius is an absolutely beautiful individual. E L Titan — it’s a shame we lost him — on Chapter Seven mares is a perfect combination, both pedigree wise, and mentality and physicality. I think that Double Red colt Aquarius is the shining example of that.

Before signing off, Grossman highlighted one yearling flying under the radar.

Aura Blue Chip, Hip #27, a pacing fillyout of Captaintreacherous—Shania Blue Chip, caught his eye because she is triple eligible (PA, Massachusetts, and New York) and has the bloodline to back it up.

“New York and Mass work great together because a lot of the money in New York is fairly early, and then the Massachusetts money is really late,” he said.

“If it’s a top filly, which it has every right to be, being out of the family of Kenneth J and Percy Bluechip, I think people might miss how attractive this one is.”