Greg Luther adds horse seller to his Prolific resume
by Matthew Lomon
Greg Luther of Prolific Equine may be a first-time seller at Lexington, but he is by no means a yearling sale rookie.
A 35-plus-year industry veteran with experience across the gamut (groom, trainer, driver, owner and breeder), Luther made headlines at last year’s Standardbred Horse Sales Company auction when he closed on 2024 Canadian Trotting Classic champion Amazing Catch for a record $1.85 million.
The Columbus, OH native also made waves in Lexington in 2020, spending $583,000 on seven yearlings as part of what he coined ‘the million-dollar experiment,’ in which he invested $1 million in yearlings that year.
Luther’s willingness to invest heavily has driven a wave of stock and talent into Prolific Equine – and, starting Monday (Sept. 29), back into the sale ring.
“I’m really excited about the sale because we do have some very high-quality horses,” said Luther. “I’ve looked at thousands of yearlings myself on the purchasing side and knowing the kind of pedigrees that we’ve got here, I’m definitely excited going into the sale and incredibly optimistic because some of the horses we have, have never been available before.
“I’m really pleased to see the traffic that we’re getting, and the number of calls were getting with interest.”
With 65 mares and a deep roster of young talent to boot, Luther’s decision to swap his buyer’s hat for his seller’s was already made for him.
“They’re very high-end mares and I realize I’m making some great yearlings here and that’s part of the reason we started selling some of them,” said Luther.
“I wanted to make sure people know, between racing and breeding, that I’m not going to keep just the good horses, but as a matter of fact, my very best are going through the sale to give everybody an opportunity to get them.”
The star attraction in Prolific Equine’s maiden nine-horse catalog is Hip #97 Lounado.
Categorized by Luther as “the best one of all,” the bay trotting colt, and his current owner go back a ways.
Luther purchased Lounado as a weanling for $250,000 during last year’s Preferred Equine Online Mixed Sale.
The promising Sweet Lou youngster out of Lucy’s Pearl – the mare who delivered My Girl EJ and Lous Pearlman – was available for purchase following a dispersal of his previous ownership group.
“[Trainer] Ron Burke and [owner] Mark Weaver owned the mare with some partners, and they had all the babies; never sold one,” Luther said. “She had six foals, and there’s never been any available at public auction.
“They got rid of the mare due to a partnership dispersal with a couple of the partners, so I was able to pick her up as well as the baby. It was a very rare opportunity. I really think this is going to be a high-end horse and he’s absolutely gorgeous himself.”
Luther is also bullish on another Sweet Lou in Hip #469 Covenant Prolific selling on Day 3 (Oct. 1).
“She’s really nice,” Luther said. “She’s going to be a dual eligible and she’s the first foal out of Covenant Woman. We’re very excited about that one.”
On Day 4, Luther singled out Hip #601 Crazygirlsburnsage who presents a remarkable physique, as a potential hidden gem.
“He’s just a gorgeous colt by Perfect Sting and he’s the very first horse that day,” he said. “He’s a good-looking, muscular horse and I think he’s definitely a sleeper for sure.”
From Lounado on Day 1 (Sept. 29) to Hip #918 Im Nacho Daddy on Day 5 (Oct. 3), Luther is confident Prolific’s debut sale roster will preview what’s ahead while making an immediate impact for their new connections.
“This is new for us on the selling side,” Luther said. “We want to see how everything works and get our own system down for the sale, while doing so with some of our very, very best stock. I really think it’s an opportunity for people to have the type of quality that’s never been available before.”
The plan, according to Luther, is to “go bigger on breeding and selling yearlings” and attend future sales with a roster between 30-40.
While the versatile horseman will be seeing the Lexington Sale from the opposite side this year, his pulse on the industry and economy remains deeply connected.
“I think the economy is still strong,” Luther said. “Obviously, the drop in rates helps a little bit. The stock market is still strong. Everything is good that way.
“I don’t think we’re going to see much of a difference from last year. It’s going to be nearly up to par. I don’t think it will be much higher or lower because the economy has stayed about the same.”
Luther wouldn’t be overly surprised, however, if the current tariff situation caused some reluctance within international buyers.
“Some of the foreign buyers will probably back off a bit,” he said. “The amount they spend may change based on any taxes or tariffs, but overall, I think U.S. buyers will remain about the same as last year.”
Potential tariff tension aside, supply and demand often reigns supreme no matter the business.
“In our industry, you’ve got to go where the inventory is and if the best horses are at Lexington or Harrisburg, that’s where you have to go to get them.”
