Perennial leading consignor Preferred Equine has a more diverse Lexington consignment than ever

by Dave Briggs

When David Reid says his Preferred Equine has a yearling for everyone selling at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, it’s not just hyperbole.

Preferred Equine – the leading consignor at Lexington in 11 of the last 13 years, including a record total of $12.588 million in sales in 2024 – is selling 121 yearlings at Fasig-Tipton for 35 different breeders, representing 36 sires from eight jurisdictions.

“We have a great diversity of sires,” said Reid, who was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame this past July. “You’ve got pacing sires – Bulldogs, Cannibals, Captaintreacherous, Confederates, Downbytheseasides, Sweet Lous. We’re representing all the top pacing sires.

“On the trotting side, we’ve got great representation from Captain Corey, Chapter Seven, first crop Tactical Approach, Tactical Landing, Walner.

“Then we end with a bang on the last night with our Downbytheseasides and first crop of Branded By Lindy. Cuatro De Julio has had a good year and Ready For Moni is on fire in Ohio. We have a good representation of those, too.

“A high percentage of those are dual eligible and a lot of them are triple eligible.”

Reid said diversity is especially notable in this year’s consignment.

“We have a very diverse consignment and we have a lot of first foals and a lot of active pedigrees that have a ton of updates, probably none bigger than Hip #337 [Wallstreetbets],” he said.

The son of Walner out of Saadet is the full brother to undefeated 2-year-old filly Wall Of Fame, a winner of nine races and $561,250 as of Sept. 30 for the wife-and-husband duo of Julie and Andy Miller and their partners.

Reid said great horses can come from any sale session and it’s important for people not to overlook horses selling later in the auction.

“If I’m a buyer, I’m shopping everywhere, every night, every session… with the understanding that the sale has tightened up this year and there’s going to be good horses that are generated from every sale session and I think it’s important to get around and do your homework,” he said.

“We have 19 Massachusetts eligibles, which would make them dual or triple eligible. I think nearly 80 of our horses are all dual or triple eligible. That’s attractive and it’s great for the marketplace, great for the buyer.”

Reid said he’s proud to represent breeders of all sizes and noted that Little Brown Jug winner Redland Rocket Man was bred by Redland Farms of Bible Hill, NS.

“[Redland Rocket Man], the Jug winner, came from Preferred Equine – not from Lexington, but another consignment,” Reid said. “It’s just another example of the breeders we represent and they just continue to produce horses that win on the biggest stages.”