by Chris Lomon

Tom Grossman, the man behind Blue Chip Farms, is liking what he sees ahead of this year’s sale at Lexington.

“I think [the vibe] is pretty positive,” he said. “I think with the U.S. election, and all that drama notwithstanding, we have seen that the thoroughbred sales were good. I thought Goshen [sale] was very good overall and the traffic at the farm has been very good as well. I sense positivity.

“The economy is pretty positive for the sale. That could change at a minute, but rates are certainly going to go lower, and the big tax advantages are still in place for buying horses. Financial markets have been pretty darn positive this year, although if you read the news, it doesn’t feel that way. Gold prices are very high. It seems to be a very good environment to buy horses, especially in the U.S. with the taxes as they are – it’s kind of a no-brainer if you are looking to buy a horse.”

A long-standing champion of the standardbred industry, Grossman is further buoyed by the recent announcement that the New York Sire Stakes will award record purses for all three series finals next season as well as a significant increase to the Breeders Award program in 2025.

Earlier in the month, the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Board approved the following purse totals for the 2025 series finals:

• New York Sire Stakes Finals: $300,000 USD
• Excelsior Series Finals: $100,000 USD
• County Fair Series Finals: $25,000 USD

It was also announced that the New York Sires Stakes will add a new stakes race for 2-year-olds in 2025 featuring a purse totaling $1 million USD.

The Breeders Awards program, which provides rewards for each level of New York Sire Stakes racing, will now offer $1.75 million USD, which is to be distributed to eligible breeders for the 2025 season.

“I was very pleasantly surprised with the funding that came through,” said Grossman. “There is meaningfully more money to race for at age 2 and 3. With the finals going up $75,000 and an extra 2-year-old race for $250,000 for each gait and sex – it’s a lot more money to race for at 2 and 3.

“Most importantly, simultaneously, this has happened with a marked decrease in the number of eligible foals in New York. It will rebound in three or four years, but for the next two or three years, there are very few – I believe there are 80 trotting colts or fillies in the whole world – who are New York Sires Stakes eligible. The NYSS purse increases per eligible foal are astronomically higher than any jurisdiction and I think horse people are starting to find that out. There are less than 200 horses combined in Harrisburg and Lexington who are New York-bred yearlings.

“I have a ton of New York breds for next year, but not as many for this year, unfortunately. I’m sure people will think I am biased, but I am only buying New York fillies. I have no interest in racing in other jurisdictions.”

Grossman does, however, have a big interest in the upcoming Lexington sale.

Blue Chip will showcase nine yearlings, including a Day 2 trio Grossman is quite high on.

“Hip #173 [Aviatrix Blue Chip] is a Chapter Seven filly out of Oh My Goodness,” Grossman said. “She looks like she is going to be a nice horse. I spent a lot of time around [champion trotter] Cedar Dove, back when Noel Daley had her. This filly reminds me a lot of her. I think she is very exciting.”

He is equally bullish about Apocalypsebluechip (Hip #155).

“We have a Papi Rob Hanover colt out of Queen of Darkness, which is from the family of Downbytheseaside, who I like quite a bit,” Grossman said. “This guy is really racey looking. He’s a nice-looking colt too.”

Grossman gave out high marks for the filly Aster Blue Chip, listed as Hip #160.

“We are a big believer in Green Manilishi [S] and I think he is going to serve us well,” he said. “We have a first foal, a filly out of Nimbus Deo, who also has a very nice pedigree. It is the family of Perfect Alliance and several others. This filly can fly.

“So, there you have it, an Ontario bred, Pennsylvania bred, and New York bred for you.”

As for value plays, Grossman has a Day 3 colt he believes could have a bright future.

Hip #509, he noted, is certainly worth a second look.

“I am not sure how the Perfect Stings will be,” Grossman said. “I don’t know what the hype is around Perfect Sting and his first crop, but we have one – I don’t think he will bring a lot of money – a colt out of Bathsheba, who is from the ($1.3 million earner) Fire Start Hanover family, that I always liked very much growing up.

“His name is Azrael Blue Chip, and she is Bathsheba’s third foal. She had two foals, who had excuses that I won’t get into – they were meant to be very good horses. But I think this guy is going to be a nice sleeper, a diamond-in-the-rough kind of horse.”