Despite failing to set records for a third session, the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale still has a record average of $97,996 through the first three days.

story by Dave Briggs, quotes by James Platz

No new records were set during the third session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale held Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 2) at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion, but the auction is still on a record pace for average through three days.

The cumulative average is currently $97,996, an all-time best through the first three sessions. It’s up 1.7 per cent over the three-day average of $96,351 in 2023 that was the previous record. This year’s average through the first three sessions is up 3.1 per cent over the 2022 average of $95,015.

“We’re very pleased to be ahead of the record pace from two years ago, as far as sale average,” said sale co-manager Bruce Brinkerhoff. “We’re well ahead of that pace and also last year’s record sale as well… So, we’re very pleased through three sessions to be above all-time records and we hope to be able to maintain that through the rest of the sale in the next two days.”

The gross through three sessions is $55,172,000 for 563 yearlings sold. The cumulative average is $62,000. So far, 178 yearlings have sold for $100,000 or more, down from 226 last year. The gross is off 5.7 per cent from last year’s $58,385,000, though 44 fewer horses have been sold this year compared to the same point last year. The median is down from $67,000 in 2023.

On Wednesday, 219 yearlings went through the ring, grossing $10,705,000 in all, for an average of $48,881. The median was $37,000. The gross for the third session is down 17.8 per cent from last year’s third-session total of $13,021,000, though 27 fewer horses were sold this year than last. This year’s third-day average is down 7.3 per cent from last year’s $52,717.

“We saw a little bit of a challenging market, but it was good in spots,” said sale co-manager David Reid. “This time of the week, it’s kind of like a hump day and transitioning to new people coming in and some people leaving town.

“Trotters did hold up right across the board again today. It’s like I was saying before, there are going to be opportunities. There were pockets here today and the people here were able to benefit that we retreated a little bit off from the first two nights. It was still a very impressive session, it’s just that we’re rolling along into our fourth session tomorrow and it’s going to be what it’s going to be.”

Reid said there may be a slight market correction at play while new pedigrees enter the market.

“It gets back to the diversification, I really believe, on the pacing side, and even on the trotting side,” Reid said. “With the influx of the foreign-based pedigrees, I think it’s good long-term for the breeding, but the familiarity might not be there for all the buyers. It’s a learning curve and I think it’s attributable to some of that.

“There’s just a lot of selection. I think at the end of the week, you’re going to see that’s where part of the difference was… with the pacers.”

PREFERRED TOPS $10 MILLION IN SALES

On Wednesday, Reid’s Preferred Equine became the first consignor over $10 million in sales. Preferred has grossed exactly $10,240,000 this year through the first three days for 99 sold. Last year, for the complete sale, Preferred had sales of $10,561,000. The all-time Lexington consignor record of $11,261,000 was set by Preferred in 2022 when the agency sold 145 yearlings.

“It was solid [on Wednesday],” Reid said. “Here again, we had bright spots. It was a solid marketplace, solid trade. The greatest judge of a horse is the public and throughout today we really didn’t hit any out of the park, but we got them sold and moved on and we had a good day that way.

“We look forward to [Thursday, Oct. 3]. We realize the marketplace is what it is and we just do the best we can. For the week, it’s been a great week.”

Through three days, Kentuckiana is in second place among consignors with gross sales of $7,903,000, followed closely by Hunterton ($7,875,000). Crawford Farms is fourth with sales of $3,883,000.

By average, Hanover Shoe Farms, which sold its last horse of this sale on Tuesday, still leads with $216,308 for 13 sold, followed by All American Harnessbreds ($170,000 for six sold) and Cameo Hills ($144,417 for 24 sold). Peninsula Farm is fourth with an average of $139,533 for 15 sold.

Kentuckiana sold the top three yearlings by price on Wednesday.

Topping the third session was Hip #514 Storybook Love, a Chapter Seven filly out of Stirling Debutant purchased by Bax Stable as agent for Al Libfeld for $210,000 from the Kentuckiana consignment.

Four other yearlings sold for $170,000 or more.

Hip #449 Hustle N Bustle (f, Walner—Hustle Heart) sold for $175,000 to the Dream With Me Stable, also out of the Kentuckiana consignment.

Hip #531 Cork And Carry (f, Bar Hopping—Flying Glide) was purchased by Armitage Farm for $175,000 from Kentuckiana.

Diamond Creek sold Hip #424 Carve, a Captain Corey filly out of Alpine, for $170,000 to Kemppi Stables, which also paid $170,000 for Hip #471 AJ Hall, a Cantab Hall—Aela Jamieson filly sold by Preferred.

BRITTANY COMING TO THE END OF THE LINE

On Wednesday, Brittany Farms sold four of its own yearlings and one as an agent. It only has two more yearlings to sell [Thursday, Oct. 3] and one on Friday (Oct. 4) before ending its reign as one of the sport’s top breeders.

Owner George Segal is exiting the breeding business and farm manger Art Zubrod and his wife, office manager Leah Cheverie, are retiring. Unfortunately, the farm has not had the results it was hoping for this year in the auction ring.

“I had a lot of nice people come and give us well wishes or whatever you want to call it and that was nice, but it’s been a crappy sale for us and I don’t know why,” Zubrod said. “Horses are selling for about 50 per cent of what I thought they’d sell for.

“Last year, we were the leading consignor of anybody that sold all five days and this year, I tell you, we’d have trouble being in the top 10, so I’m not sure what went on.”

Through three days, Brittany has sold 13 yearlings for gross sales of $1,015,000, averaging $78,077.

CONCORD STUD PLEASED

Meanwhile, Julie Meirs of Concord Stud said she’s pleased with her farm’s results, so far.

Through three days, Concord has gross sales of $2,659,000 for 23 sold, averaging $115,609.

“I think we’ve had a good sale,” Meirs said. “It’s been a solid Lexington sale. We had 10 the first night and we love selling Day 1 at Lexington, so it was a strong way to start off. Then, three yesterday, but one for $300,000 so that was pretty good, as well.

“The yearling [Tuesday] for $300,000 [Hip #292, Ocean Rider] was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t think we’d be there, so it was a positive surprise. We knew that he would be good, but we just didn’t know what that final number would be. We didn’t think he was going to be $50,000, we knew he’d be six figures… well, we hoped. I hate to say ‘we knew’ because you never know what’s going to happen.”

TEAM HARRIS STILL DOMINATING BUYERS

The team of Andrew Harris and Bill Pollock did not buy any horses on Wednesday, but still lead all buyers by a large margin. The duo has spent $5,115,000 for 15 yearlings and has collared eight of the top 17 sold by price, including three of the top five:

• 2^nd overall — Hip #83 Going Viral (f, Chapter Seven—Check Out Trixie) for $650,000.

• 3^rd overall — Hip #106 Ice Fall (c, Walner—Ice Attraction) for $625,000.

• 5^th overall — Hip #267 Naughty Beauty (f, Bettors Delight—Beautyonthebeach) for $550,000.

Trainer Nancy Takter added six more yearlings on Wednesday and has now spent $2,597,000 for 23 horses. Trainer Tony Alagna is close behind with purchases totalling $2,180,000 for 23 yearlings after buying nine more on Wednesday and spending $369,000 to bring them home.

NO CHANGE IN TOP SIRES

There is no change in the sire leaderboard through three days. It is as follows:

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

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

• Muscle Hill — $4,203,000 for 32 sold ($131,344).

• Gimpanzee — $3,900,000 for 36 sold ($108,333).

• Captaintreacherous — $3,688,000 for 38 sold ($97,053).

• Perfect Sting — $2,924,000 for 34 sold ($86,000).

The fourth session of the sale begins today (Oct. 3) at 1 p.m.

“Maybe just the world economics, the political situation, inflationary situation – at some point, it’s probably going to affect the market and maybe that’s what we saw a little bit today and maybe a bit more of a buyers’ market [Thursday, Oct. 3],” Reid said.

“I think through the week we’ve been saying, the catalog is so strong. It’s still got sire power and I think there’s opportunities for people and, truthfully, that’s a great thing for the sport. You get all shapes and sizes of horses and all shapes and sizes in stables and they come here and they are going to find what they want.

“It’s been a good week, with great weather and good atmosphere and look forward to session four.”