Looking to keep momentum rolling off another positive London Classic Yearling Sale

by Matthew Lomon

The stars, as they say, were aligning ahead of what turned out to be the most successful London Classic Yearling Sale (LCYS) by average sale price in four years ($32,663).

Between a steady influx of government funding and a deep roster of Ontario stallions, momentum had already been building ahead of this year’s auction.

“The mood was really good coming into the sale,” said Greg Blanchard, LCYS sale manager and director of equine programming at Western Fair District. “I got the sense from most of the breeders that there was a lot of optimism coming in. Certainly, from our perspective as the sales company, we felt good about the catalog and the climate coming into this year’s sale.”

Breeders, as Blanchard noted, were particularly bullish about their sale prospects, specifically citing the province’s commitment to provide an additional $14 million annually to the standardbred industry over the next five years – the vast majority earmarked for purses and horse improvement programs such as the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS).

“What I was hearing most from the breeders coming into the sale was that the enhanced purse funding was certainly creating that optimism and what they felt was going to be more confidence with buyers,” Blanchard said.

“Anecdotally, a lot of them said they had more visits to their farms prior to the sale this year, which is generally a good indicator.”

Greater confidence was a common theme across the board.

“Even from potential buyers, I was hearing that coming in,” Blanchard said.

The additional flow of provincial funds has led to purse increases across Ontario’s three levels of harness racing (Premier, Signature, and Grassroots), bolstering the circuit’s competitive depth.

“In Ontario, with not only the strong OSS program, but now a really strong overnight program and a large portion earmarked to focus on Ontario-bred horses – it’s a pretty robust program overall,” Blanchard said. “I think the climate is much more attractive going forward.”

The revamped environment may also have given buyers greater assurance in their purchasing decisions, with earning opportunities extending beyond the highest levels of competition.

“Not every horse that sells is going to be a world champion or a top stakes horse,” Blanchard said. “So, no matter where that horse ends up fitting, there’s earning potential. There’s a good opportunity to recoup your investment, and that’s what drives the market ultimately.”

Bidding was strong across the two-day sale, as 264 yearlings were sold. On Day 1, a total of 133 yearlings sold for $4.412 million, fetching an average of $33,173.

Hip #55 North Lite and Hip #86 Vaughn Seelster shared the title of sale topper, each fetching a $150,000 price tag.

Day 2 of the sale saw 131 yearlings sold, bringing the total gross to $8.623 million.

While the sessions mapped out differently, the result — a 6.6 per cent increase in average from the 2025 auction — meant both were a success.

“We had our co-sale toppers on Day 1, but we also saw more of that extreme fluctuation from the bottom end to the top,” said Blanchard. “Whereas Day 2 was a much stronger middle market – the pricing was much more consistent throughout the second day.

“It was interesting to see the dynamics of the two days and how they both achieved the same end result in terms of average, but they were different in how they felt.

“Going into Day 2, we were up in average over the year before. Then with Day 2 being so solid, we were able to maintain the average, which was a nice bump of approximately 7 per cent over last year.”

The total gross was down 2.7 per cent from a year ago ($8.86 million), but that wasn’t unexpected with 25 fewer yearlings sold in 2026.

Alongside the sales company, consignors were largely pleased with the prices their crops returned.

“I think some were very happy,” Blanchard said. “I would say others were certainly satisfied. I didn’t really hear from any that said they were disappointed. I think, overall, everybody had at the very least, a really good sale.”

Part of the positivity among sellers post-sale, Blanchard added, stems from an awareness within breeders that their offerings must evolve to align with buyer demands.

“They’re all realistic, too,” he said. “They realize that certain pedigrees aren’t what the buyers want anymore, and they’ll adjust and make those shifts accordingly. But that doesn’t happen overnight, and that’s why I have so much respect for the breeders because it’s a very challenging business.

“You’re always thinking three years or more out on the horizon with your decisions, so it’s hard just to pivot. But collectively, I think every operation has focused on improving and I’m seeing that improvement every year with the groups of horses they’re bringing. The quality gets slightly elevated each year. I think the Ontario-breds are going to be more and more sought after in the coming years.”

For proof of Ontario’s steadily improving status, Blanchard says to look no further than OSS Super Finals night, which he believes helped drive the success of the London Sale.

“That was as good a night of racing as I’ve seen all year anywhere,” he said. “It was fantastic. That night, and the vibes from that night would’ve spilled over to our sale. It was the best of our Ontario program on display. Then we saw that with the yearling sale, the next crop of those potential champions on display. The climate’s good, the breeding end of it is very strong, so I think it’s a recipe for good things here.”

A key ingredient in that recipe is the wealth of broodmares and stallions standing in Ontario, the latter of which Blanchard praised as some of the “most attractive and sought after, not only in Canada but in North America.”

The group includes top pacing stallions Cattlewash, Bulldog Hanover, and Big Jim, as well as Muscle Mass, Green Manalishi S, and King Of The North on the trotting side, among countless proven others.

It is now incumbent on the industry and its people to capitalize on the recent momentum.

“It’s hard not to get excited about the breeding program here for the next number of years,” said Blanchard. “I think there’s a lot of momentum that we’ve gained in this past year, and we have to make sure we maintain and build on that going forward, collectively as an industry.”

If the most recent sale provides any indication of what to expect next year, then everyone involved will have held up their end of the bargain.

‘There’s a lot of work putting the sale together,” Blachard said. “It’s months and months of planning from the time we take entries until the time that first horse walks into the ring.

“We’re already looking forward to next year, and before you know it, we’ll be calling for entries. I’m really anxious to see what the catalog next year looks like because if the quality increases again, that’s really exciting to think about.”