Rebuff gelding Gitcha Some tops Northern Indiana Yearling Speed Sale

by James Platz

The Northern Indiana Yearling Speed Sale returned after a one-year hiatus Tuesday (Nov. 10) at the Topeka Livestock Auction in Topeka, IN. Eighty-three of 93 yearlings entered passed through the sale ring, producing gross sales of $648,900 and an average of $7,818. Rebuff gelding Gitcha Some topped the session, bringing a $33,000 final bid.

When the Northern Indiana Yearling Speed Sale was created in 2021, it was one of three fall marketplaces for Indiana-sired horses, joining the Hoosier Classic and Midwest Classic sales, and preceding both on the calendar with a September date. As the Hoosier Classic sale was purchased, rebranded as the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale (MSHS) and expanded to three days, demand was not high for another auction on the 2025 calendar.

With the Midwest Classic sale, traditionally held in late November, mothballed, and MSHS management tweaking the format earlier this year and scaling back to two days, sale consultant Richard Fry opted to revive the Northern Indiana sale, moving it back on the calendar to early November. The result was a 91-yearling catalog and two supplements, the second-highest entries in the sale’s short history.

Four yearlings brought bids of $20,000 or more, with Gitcha Some bringing the highest price. Cataloged as Hip #17 from consignor Aron Bontrager, the gelded son of Rebuff is from Majestic Presence, a $200,000-plus winner with two winners from her first three foals. Gitcha Some is a full-brother to Cool Manner, a nine-time winner on the Indiana Fair Circuit, including the $25,000 Governor’s Cup championship. Kenneth Graber was the winning bidder.

Seven yearlings from Rebuff’s second crop averaged $13,243.

Jubitty, a filly from the first crop of 2021 Dan Patch Trotter of the Year Jujubee, was second on the sale sheet, selling for $30,000. Cataloged as Hip #14 and consigned by Samuel King, the yearling is out of KYSS leg winner Little Bitty Lies, who has produced Grand Circuit winner All The Truth, a six-figure earner with a mark of 1:53.3. S & R Racing purchased the filly.

A group of five Jujubee-sired yearlings sold for an average of $12,600.

Cruising Vegas was the highest-priced pacer of the session, hammered down for $25,000. Consigned by Double R Farm as agent, the colt is by first-crop sire Loubet, and is the first foal from Tellitlikeitis mare Tell Me Please. Faron Miller signed the ticket on the colt, cataloged as Hip #51.

Trotting sire Helpisontheway had the largest representation in the sale, with 12 yearlings consigned. Four of the top 10 yearlings sold were sired by the son of Chapter Seven. Dontstandintheway, Hip #11, topped the group, selling for $20,000. Consigned by Aron Bontrager, the gelding is a full-brother to Indiana Sires Stakes leg runner-up Copperstone. He was purchased by Mike Peterson.

Helpisontheway’s progeny averaged $11,267.