The Standardbred Horse Sales Company returned to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg after a one-year absence for their 83rd auction November 8-12. As always, the first three days of the sale was dedicated to yearlings.
Monday (Day 1)
Hip #2 set the tone for the first day, as Defacement (Muscle Hill/Thatsnotmyname) sold for $500,000. The Andy Miller Stable was the purchaser of the full sister to Fifty Cent Piece. Defacement would be just one of five to sell for $500,000 or more during the opening session.
The next one to break the half million-dollar mark was Hip 16, Craft Made (Walner/Woodshopper). The half-brother of Fashionwoodchopper was purchased by Determination for $610,000.
Robert Lindstrom was the buyer of Hip 58 Lord Bridgerton. The Muscle Hill colt was the first foal out of Fine Tuned Lady and brought $530,000.
Hip 69 In Italian topped the opening session when she was sold to Brad Grant for $750,000. The daughter of Chapter Seven is a full sister to Atlanta (1:49:1, $2,857,999).
In Italian wasn’t the only one to reach the $700,000 achievement. Hip 118 Swanky Hanover (Muscle Hill/Secret Magic) went home with Jeff Snyder after the hammer dropped for $700,000. Swanky Hanover is a full sister to two-time Dan Patch Award winner Manchego.
At the close of Monday’s session, the sale had a gross total of $17,730,000 ($130,368 avg) after 136 horses). 83 pacers went through the ring for a total of $8,972,000 ($108,096 avg), but trotters proved to be more popular. There were only 53 trotters compared to 83 pacers, but even with 30 less horses, trotters only trailed pacers by $214,000 in gross sales, as they ended the day with a gross total of $8,758,000 ($165,245 avg).
76 PA eligible yearlings sold for a total of $7,631,000 ($100,408 avg) during that opening session.
Tuesday (Day 2)
Tuesday’s session featured 285 horses going through the ring, and the sale continued to be strong. The first horse to break the $300,001 mark on Tuesday was Hip 187, Won Liner. The Walner/Won Ton Hanover filly was sold for $310,000 to Ake Svanstedt.
Hip 300, Unicorn Blue Chip, topped the day selling for $475,000. The Chapter Seven/Dunk The Donato filly was sold to Lucas Wallin. She is a half-sister to world champion Plunge Blue Chip who is now a winner of over $1.5 million in her racing career.
Twin B Nation (American Ideal/Lovely Erin), Hip 337 was sold for $300,000 to Determination LLC. The dam of Twin B Nation, Lovely Erin is a half siter to Wake Up Peter who was a near million-dollar earner.
The second session of the sale had a gross total of $15,697,000 in sales, with an overall average of $55,077. Trotters continued to be the strongest, with a gross of $7,338,000 ($57,780 avg) from a total of 127 horses. Pacers had a gross total of $8,359,000 ($52,905 avg) from 158 horse.
At the end of Tuesday’s session, the sale had a gross total of $33,427,000 ($79,399 avg) from 421 horses.
Overall, at the end of Tuesday:
- Pacers (241 horses) – $17,331,000 ($71,913 avg)
- Pacing colts (118 horses) – $9,196,000 ($77,932 avg)
- Pacing fillies (123 horses) – $8,135,000 (66,138 avg)
- Trotters (180 horses) – $16,096,000 ($89,422 avg)
- Trotting colts (98 horses) – $7,469,000 ($76,214 avg)
- Trotting fillies (82 horses) – $8,627,000 ($105,207 avg)
Wednesday (Day 3)
The final day of the yearling sale was also strong. Hip 598, Unity Blue Chip, topped the day selling for $145,000. Paul Kelly was the winning bidder of the EL Titan/Credittomyfamily filly.
Two other yearlings hit the $100,000 mark during Wednesday’s session, the first of those being hip 784, Duck Dynasty. Shane Tritton purchased the Huntsville/Rockn Opium colt for $100,000.
The final horse to reach $100,000 during the session was hip 786, Sublime Hanover. Sublime Hanover (Sportswriter/Sammy’s Magic Girl) was purchased by Wilma and James Mackenzie for $100,000.
Wednesday’s session wrapped up the book 1 portion of the sale. The yearling sale wrapped up with an average of $54,653, a new record and an 11.7% increase over the previous record which was set in 2019.
The gross total of $42,465,500 was the second highest gross total in history. The current record is $42,784,000 which was set in 2007. In 2007 1,048 yearlings went through the ring, this year there were 777.
Overall, for Book 1:
- Pacers (447 horses) – $22,314,500 ($49,921 avg)
- Pacing colts (216 horses) – $11,824,000 ($54,741 avg)
- Pacing fillies (231 horses) – $10,490,500 (45,413 avg)
- Trotters (330 horses) – $20,151,000 ($61,064 avg)
- Trotting colts (180 horses) – $9,557,000 ($53,094 avg)
- Trotting fillies (150 horses) – $10,594,000 ($70,627 avg)
367 Pennsylvania eligible yearlings went through the sales ring, selling for a gross total of $17,446,000 and an average of $47,537.
Thursday (Day 4)
Thursday’s session continued the already strong week with five broodmares selling for $200,000 or more. The first of those was hip 1063, Vita Bella Bi. The Donato Hanover/Crysta’s Image mare was sold to Lynda Stewart for $200,000. She is in foal to Pennsylvania’s Bar Hopping.
World Champion mare Maven (Glidemaster/M Stewart) made an appearance in the ring as hip 1093. The winner of over $2,000,000 in her racing career was purchased my Jean-Pierre Barjon for $285,000. She is in foal to Tactical Landing.
Hip 1097, What A Knockout topped the day, with Hanover Shoe Farms purchasing her for $595,000. The Donato Hanover/Southwind Sofia mare is in foal to Muscle Hill.
Graceful Lady was the fourth mare to cross the $200,000 mark. She was purchased by Jean-Pierre Barjon for $360,000. The Father Patrick/Queen Of Grace mare is in foal to New Jersey’s Muscle Hill.
Hip 1110, Jolie De Vie was the last mare to sell for over $200,000 when she was sold to Steven Stewart for $425,000. The Muscle Hill/Dream Angel mare is the dam of Breeders Crown starter Lilbitalexis and is currently in foal to Walner.
Thursday’s session ended with $13,565,000 in gross sales and an average of $44,330. 306 horses went through the ring.
Thursday’s breakdown:
- Broodmares (186 horses) – Gross total: $9,657,000 ($51,919 avg)
- Weanlings (16 horses) – Gross total: $350,000 ($21,875 avg)
- Yearlings (38 horses) – Gross total: $585,000 ($15,395 avg)
- Stallion Shares (56 shares) – Gross total: $2,526,000 ($45,107 avg)
- Racehorses (10 horses) – Gross total: $447,000 ($44,700 avg)
- Total for the week: (1,083 horses) – Gross total: $56,030,000
Friday (Day 5)
The week finished the same way it started with a very strong final day.
One of the highlights of the final day was hip 1391, Empressive Hill. The three year old daughter of Muscle Hill/Slice Slice Baby was sold to Jean-Pierre Barjon for $410,000. Empressive Hill has won 8 of 11 of her starts in 2021 and 10 of 18 starts lifetime. She was most recently the winner of the $56,000 Circle City at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Hip 1400, Evening Stroll, was sold to M Biasuzzi Stable for $310,000. Evening Stroll, a daughter of Cantab Hall/Wind Stroll, is a winner of 6 of 15 starts in 2021 and has earned $103,007 this season. She was a winner of the Liberty Bell at Harrah’s Philadelphia on September 30.
The third horse to cross $300,000 on the day was hip 1443, Fortitude Fashion. Fortitude Fashion, a daughter of Father Patrick/Winbak Blondie was purchased by Diamond Creek Farm for $350,000. She is a half sister to Hey Blondie, who was a winner of over $468,000 in her racing career.
Hip 1449, My Abigail, was sold to Shaun Laungani, Agent for $370,000. The Bar Hopping/Pleasing Lady filly is a half sister to Dan Patch Award winner and world champion Six Pack.
Quickest Hanover (Father Patrick/Queen Of Grace) topped the day selling for $450,000. Quickest Hanover is a half sister to world champion Lifetime Pursuit. She will return home to Hanover Shoe Farms, who was the successful bidder.
Breeders Crown winner Sandbetweenmytoes (hip 1523) also crossed the $300,000 mark. He was to Gregory Luther for $305,000. The Somebeachsomewhere/Galleria colt has over a half million dollars in career earnings and has a lifetime mark of 1:48:3.
The final horse to cross the $300,000 line was Gyre Hanover, who was supplemented to the sale and was hip 1803. The two year old son of Father Patrick/Global Desire was purchased by Eric Good for $350,000. Gyre Hanover is a winner of 2 of 4 starts and was a starter in the Champlain Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A strong sale all week resulted in increases across the board over 2020 and 2019. Overall, the week wrapped up with a gross total of $69,477,500.
Book 1 had gross total sales of $42,465,500 ($54,653 avg) for 777 horses. The average of $54,653 was a record for the sale and was an increase of 11.7% when compared to 2019.
The yearling sale gross total was the second highest of all time, falling just short of 2007’s total of $42,784,000 when over 1,000 yearlings were sold.
Book 2 had gross total sales of $27,012,000 ($51,846 avg) for 521 horses. The average represented an increase of just over 27% when compared to 2019’s sale.
