Trends From The First Two Days Of The Sale In Harrisburg

Muscle Hill is the star of the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg; 26 sold for an average of better than $73,000 through the first two days. This represents more than 80% of the offering; there are six more for sale. A colt out of Brooklyn passed to Swedish interests via Jonas Czernyson for $390,000, and three others cracked the $100,000 threshold. Almost 58% of those sold have brought at least $50,000.

SBSW tops the pacing stallions as 50 have averaged a shade over $64,000. Last year he averaged $82,000 for the entire sale. Only five, two colts and three fillies, by SBSW remain to be sold. A colt brought $300,000 and another $240,000. In 2013 a filly sold for $355,000 and a pair of colts cracked $200,000. Ten of those sold yesterday and today topped $100,000 while 26—more than half—sold for at least $50,000.

RC Royalty only has 11 for sale in Harrisburg, but the six that have sold thus far are averaging a sweet $65,333. All but one brought at least $50,000 and that filly sold for 45. The top colt brought $100,000, a first for that stallion.

American Ideal is getting clobbered. Nineteen have sold for an average under $30,000. Ken Jacobs bought a colt for $100,000, and only one other brought at least $50,000. More than half brought $25,000 or less. He didn’t do well here last year either, although his stud fee jumped to $10,000 in 2014. The sire of the speedy but challenging colt, In The Arsenal, averaged almost $42,000 for 20 sold in Lexington. However, as is the case here, only one topped $100,000. There are four colts and nine fillies by American Ideal still to sell. Maybe he can right the ship. Regardless, something is off here.

Bettor’s Delight is selling a crop for the Ontario Sire Stakes this year. Twenty-three averaged better than $41,000 in Lexington with none over $100,000 and nine above $50,000. He’s averaging about $52,000 for 26 sold during the first two days in Harrisburg. One colt topped $100,000, while 13, or half, have brought at least $50,000. The sire of the top tier sophomore All Bets Off is amazingly consistent from year to year. He heads back to Ontario for a $12,000 fee in 2015.

Donato Hanover has already sold 39 for an average of better than $49,000. This represents 87% of the offering. A colt out of a sister to Hot Shot Blue Chip sold for $200,000 and two other colts and two fillies bettered $100,000. Thirteen, or 33%, brought at least $50,000. Fifteen of the Donatos failed to top $25,000—that’s 39%, which is high.

Credit Winner is very strong again this year. At this sale in 2013 twenty-four averaged $77,000. Thirty-three  sold in Lexington for an average a shade over $70,000, thanks to a $355,000 colt and a $320,000 filly. There haven’t been any high ticket purchases to match those numbers during the first two days in Harrisburg, but a colt brought $225,000 and a filly $190,000. Another colt sold for $100,000. Almost 60% of the offering topped $50,000. There are two more colts and three fillies left to sell.

Last year 26 Cantab Halls averaged $50,000 in Harrisburg. He played second fiddle to Muscle Hill at this year’s sale in Lexington as his average dropped from $85,905 to $64,394. Myron Bell spent $400,000 for a colt out of Dream Angel in Lexington, but there have been no lavish purchases like that for Cantab in Harrisburg. Three colts and a filly topped $100,000 while 10, or 39%, brought at least $50,000. This is weak for one of the two best trotting sires in NA. There are nine colts and five fillies left to sell. Plenty of room for the numbers to improve.

Seventeen by Roll With Joe are averaging $45,471. Two colts sold for more than $100,000 and six of the 17 brought at least $50,000. There are seven colts and 13 fillies left to sell. Is that going to improve his average? We’ll see.

Well Said, who stands for $15,000, is averaging $42,594 for 32 sold. One colt and one filly have topped $100,000. Hanover seems to be putting up disappointing results across the board. Fifteen of the 32 brought at least $50,000. A dozen, or more than 32%, failed to sell for more than $25,000.

Western Ideal, sire of this year’s top freshman pacer Artspeak, averaged only $11,000 a couple of years ago. Last year that jumped to $27,000, and he’s averaging better than $48,000 for 24 sold thus far in Harrisburg.

Lucky Chucky, who sold only a dozen in Lexington, has only sold eight so far in Harrisburg. He’s averaging a pedestrian $37,250, with only one bringing more than $50,000. There are seven more to sell. Last year 32 averaged $32,000 in Harrisburg.

Kadabra is flying high—the fillies anyway—as 23 overall have averaged better than $56,000. None of the colts have topped $100,000, but four of the fillies have. Quite a discrepancy here as the top colt brought $50,000 and the other five sold for $30,000 or less. There are ten colts and five fillies left to sell.

Sixteen by Explosive Matter are averaging $35,125, with one topping $100,000 and two, or 12%, bringing at least $50,000. This is awful. There are 21 left to sell. Let’s hope they saved the best for last.

Twenty-two by Art Major are averaging $45,000. Two sold for $100,000 and seven brought $50,000 or more. The colts are doing a lot better than the fillies.

Joe FitzGerald