Pacing Sires At Lexington Selected

At the Lexington Selected Sale Somebeachsomewhere led all pacing sires in gross revenue, average and the highest price paid for a yearling. Forty-four sold, up from 30 last year. The ten-year-old son of Mach Three grossed $1.1 million more than he did in 2014, thanks to the 14 extra yearlings in his offering. His average was down almost $3,300. This crop consists of 130 foals; 48 will sell in Harrisburg the first week of November. Last year 55 sold in Pennsylvania as compared with 30 in Lexington, so the percentage offered in Kentucky has markedly increased.

Eight colts and seven fillies, or 34% of those sold, brought at least $100,000, and one of the colts and two fillies commanded prices in excess of $200,000. Last year 40% topped $100,000, with a pair of fillies selling for more than $200,000. Nineteen colts and 13 fillies fetched at least $50,000—a very healthy 75% of the offering. Last year it was 73%. Our boy is consistent.

The low end has shrunk, as fewer than 7% failed to top $25,000 this year. Last year that group amounted to 23%.

SBSW has not recreated Captaintreacherous ; consistency and across the board superior performance have been his calling card. Undefeated Pure Country, who won the Pennsylvania Championship for freshman fillies and went on to double in the Bluegrass and ISS, is his star attraction.

Art Major, who has had his reputation bolstered by last year’s Horse of the Year, JK She’salady, and her brother, Cup and Allerage winner JK Endofanera, as well as NYSS star Travel Playlist, was second to SBSW in total sales and average in Lexington. Although, in deference to Beach’s domination, Art Major only took in 47% of what he did. The 32 sold averaged $55,000, up $8,000 from last year, when six fewer changed hands. He was stronger in the middle and at the low end this year; 47% sold for at least $50,000 as opposed to 31% in 2014. The percentage failing to top $25,000 was also considerably reduced. The $275,000 paid for a filly out of a daughter of Delinquent Account topped the pacing side of the sale and was $125,000 more than Art Major’s 2014 high. There are 107 in the crop being sold, up 28 from last year. Thirty-one will be available in Harrisburg.

Another New York stallion, American Ideal, grossed the third largest amount at Lexington Selected. He moved up from the number eleven spot in 2014. He sold 26 yearlings as opposed to 20 last year and his average jumped $7,000 to $48,769. Last year only one filly topped $100,000. This year three colts and a filly eclipsed that number. There are 114 in this crop, up 21 from last year. A large offering of 20 colts and 23 fillies will be available in Harrisburg.

He’s Watching is retired and In The Arsenal, despite wins in the Rooney and Bluegrass, has been something of a disappointment, but American Passport took splits of the Bluegrass and ISS at The Red Mile while Bedroomconfessions won the former.

Well Said was number four in gross sales, although his average dropped $4,200 on seven more sold than in 2014. His percentages on the various tiers were similar to last year, except in the $15,000 or less category where he was much better this time.

Lost For Words has gone right up to the line that separates the top tier from the rest, but he’s been unable to get across. Brian Brown’s charge won a heat of the Jug and lost a heartbreaker to Wiggle in the final. He was second in the Tattersalls Pace to Artspeak the other day; he was third behind Wakizashi Hanover in the PA Championship; he was second in the Milstein and third in the Adios. Not quite there. And two-year-old Control The Moment has been outstanding in Canada. He drew the two post in his BC elimination on Friday. These are the best two horses to emerge from the nine-year-old Western Hanover stallion’s three crops. He stands for a $15,000 fee.

Bettor’s Delight, who is selling his first large Pennsylvania crop this year, was fifth in gross sales. His average jumped about $1,100 to $42,440. The 17-year-old son of Cam’s Card Shark led sophomore pacers in earnings by a wide margin in his last year of eligibility in the New York program, and he led freshman colt pacers by a mile in Ontario. He’s the leading sire of all-age pacers in North America.

LA Delight made it 11 for 12 when she won her OSS Super Final the other night. Her counterpart Betting Line took the colt Super Final. All Bets Off won the Confederation Cup and the Prix D’Ete. Betting Exchange won the NYSS final and 6-year-old Dynamic Youth has come alive under Ron Burke’s tutelage. Bettor’s Delight has had a great year—all over the map and age spectrum. Yet, the number of $100,000 plus yearlings sold by him in Lexington is the same this year as last—zero. 48% did bring at least $50,000—up 9 % from 2014. There are 126 in this crop and 60 of them will sell in Harrisburg, 31 colts and 29 fillies.

Rocknroll Hanover, who is selling his last crop, which consists of 44 Pennsylvania eligible foals, had similar numbers to last year. He did sell a colt for $100,000 and another for $95,000. Eighteen will sell at Harrisburg.

Roll With Joe, who had great success in the NYSS program with his first crop, which included world champion Dime A Dance, stepped his average up more than $12,000 since his first go round in Lexington a year ago. Only 11 were sold from a small crop—33 will sell in Harrisburg. Five of the eleven brought at least $50,000 and a half-brother to Forty Five Red and Thirty Two Red sold for $125,000.

Rock N Roll Heaven took in $500,000 on 29 sold. Last year 11 grossed $556,000. So his average took a precipitous nosedive of more than $33,000. Only 7% topped $50,000, while 58% sold for $15,000 or less. 72% failed to top $25,000. Talk about a bloodbath. This is a large crop—38 will sell in Harrisburg—but subsequent crops are much smaller so his connections have decided to relocate him to New Jersey for the 2016 season.

Heaven has produced Sassa Hanover, who won the Jugette this year; Divine Caroline, who recently took the Garnsey and a split of the Bluegrass; Band Of Angels, who was number two in her NYSS class, Moremercy Bluechip and Rock Me Gently, who were productive in the NYSS, but they’re all fillies. The cupboard is bare on the colt side.

The godsend was that Western Terror, who weighed last year’s average down with a sale record 41 undesirables, only sold nine this year. His average jumped from $15,000 to $19,000 with the smaller offering, but 77% of them failed to crack $25,000. Nine will sell in Pennsylvania, down from 23 in 2014.

Joe FitzGerald