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Monday, November 9, 2015

Tough Sledding For Most Trotting Sires in Harrisburg


The Harrisburg sale was down 5.1% through the first three days, when most of the yearlings were sold. I’ll take a look at how individual trotting sires fared. There was a supplemental group sold at the end of Tuesday’s sale and another bunch sold on Thursday morning. I stuck with the official sale average, but used those yearlings in the price breakdown.

Muscle Hill averaged almost $53,000 for 17 sold this year. That’s down 18% from the 31 sold last year. Many of the Muscle Hills were shifted to the Lexington Selected Sale; 49 were sold there for an average of more than $86,000—39% higher than at Harrisburg. That certainly didn’t help the overall average. While only two topped $100,000 in PA, fifteen did in Lexington, including a $350,000 half- brother to Father Patrick and three other $200,000 plus purchases. Muscle Hill stands in PA and these are all New Jersey eligible colts and fillies, but he gave Lexington Selected a big boost. Less than half of the Harrisburg offering sold for more than $50,000; 80% did top $25,000. The fact that Kadabra averaged 25% more than Muscle Hill speaks volumes about the value of a lucrative sire stakes affiliation. This is Muscle Hill’s last New Jersey eligible crop.

Kadabra had a terrific sale; 20 averaged a shade under $80,000—up 46% from last year when 38 sold. Three of each topped $100,000, with a colt going for $260,000. 62% brought at least $50,000, and 81% topped $25,000. Kadabra is a confirmed filly sire; last year his colts averaged $22,000 and his fillies $58,000. However, this time at Harrisburg the colts averaged $68,000 and the fillies almost $62,000. Did Super Final winner Tony Soprano turn the buyers around? Muscle Mass, who sells his last Ontario crop this year, has been Kadabra’s primary competitor in the OSS, but with him out of the way it’s pretty much Kadabra and the Seven Dwarfs, until the new stallions come on line. Aside from BAM, he keeps a low profile on the Grand Circuit, so OSS cash is on the minds of these buyers.

Cantab Hall bucked the trend at Harrisburg as his average jumped by 35% over last year. 37 sold during the three day yearling portion of the sale for a $64,351 average. He also sold five others in the Supplemental sale and on Thursday morning. Cantab, who has the highest published fee for a trotting stallion in North America, is up 43% since 2012 at this sale. Last year it was Father Patrick and this year we have Wild Honey. A filly brought $500,000 and another $270,000, while a colt sold for $300,000. On the other hand, only 26% topped $50,000. 71% sold for at least $25,000. Cantab clearly outperformed his rival Muscle Hill at this sale, but the latter averaged $28,000 more than he did in Lexington.

Sixteen-year-old Andover Hall had great success in the aged ranks, with Euro star Nuncio and BC winner Creatine. However, it wasn’t one of his better years with younger stock. His average at Harrisburg was down 23% as 26 sold for an average of $31,808. Back in 2011, the year Detour Hanover fetched $825,000, Andover averaged almost $58,000. He’s down 45% since then. Last year a brother to Donato Hanover brought $200,000 and a couple of others topped $100,000. There weren’t any in that range this year. 27% sold for at least $50,000, while 54% topped $25,000. Ten sold in Lexington for a $39,500 average.

Chapter Seven, who averaged a weighty $61,000 for the 26 from his first crop sold in Lexington, averaged $30,000 for 30 sold at the Standardbred Horse Sale. A couple brought at least $200,000 at Lexington while three others brought at least $100,000. Only two colts hit the $100,000 mark in Harrisburg. 27% topped $50,000 and 53% topped $25,000. That’s quite a divide between the two sales.

Conway Hall, the leading sire of two and three-year-olds in the NYSS and the sire of freshman hot shot Allerage Echo, averaged $26,167 for ten sold. That was down 28% from last year. When including a filly sold in the supplemental portion, six of the ten brought at least $25,000.

Crazed, who returned to New York from Pennsylvania this year, sold 32 for an alarming $12,700 average. That’s down 42% from last year. This crop is PA eligible; the 2014 bunch were destined for the NYSS. 62% failed to bring more than $15,000. JL Cruze and Crazy Wow had good years, but the buyers apparently weren’t impressed.

Explosive Matter had crack sophomore Pinkman, the can’t miss Dan Patch winner, carrying the banner for him all season, but the buyers apparently weren’t impressed. 39 averaged $17,564—down 33% from last year. None brought $100,000 and two fillies were the only ones that topped $50,000. And only 20% sold for at least $25,000. 61% failed to top $15,000. Talk about dismal numbers. 15 averaged more than $31,000 at Lexington Selected. He stands for $7,500 in Pennsylvania.

Donato Hanover averaged $38,744 for 40 sold, plus there were three in the supplemental offering. That was down 16% from 2014. More than half sold for at least $25,000, while a third brought $50,000 or more. A pair topped $100,000. He was nothing special at Lexington, averaging under $40,000 for 39 sold. The sire of Broadway Donna and D’One only sold one for $100,000 there and just 35% topped $50,000.

Lucky Chucky, who stands for $6,000 in New York, down from $7,500 in 2014, averaged a miniscule $8,810 for 21 sold. There were also a couple of others. 87% of them failed to surpass $15,000. None of them brought $25,000.

Muscle Mass, who has outdone his younger, more accomplished brother, sold four from his last Ontario crop. They averaged $35,750, up 45% from last year. He has never before averaged more than $20,000 at this sale. Muscle Massive averaged under $15,000 for 37 sold. 60% failed to crack $15,000.

Eight by RC Royalty averaged $21,188—down 60% from 2014. He’s done fine in the NYSS, but Royalty For Life may be a one-off.

Yankee Glide sold nine colts and seven fillies for an average under $20,000. He’s down 49% at this sale since 2013. 44% failed to top $15,000. 30 averaged more than $30,000 in Lexington, where a brother to All Laid Out brought $150,000 and a sister to Aperfectyankee sold for $130,000. Milligan’s School won splits of the Bluegrass and ISS. Yankee Glide was strong at both sales in 2013, then things changed.

Credit Winner averaged $28,700 for 35 sold—down 57% from 2014, and down 63% from 2013. Only one went through the sale for $100,000 and that was a buy back. Only 14%—five colts—sold for $50,000 or more. 36% topped $25,000 and 28% failed to sell for more than $15,000. He’s third on the NYSS freshman money list and second on the sophomore list, but the trotting sires in the Empire State are so bad that those placements don’t mean much. It’s old reliable Conway Hall and the Who brothers. Credit Winner sold 58 for a $51,474 average in Lexington. A colt and three fillies topped $100,000 in Lexington. He hasn’t given us much to get excited about in recent years, but they look like a million dollars.

Dewey averaged $15,000 for nine plus one sold from his first New York eligible crop. Half of them failed to top $15,000. A couple brought at least $25,000.

Broadway Hall, who now stands in Ohio, averaged $16,404 for 26 Pennsylvania eligibles. That was down 23% from last year. 63% failed to sell for more than $15,000.

Joe FitzGerald

 

 

 

 

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