Fresh records for turnover and average price were established at the first two sessions of the Kentucky Selected Yearling Sale held at Lexington during Grand Circuit Week.
A total 349 horses have changed hands for a whopping $43.5 million, an average of $124,642. Gross turnover is up 19.5 percent and average 12.1 percent on last year’s sale.
The sale’s opening session saw 122 lots sell for $23.06 million at an average price of $189,074, up 17 percent on the first session in 2021.
Bettor’s Delight was the leading pacing stallion in average at $207,500 for eight head sold, followed by Captaintreacherous ($165,389 – 36 lots).
First crop sire Greenshoe, the USA Trotter of the Year in 2019, led all trotting sires in average at $163,943 for 35 yearlings. Muscle Hill was second at $139,688 for 32 sold and Chapter Seven third at $139,610 for 41.
Trotting fillies were the most sought after with 98 lots sold averaging out at $135,734. Pacing fillies averaged $132,320 for 50 lots, trotting colts ($118,565 – 129 lots) and pacing colts ($115,097 – 72).
Eight yearlings – including seven trotters – sold for at least $500,000 on the first two days.
The highest priced lot was the trotting filly Epoch (by Chapter Seven), who realised $725,000. The trotting colt Vic Zelenskyy (by Greenshoe) and the pacing filly Youbet Hanover (by Bettor’s Delight) both sold for $550,000.
There was a strong benchmark of overseas buyers including Dutch horseman John Bootsman, the part-owner of Victoria Trotting Oaks hopeful Aldebaran Vera, who shelled out $260,000 for two trotting fillies – one by Father Patrick and the other by Muscle Hill – and a Walner colt.
The Swedish breeding conglomerate Menhammar Stuteri, the owners of new Australian trotting import Dancinginthedark M, outlaid $130,000 for a daughter of Greenshoe.
