A lighter side of the Lexington sales

The following Letter To The Editor came in to Harnesslink from Floridian Jordan Farkas.

Here we go again in less than 3 weeks. Some of the best bred, best conformation and the wealthiest connections all converge in Lexington, Kentucky in October seeking future riches and to campaign the next great stallion or filly.

If you want to win in New York with trotters and on the grand circuit, you have to have a Chapter Seven whose offspring finished 1, 2, 3 in both 2 year old NYSS finals and won the 3 year old races too. If you wish to win in Ohio with pacers, you have to race a Downbytheseaside who was undefeated once Brian Brown made that minor equipment change and put Chris Page in the sulky.

Well-respected owner Joe Sbrocco wasn’t fearing any dragon’s in “Seaside’s” final race, and I would wager he’s not fearing any of his offspring’s either. Downbytheseaside didn’t win a Jug, but he was incredibly tough to beat on a 1/2 mile oval. His progeny will win in Delaware in the future, hopefully with Brian Brown’s Gulf Shores.

Many owners will also want a Walner whose untimely injury cost all-around good-guy Ken Jacobs a Hambletonian victory. Old habits are impossible to break, and Muscle Hill’s will continue to sell well no matter how much money they burned in the past.

Has anyone seen last year’s Lexington 1st day purchases of Trunk Bay ($400,000 – no starts), Knights Guard ($400,000 – 1 race, broke, no earnings yet), and Bonanza ($600,000, unseen and may be hanging out on The Panderosa). Muscle Hill’s look great, present well and are a great cross for Chapter Seven’s and Walner’s for fillies. Bonanza’s baby brother, The Big Valley is selling night 1 at Lexington, but he’s also the little and full brother of $1,100,000 yearling Maverick ($2,900 in earnings) and stallion Greenshoe. Will he be a Maverick or a Greenshoe? Owners will pay up to find out.     

In a year where the rich got richer, money is cheap and inflation is rampant, you can feel the inflation in yearling prices about to pop. The nice yearlings in the Goshen sale sold great!

While we probably won’t have two million plus yearlings this year due to Damien and Maverick both possibly having their pictures on milk cartons in your refrigerator’s (have you seen these horses?), those with thick wallets weighing them down won’t let a few shekels stop them from purchasing a horse who could possibly be syndicated for millions.

I’m hoping Richard Gutnick gets himself another Hambletonian trophy, Ken Jacobs finally gets to race in a Hambletonian and Brian Brown finally wins that Jug trophy, preferably with all of Downbytheseaside’s original owners. Sooner or later, good guys win big races and I never tire of seeing Joe Sbrocco win stakes races. If you ever try to pick up the dinner check around Joe, forget it. He may not be as young as he used to be, but he’s pretty spry.

Don’t be like me who passed on 25% of Chapter Seven for $10,500 and was one of the breeders of Downbytheseaside but couldn’t afford to buy him back and race him due to 2 kids in college at the same time. 

Good luck to all who attend Lexington and bring your checkbooks. As Uncle Junior said in The Soprano’s, “you come heavy or don’t come at all!”

From Jordan Farkas,  Florida