Captaintreacherous full brother goes for $360,000

Lexington, KY —  As reported by the USTA, the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale got off to a strong start Tuesday night (Oct. 2) at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion, with five harness racing yearlings selling for at least $300,000 to spark a 10.6 percent increase in average price compared to last year’s record-setting event. An additional 12 horses sold for at least $200,000 and a total of 64 of the 102 horses sold reached six figures.

Last year’s opening night saw 93 horses sell for $10.63 million, an average of $114,344. The 2017 sale set records for gross, at $36.41 million, and average, at $58,537. This year, the opening night’s 102 horses brought $12.90 million for an average of $126,471.

“That’s not intentional,” Cancelliere said with a laugh, referring to buying the top-priced yearling. “But he’s a beautiful colt and we’re pleased we got him. He’s a beautiful animal, an absolutely beautiful animal. He really is. When they look that good and carry themselves that well, he was going to bring a good price tag. You knew that going in. We stretched a little more than we wanted to. We went for it.”The sales topper Tuesday was Treasure Trove, a full brother to two-time Pacer of the Year Captaintreacherous. The colt, by Somebeachsomewhere out of Worldly Treasure, sold for $360,000 to John Cancelliere. Treasure Trove, who went through the ring as Hip No. 82, was bred by White Birch Farm and consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing as agent.

Cancelliere also bought pacer Like Lightning Lou, who is a full brother to his 2-year-old Love Me Some Lou, for $150,000. Like Lightning Lou is by Sweet Lou out of Shark Lightning.

“We desperately wanted him,” said Cancelliere, whose brother Tom trains their stable’s horses. “It worked out well on both occasions. We’re pleased.”

Tall Dark Stranger, a pacing colt by Bettor’s Delight out of Dan Patch Award-winner Precocious Beauty, sold for $330,000 to Nancy Johansson as agent for Marvin Katz, Caviart Farms, Crawford Farms and Howard Taylor.

Precocious Beauty’s first foal, Beautyonthebeach, won the Kentucky Sire Stakes final for 2-year-old filly pacers on Sept 16. The family also includes Dan Patch Award-winner Sportswriter. Tall Dark Stranger was bred by Jim Avritt Sr. and consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency as agent.

“I liked his pedigree and the individual,” Johansson said. “My dad (Jimmy Takter) really liked him too. Now that he’s stepping into his new phase in life as a consultant when he retires, he’s been looking at yearlings with both Per (Engblom) and I. He loved, loved, loved this colt as well.

“It’s a great family. It’s a modern family. There is a lot of ‘now’ stuff happening in that family, which is nice. And Bettor’s Delight is solid. They show up and do their work.”

Johansson also bought pacing colt Remember The Beach (Somebeachsomewhere-Allamerican Memoir) for $140,000 as agent for 3 Brothers Stable and pacing filly Treacherous Act (Captaintreacherous-Act Now) for $100,000 as agent for Caviart Farms.

“I thought I did really well,” Johansson said. “I was happy with all three purchases. I think all three could have brought more money than they did. The Somebeach colt is an absolutely gorgeous colt. The mare has already produced a world champion (Beach Memories) and he just had great charisma. I like that he has good size to him. I think pacing colts need to have some size because they race so tough nowadays. I felt he was the complete package.

“The filly, Act Now was a tough race mare. Combine that with Captaintreacherous and I don’t think you can go wrong, especially with that price tag. She will be a great addition to Caviart Farms’ broodmare band.”

The fifth horse into the ring, filly trotter Whose Blues, sold for $300,000 to Serge Godin’s Determination Stable. Whose Blues, by Cantab Hall, is the first foal out of stakes-winning mare Bright Baby Blues and her second dam, Bar Slide, was a Dan Patch Award-winner. The family includes Sliding Home, a stakes-winner in the U.S. as well as a winner in Europe. Whose Blues was bred by Bluestone Farms and Fredericka Caldwell and consigned by Cane Run Farm as agent.

Das Deo, a pacing colt by Captaintreacherous out of Lisjune, sold for $300,000 to Dana Parham. He is a half-brother to Dan Patch Award-winner I Luv The Nitelife and the family also includes Dan Patch Award-winner Lis Mara. Das Deo was bred by Deo Volente Farms and Louis “Andy” Willinger and consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing as agent.

Force N Fury, a pacing colt by Captaintreacherous out of My Little Dragon, sold for $300,000 to Tony Alagna as agent for Brad Grant, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.

Force N Fury is a three-quarter brother to O’Brien Award-winner Stay Hungry, whose wins this year include the Cane Pace and Messenger Stakes. Force N Fury was bred by White Birch Farm and consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing as agent.

Burke Racing Stable was the night’s top buyer, purchasing seven horses for $935,000.

Trotting fillies led the night’s average, with 24 selling for an average of $141,542. Pacing colts followed, with 27 for $137,481, and then trotting colts, with 31 for $124,065. Twenty pacing fillies sold for an average of $97,250.

Muscle Hill and Father Patrick led the trotting sires in gross, with 25 Muscle Hill yearlings totaling $3.16 million ($126,680 average) and 13 Father Patrick yearlings totaling $1.69 million ($130,077).

Captaintreacherous and Somebeachsomewhere topped the pacing sires in gross, with 19 Captaintreacherous yearlings totaling $2.29 million ($120,632) and 13 Somebeachsomewhereyearlings totaling $1.88 million ($144,615).

The five-day yearling sale continues through Saturday, with each session beginning at 7 p.m. at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion. For complete results, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA