Record-breaking start for Lexington Select Sale

Lexington, KY — Female trotter Epoch was the top seller at Monday’s (Oct. 3) first session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, going for $725,000 to Diamond Creek Farm, to help propel the annual event to a record-smashing start at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion.

The five-day harness racing sale opened with 122 horses selling for a total of $23.06 million and average of $189,074 to better the previous records, set last year, of $18.54 million in gross and $161,217 in average. This year’s gross represented a 24.37-percent increase over 2021 while the average was a 17.27-percent hike.

Epoch, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Jolene Jolene, is a three-quarter sister to 2021 Dan Patch and O’Brien awards winner Venerable and half-sister to Crucial, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion.

She was bred by Maumee River Stables, Black Creek Farm, Martin Schmucker, and Steve Stewart. She was consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency. She is New York and Kentucky eligible.

“She was on a very short list of fillies that we were interested in,” Diamond Creek Farm owner Adam Bowden said. “Upgrading our trotting mares all the time is a challenge, and she certainly fit the bill, pedigree and physically. We loved the other fillies out of the mare. With the success she’s had as a broodmare, it seems crazy that we wouldn’t have been interested. We did our due diligence, and she checked every box for us. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like.

“To be honest, the fact she was a Chapter Seven was a huge selling point for us. I just think he’s a super sire. The success that Venerable has had being a Walner, the same sire line, if (Epoch) is half as good as Venerable is, we’ll be in great shape.”

A trainer for Epoch has yet to be determined.

“It was more like, let’s get her bought, take a deep breath, and work through that next,” Bowden said.

Seven yearlings sold for at least $500,000 on Monday, bettering last year’s total of five. Following Epoch on the best-seller’s list were male trotter Vic Zelenskyy and female pacer Youbet Hanover, both at $550,000.

Vic Zelenskyy, a son of Greenshoe–Mission Brief, sold to Marcus Melander as agent. Mission Brief was a multiple Dan Patch Award recipient, and Vic Zelenskyy is a three-quarter brother to Grand Circuit winner Adirondack.

He was bred by Mission Brief Stable and consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency. He is Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible.

Vic Zelenskyy was one of 19 yearlings from Greenshoe’s first crop to sell Monday. Greenshoe led all sires in gross sales, with $4.13 million, and his average of $217,474 led among sires with more than three horses to go through the ring.

Youbet Hanover, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight out of Dan Patch Award winner Youaremycandygirl, was purchased by Determination. She is Youaremycandygirl’s first foal, and the family includes Hall of Famer Sweet Lou as well as Bettor Sweet, who earned $2.78 million lifetime.

She was bred and consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms. She is Ontario eligible.

Two female trotters, Awaiting and Stardust Volo, were next at $525,000.

Awaiting, a daughter of Walner-Lonely Lady, was purchased by Ken Jacobs. She is a full sister to New Jersey Sire Stakes champion and Kentucky Championship Series runner-up Walner Payton, also owned by Jacobs. The family also includes millionaire stallion Bar Hopping.

She was bred by Steve Stewart and Douglass Hutchins and consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency. She is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.

Stardust Volo, a daughter of Muscle Hill–Sterling Volo, sold to Greg Luther. She is a full sister to Lily Stride, a Breeders Crown champ, and three-quarter sister to Grand Circuit winner Violet Stride. The family also includes Bill’s Man, a winner in the U.S. and Europe.

She was bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Jorgen Jahre Jr. and consigned by Kentuckiana Farms. She is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.

Slip Sliding Away, a daughter of Father Patrick-Ice Attraction, sold for $510,000 to Jim Glass as agent. She is the first foal out of Ice Attraction, who won the 2017 Kentucky Filly Futurity. The family also includes O’Brien Award recipient The Ice Dutchess as well as Southwind Serena, the dam of multiple Dan Patch Award honoree Mission Brief and stallion Tactical Landing.

She was bred by Little E LLC and Ake Svanstedt Inc. and consigned by Preferred Equine. She is Pennsylvania eligible.

Thinker Monkey, a son of Chapter Seven-Steamy Windows, was purchased for $500,000 by Howard Taylor. The colt is a full brother to Gimpanzee, who was a multiple Dan Patch Award winner including Trotter of the Year, and Iteration, who was a two-time New York Sire Stakes champion and winner on the Grand Circuit. His full sister Monkey Queen also just scored a Grand Circuit triumph last month.

He was bred by Order By Stable AB and consigned by Concord Stud Farm. He is New York and New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund eligible.

The Lexington Selected Yearling Sale resumes Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion.

For complete results from the sale, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA