Two fillies are sale toppers Thursday at Lexington

Lexington, KY — Harness racing pacing filly Michelle (Papi Rob Hanover-American Allure) and trotting colt Century Love (Love You-Century Empress) topped Thursday’s (Oct. 5) fourth session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, selling to Joe Holloway and Andy Miller Stable, respectively, at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion.

Both horses went for $85,000 as the fourth day ended with total sales of $4.97 million, pushing the overall gross to $63.45 million with one session to go. Last year’s record-breaking sale stood at $60.44 million after four sessions, with 748 horses going through the ring at that point.

This year’s average for 815 horses is $77,864, which in the history of the event trails only last year’s $80,802 after four sessions. Prior to 2022, the record for average after four sessions belonged to the 2021 sale, at $71,898. The 2021 sale ended with $56.68 million in gross sales. Last year, the total was $65.28 million.

Michelle is a daughter of first-year sire Papi Rob Hanover from the family of Grand Circuit-winners Winds Of Change and Wake Up Peter. She was bred by Brittany Farms and Val D’Or Farms and consigned by Brittany Farms. She is Pennsylvania and Kentucky eligible.

Century Love is from the family of Grand Circuit-winners Celebrity Sweedie and Celebrity Speedie, as well as 80-race winner Chip Dot Com and nearly $900,000-winner Tall Cotton. He was bred by Robert Miller and consigned by Peninsula Farm as agent. He is Kentucky eligible.

Through four days, trotting sires Chapter Seven and Walner led the sale in gross, with Chapter Seven at $7.57 million for 56 horses and Walner at $6.19 million for 48 horses. Next were pacing sires Tall Dark Stranger, at $5.54 million for 60 horses, and Captaintreacherous at $5.51 million for 48 horses.

Leading in average (among horses with more than two sales) was trotting sire Gimpanzee, at $168,238 for 21 horses. Captaintreacherous topped pacing sires, at $114,854.

The final session of the five-day sale begins at 7 p.m. Friday.

Find the sale’s catalog here. For the live stream, visit the sale’s company website, and for complete results, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA