Mac Nichol will hope Quatrain Blue Chip is poetry in motion on the racetrack after making the pacing colt the sales topper for Tuesday’s session of the Standardbred Horse Sale.
Nichol bought Quatrain Blue Chip, a son of Somebeachsomewhere and first foal out of the mare Frontierpan, for $180,000. The colt’s family includes stakes-winner Tomorrowpan and two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Mystical Maddy. Casie Coleman will train the colt.
“He’s a super-looking horse,” Nichol said. “I loved the breeding on him, Somebeachsomewhere, and he’s one of the best ones I thought I saw at the sale. So that’s the reason I went for him.
“We liked him right from the time we saw him. We were waiting for him all day. I’m happy, for sure. He was probably a little more than I thought, but that happens.”
Quatrain Blue Chip was one of 17 yearlings to sell for at least $100,000 during the second day of the Standardbred Horse Sale. Despite a 4.28-percent dip in the sale’s first-day average compared to last year, the two-day average of $52,847 was nearly identical to last year’s $53,322.
A total of 483 yearlings have been sold this year compared to 479 last year.
“We made up our difference and we’re basically where we were last year at this time,” Standardbred Horse Sale Company President and CEO Pete Spears said. “After the way things started a little slowly yesterday, I think we’re doing very well.
“I was told by multiple people that they felt there weren’t the usual valleys that go on for a while and then peak. It was always fairly steady straight through. The consignors thought that as well.”
Following Quatrain Blue Chip on the list of Tuesday’s top sellers was trotting colt Army Of Monkeys, who went for $170,000 to Courant Inc. and trainer Marcus Melander. Army Of Monkeys is a son of Chapter Seven out of the mare Steamy Windows. His family includes Mets Inn, the dam of recent Breeders Crown runner-up Mets Hall, and 2009 Horse of the Year Muscle Hill.
“It got a little expensive, but it was a very nice Chapter Seven colt,” Melander said. “We were very happy to get him. There weren’t that many Chapter Sevens here and this was one of the nicer Chapter Seven colts, so you’re going to have to pay a little bit for him.
“I liked everything about him. He’s a complete horse and the video was great. I’ve had a couple of nice Chapter Sevens and it looks like he had the same that they had. We were lucky this year with (Chapter Seven-sired stakes-winner) Fourth Dimension, so hopefully we can get lucky next year too.”
Shake First, a pacing colt by American Ideal out of Shake That Junk, sold for $160,000 to Crawford Farms. Shake First is a half-brother to recent Breeders Crown Open Pace winner Split The House and mare Cult Status, both owned by Crawford Farms.
“We weren’t going to bid on him,” Michelle Crawford said. “But I couldn’t help it. I went and pulled him out. I loved his tape from the get-go, so I always had in my mind we would get him, but we purchased so many that we didn’t need another pacing colt for New York. I brought my husband (Al) over and that was it.
“I think we are well positioned to have some success next year, I hope. I think we’ve been up our game as far as pedigrees and what we’re buying. It’s exciting.”
Quarter Blue Chip, a daughter of Shadow Play and first foal out of the mare Michelles Song, sold for $150,000 to Team Allard. The filly’s second dam is Michelles Jackpot, a half-sister to 1994 Horse of the Year Cams Card Shark and mother of Canada’s 2012 Horse of the Year Michaels Power as well as O’Brien Award-winner Michelles Power.
Absynthe Hanover was purchased for $140,000 by Serge Godin’s Determination stable. The filly is a daughter of Kadabra out of the mare Anonyme Hanover. Her third dam is Amour Angus, who produced Canada’s 1994 Horse of the Year Emilie Cas El as well as Dan Patch Award winners Andover Hall and Conway Hall.
She is a Kadabra filly and I like a Kadabra filly,” said Luc Blais, who will train the horse. “I thought the bidding was OK for her. There weren’t that many Kadabras in the sale and we figured that filly was the best for us. We decided to get her.
“The third dam is a great third dam. And (Anonyme Hanover) went in (1):56.3, she showed something. I like that when the dam raced at 2 and has a good mark.”
The yearling portion of the Standardbred Horse Sale ends Wednesday at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex. The two-day mixed sale begins Thursday.
“I think we’re looking at a good day again (Wednesday),” Spears said. “I think there are still a lot of people that need horses. Everybody has been pretty relaxed and happy. There hasn’t been a lot of drama, and that’s a good thing on this end.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.
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