A yearling sired by the Southwind Farms’ stallion Walner set a new individual sales record in Lexington, Kentucky last month. The record-setter Walner sired is Rani Hanover, the first foal out of 2020 Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill. Ken Jacobs purchased the filly for $925,000 at the Selected Yearling Sale in Lexington, Kentucky, making the trotter the highest-priced yearling filly ever sold at auction. The previous high price for a yearling filly was $800,000.
Other yearlings from Walner, a former world champion, led individual gross sales of $8.9 million, with 51 of his offspring sold. Walner’s first crop of yearlings sold in 2020, and included the then-highest priced yearling at the Lexington sale which fetched $725,000. “The prices New Jersey-bred yearlings generated [this year] demonstrate the respect the racing industry has for the work of New Jersey breeders,” said Ed Wengryn, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) Secretary.
Two other New Jersey sires were among the gross sales leaders, with Muscle Hill’s 35 offspring going for a combined $4.3 million and Tactical Landing’s 37 offspring going for $3.25 million. Walner, Muscle Hill, and Tactical Landing each stand at Southwind Farms in Pennington. Their offspring were three of the top seven selling sires at the sale. “These prices are a direct benefit of the Governor and Legislature committing to long-term investment in horse breeding and racing in New Jersey,” Wengryn said.
Walner led day 1 of the sale with 27 yearlings going for nearly $6.3 million, while Muscle Hill was third with 11 yearlings at nearly $2.2 million. Walner was second on Day 2 of the five-day event with 15 offspring going for just over $2 million, Tactical Landing was third with 12 sold for $1.61 million and Muscle Hill was fourth with 12 sold at 1.6 million.
Overall, Walner’s offspring sold for the highest average at $175,216, while Muscle Hill’s average was third at $124,257, and Tactical Landing’s average was seventh at $87,784. The totals for the week were 911 yearlings sold for $65,712,700, an average of $72,132 per horse.
Concord Stud Farm, based in Monmouth County, was fourth among consignors in average with $111,542 for 24 yearlings. Concord Stud Farm is operated by David and Robin Meirs and their family and is comprised of 249 acres.
Walner is a former world champion and winner of 9 of 10 lifetime starts, including the 2016 Breeders Crown and 2017 Stanley Dancer Memorial, both at the Meadowlands. A son of Chapter Seven from the Canadian champion mare Random Destiny, Walner has sired six million dollar winning trotters, including the 2024 undefeated mare Jiggy Jog S while being the leading money winning sire in 2023, and second ranked in 2024.
Muscle Hill is a past world champion and winner of 20 of 21 lifetime starts, including his last 20 in a row. He was the 2009 Horse of the Year, Breeders Crown winner at ages 2 and 3, and a Hambletonian champion who has sired three Hambletonian winners (Trixton, Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder and Ramona Hill) and the winners of over $100 million, including being the sire of 11 million dollar winning trotters.
Tactical Landing was the Breeders Crown Champion at age 3 and is a full brother to world champion and Breeders Crown winner Mission Brief. Sired by Muscle Hill from Breeders Crown winning mare Southwind Serena, Tactical Landing has sired two Hambletonian winners from his first two crops of foals, Tactical Approach and Karl, the first stallion to do so.
Southwind Farms’ General Manager is Laura Young, and her husband Chris Pazdan is the Farm Manager. Along with the 235 acres at the horse facility, they also farm about 800 acres in hay and grain in Hopewell Township. A second Southwind Farms equine facility is located in Gilbertsville, N.Y.
For more information about the Standardbred Breeders Association of New Jersey go to http://www.sboanj.com/
