(TRENTON) – Yearlings by New Jersey sire Walner brought the highest total prices at the 86^th Annual Standardbred Sale last week in Harrisburg, Pa. Walner’s offspring led the way with 16 yearlings going for an average of $258,063. One of the highlights of the sale came on opening day when Cambridge Hanover by Walner sold for $1 million, which set the record for the highest price paid at the sale, equaling the second highest mark ever paid for a yearling.

Yearlings from Walner led individual gross sales at $4.13 million. Two other New Jersey Sires were among the standardbred gross sales leaders with Muscle Hill’s 13 offspring going for an average of $87,769 for a total of $1.14 million, and Tactical Landing’s 21 offspring going for an average of $33.618 for a total of nearly $706,000 at the standardbred sale. Walner, Muscle Hill, and Tactical Landing each stand at Southwind Farms in Pennington in Mercer County.

The sales of New Jersey-bred horses at this event comes on the heels of the results from the Lexington Yearling Sale last month where Walner’s offspring sold for the highest average at $175,216, along with Muscle Hill’s average at $124,257, and Tactical Landing’s average at $87,784.

“New Jersey-bred yearlings continuing to generate premium prices signifies the effectiveness of Governor Murphy’s and the Legislature’s investment in our horse racing industry,” NJDA Secretary Ed Wengryn said. “The benefits for breeding horses here in New Jersey touch a wide range of supporting industries from hay and grain production to the sale of tack, and veterinarian care that are all beneficial to the state’s economy.”

Overall, there were 124 yearlings sold in Harrisburg that will be eligible to race in New Jersey for a total of $7.22 million, an average of $58,250. The totals for the standardbred sales were 866 horses sold for just over $37 million, an average of $42,830.

Concord Stud Farm, based in Cream Ridge in Monmouth County, had the highest average among consignors in Harrisburg at $74,880 for 75 horses. 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.

For more information about the Standardbred Breeders Association of New Jersey go to http://www.sboanj.com/

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