<body><div>Lexington, KY — Rani Hanover, the first foal out of 2020 Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill, was the top seller during Monday’s opening session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion, purchased for $925,000 by Ken Jacobs.The trotter became the highest-priced yearling filly ever sold at auction, behind only million-dollar trotting colts Maverick and Damien. The previous highest price for a yearling filly was $800,000, for Kadena in 2023 and Exile in 2021.Monday’s opening session concluded with 117 horses selling for $22.29 million and record average of $190,547. Last year’s first session saw 121 horses sell for $22.22 million and average of $183,653. The record for gross, $23.06 million for 122 yearlings, was set in 2022. The previous record for average, $189,074, also was set in 2022.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Za0YX_0vq74OT900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Za0YX_0vq74OT900" width="340" height="227" ><figcaption>Rani Hanover was purchased for $925,000 by Ken Jacobs. USTA/Mark Hall photo.</figcaption></figure>Rani Hanover, a filly by the stallion Walner, was consigned by Hanover Shoe Farms and bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and Crawford Farms Racing. Her family also includes Canada’s 2006 Horse of the Year, Majestic Son. She is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.“I liked the obvious,” said Jacobs, referring to Walner, who Jacobs owned during his racing career, and Ramona Hill. “And the conformation. There was no hole that I could find. This is just a nice filly. I knew everybody liked her. You kind of wish maybe just one other guy liked her, but this, I knew I was going to have to go (high). I did what I had to. I was going to take her home. When I make up my mind that I’m going to take a horse, I don’t let anybody outbid me.”Tony Alagna, who trained the two-time Dan Patch Award-winning Ramona Hill, will condition Rani Hanover for Jacobs.“He trained her mother, so he’ll know everything about her,” Jacobs said.Jacobs also purchased Enbolden, a son of Walner-Pleasing Lady, for $345,000. Enbolden is a half-brother to two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Six Pack, who retired in 2019 with a mark of 1:49.1, which is tied for third among all male trotters in history.Enbolden was consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency and bred by Steve Stewart and Douglass Hutchins. He is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible. Noel Daley will train the colt.“He’s a nice horse, had a nice video,” Jacobs said. “I wanted a filly and a colt for Walner; I do that every year. I thought he was one of the better Walner colts. Those are the two I went after. He’s got some good genes with Six Pack. That meant a lot to me. That gives me the speed in the family.”Rani Hanover and Enbolden will get new names in the future as Jacobs renames his horses after his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.“They know their horses; they think they own them,” Jacobs said with a laugh. “They get so excited when their horse wins. It generates a lot of camaraderie among the family. The kids are just as passionate as I am. We have a good time. I’m enjoying it.”The two next highest priced yearlings, filly trotter Going Viral and colt trotter Ice Fall, were purchased by Andrew Harris as trainer for William Pollock. Going Viral sold for $650,000 and Ice Fall went for $625,000.Going Viral is a daughter of Chapter Seven-Check Out Trixie and full sister to Grand Circuit-winner Instagram Model. Her family also includes Dan Patch Award-winners Check Me Out, King Of The North, and No Nonsense Woman. She was consigned by Cameo Hills Farm and bred by Steve Jones and Ray Schnittker. She is New York eligible.Ice Fall is a son of Walner-Ice Attraction out of the family of O’Brien Award-winner The Ice Dutchess and Hall of Fame broodmare Southwind Serena, the dam of multiple Dan Patch Award-winner Mission Brief and stallion Tactical Landing. He was consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing and bred by Little E LLC and Ake Svanstedt Inc. He is New Jersey eligible.Harris and Pollock bought a total of 10 yearlings Monday totaling $3.67 million to lead the opening night action.Rounding out the top five sellers Monday were filly trotters Muffin Queen and Stealing Banksy.Muffin Queen, a daughter of Tactical Landing-Love Muffin, was purchased for $550,000 by the group Anderson, LeBlanc, Fielding, and Pryde. She is Love Muffin’s first foal. Her family includes millionaire Back Of The Neck and Grand Circuit-winner Sig Sauer as well as Dan Patch Award-winners Broadway Schooner, Broadway Donna, and Real Cool Sam. She was consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency and bred by Andy Miller Stable. She is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.Stealing Banksy, a daughter of Chapter Seven-White Cheetah, was purchased for $475,000 by Marcus Melander. She is a full sister to Variegated, a Melander trainee who was this season’s New York Sire Stakes champion for 2-year-old male trotters. She was consigned by Concord Stud Farm and bred by Order By Stable AB. She is New York eligible.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=30KvkE_0vq74OT900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=30KvkE_0vq74OT900" width="340" height="227" ><figcaption>The top selling pacer was colt Baalbek, purchased for $460,000 by Joe Holloway. USTA/Mark Hall photo.</figcaption></figure>The top selling pacer was colt Baalbek, a son of first-crop sire Perfect Sting-Odds On St Lucie. He was purchased for $460,000 by Joe Holloway, who trained two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Perfect Sting during his racing career.Baalbek is a half-brother to 2024 New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Odds On Steno. His family also includes Hall of Famer Captaintreacherous. He was consigned by Kentuckiana Farms and bred by Odds On Nourrir. He is New Jersey and Kentucky eligible.Walner led trotting sires in gross with 27 horses selling for $6.27 million. Tactical Landing led in average with $281,667 for three yearlings. Walner was second among stallions with more than one yearling sold, coming in at $232,481.Captaintreacherous led pacing sires in gross with nine horses going for $1.66 million. Perfect Sting was second with seven horses going for $1.54 million. Downbytheseaside led in average with $221,250 for four yearlings. Perfect Sting was second at $220,714.The second session of the five-day sale begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday.Find the sale’s catalog here. For the live stream, visit the sale’s company website here. For complete results, click here.Sales coverage will also be available on the following USTA social media platforms:Facebook: Facebook.com/ustrottingYouTube: YouTube.com/ustrottingVimeo: Vimeo.com/ustrotting</div></body>

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Rani Hanover leads record opening night in Lexington

Lexington, KY — Rani Hanover, the first foal out of 2020 Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill, was the top seller during Monday’s opening session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion, purchased for $925,000 by Ken Jacobs. The trotter became the highest-priced yearling filly ever sold...

Rani Hanover leads record opening night in Lexington

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