Louisiana Sale Sees Increases

The gross and average both increased March 30 at the annual John Franks Memorial 2-year-olds in training sale at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana.

The average was up 16% to $10,619 from $9,151 and the gross advanced 4%, from $1,757,000 to $1,826,600. There were 20 fewer juveniles through the ring this year, with 192 auctioned compared to 172 a year ago.

The top price was $100,000 for a colt by Leestown purchased by Harold Forman. Consigned by Valene Farm as agent for Clear Creek Stud, the colt is out of the winning Carson City mare Rosie City and thus a full brother to stakes winner Equestrian Girls and a half-brother to stakes-placed Taking Flight.

The highest-priced filly was a $75,000 daughter of Alex's Pal out of the Afternoon Deelites mare Dayjur's Deelites. She was purchased by Tonya Jurgens.

“Despite a scheduling conflict and a different starting time this year, 10 a.m. compared to noon in prior years, we averaged more than $10,619, a solid increase from last year’s total of $9,151," Charlotte Stemmans Clavier, president of Stemmans, which conducted the sale, stated. "Although we sold 172 2-year-olds compared to 192 in 2007, our catalog was of the highest quality in the six-year history of the sale as we continue our goal to offer horsemen and consignors a place to buy and sell quality racehorses.”