by Tuffy Owens

With the excitement and over $90,000 in incentive prize money given away the previous night in the UPHA Classics, the scene was set for a great UPHA Classics Incentive Sale on Friday morning at 9 a.m. in Hale Arena. However, a sluggish economy and fewer consignments in this year’s edition led to a somewhat lighter sale than had been seen in previous years. The addition of two-year-old consignments to the sale, though, was met with enthusiasm, as some top prospects made their way through the makeshift sales pavilion.

With the sale split rather evenly between yearlings and two-year-olds, the older, more finished horses brought the higher prices, averaging $9,540. The grand total for the sale was $174,500, with $143,100 of that coming from the two-year-old consignments. The yearlings, eligible for the 2010 incentive purse, brought $31,400.

Topping the sale with a show stopping performance was Zagnut, ridden through by Darrell Case for Clyde and Sallie Nolan. Robin Vuillermet signed the ticket on this one at $75,000, a very fair price for this supremely talented colt by Undulata’s Nutcracker. He is a half brother to the juvenile walk-trot World’s Champion Show Baby Show but looks like he is already bigger than his Supreme Heir-sired sister. His size is obviously helped out by the sheer athleticism, size and power of his top side. Watch for Smith Lilly in the 2009 Three-Gaited Classic with this one.

Also of note were two purchases made by Ricky Cook. First, bringing a final bid of $24,000, was the It’s Hammertime filly, Hammered Last Night TS, a consignment of Tillman Stables. She is out of a CF First Night Out mare. Cook also signed the ticket on Big Fish, an Oceanfront colt. The hammer fell at $10,000 for this one. This colt is out of Vintage, the dam of Strawberry Pie.

With a final bid of $11,000, Summer Jammies became the property of Charlotte Wrather. This bay mare by Phi Slama Jama was a consignment of Barb and Emily Scharpf. She is out of Heart O’ Summer, a Junior Exhibitor Country Pleasure World’s Champion and out of the same mare as CH SS Sunday’s Child, CH SS Sweet Revenge, and the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Champion SS Genuine. Heart O’ Summer is by a son of Sultan’s Santana, while the other three are by Santana himself.