The yearling-only section of the Standardbred Horse Sale finished up on Wednesday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with more gains from the 2018 edition. The average for the day was $22,175 versus last year's third session of $20,804 and the gross rose to $8,094,000 for 365 horses sold from $7,427,000 for 357 yearlings sold on the Wednesday of last year's sale. Wednesday's top seller was HIP 809 Keystone Catalyst, who went to agent Myron Bell for $120,000.  Selling from the consignment of Vieux Carre Farms for breeder Max J. Hempt, this colt from the first crop of Betting Line is out of the Shady Character mare Keystone Caitlyn.  This makes him a three-quarter brother to the late Bettor's Delight colt Keystone Concrete (1:52, $165,011), last year's Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final champion in the 2-year-old male pace division. Betting Line also had HIP 711 Twin B Edge, a $110,000 acquisition for Casie Coleman.  Bred and consigned by Twinbrook Farms, Twin B Edge is the second foal out of Rock N Roll Heaven mare Twin B Exquisite.  She's a sister to a number of six-figure earners topped by the Apaches Fame gelding Twin B Warrior (1:50 3/5, $699,119). There were six horses to crack the six-figure mark on Wednesday, compared to just two on the same day a year ago. With the additional increases on Wednesday, that meant that all three yearling-only sessions finished higher on both gross and average than the corresponding days in 2018.  In all, the first three days were up 14.4 percent on average (this year's $48,839 versus 2018's $42,675) and 14.8 percent on the gross (this year's $40,683,000 versus 2018's $35,420,000). “It was a great sale,” Standardbred Horse Sale President and CEO Pete Spears said. “I think the sale was strong throughout, all the way to the end. There was a great reception for the top sires and many, many top-selling horses. We’re very happy.” Trotting fillies ($55,297 for 182 sold) edged out their male counterparts ($54,469 for 192 sold) for highest average when broken down by sex and gait.  229 pacing colts sold for an average of $49,943 and 230 pacing fillies went through the ring, fetching an average of $38,161.  Pacing colts led the gross at $11,437,000, followed by trotting colts ($10,458,000), trotting fillies ($10,064,000) and pacing fillies ($8,777,000).  Trotters got the nod over pacers on gross ($20,522,000 to $20,214,000) and average ($54,872 for 374 sold versus $44,039 for 459 sold). The top consignor among those who sold multiple horses was Fair Winds Farm as their 17 yearlings averaged $91,059.  Concord Stud Farm, who had three of the four top sellers on price, came in second in the average with their 69 horses bringing $85,710.  Coming in behind Fair Winds and Concord were Twinbrook Farms ($63,818 average for 11 yearlings), Hanover Shoe Farms ($61,678 average for 233 horses), and Allamerican Harnessbreds ($57,000 average for their 26 yearlings). Muscle Hill had the top two sellers in Gangsta Rat and Take This Society and topped the sires list with a $153,323 average for his 31 horses.  Father Patrick also cracked six figures on average at $109,667 for 24 yearlings sold.  The late Somebeachsomewhere led the pacing contingent at a $97,860 average for 43 yearlings sold, and the top five was completed by E L Titan ($85,667 average for nine horses sold) and Chapter Seven ($83,714 for 28 yearlings sold). With the yearling-only portion of the sale now in the books, the focus shifts to the mixed sale on Thursday, highlighted by the dispersal of the broodmares from White Birch Farm.  HIPS 900-1281 will go through the ring, and the session will begin at 10 A.M. --Spears quote courtesy of Ken Weingartner/Harness Racing Communications/ustrotting.com--