Strong Upside for Upstart at OBS March Sale

Airdrie Stud's first-crop sire Upstart  stole the show at the Ocala Breeders' Sales' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, which kicked off the juvenile sale season.

The 8-year-old son of Flatter  was represented by six juveniles that sold for an average of $260,833 and a median of $195,000. All six sold for more than six figures, led by Hip 598, a colt out of Blue Beryl (by Bernstein) that was the sale's second-highest price at $600,000. The colt has been a money generator from the start. He was bred on a $10,000 stud fee by Lantern Hill Farm, which sold him for $220,000 to Woodford Thoroughbreds at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Woodford then sold him at OBS to bloodstock agent Mike Ryan.

Upstart was represented by two others that sold for at least $200,000—Hip 359 sold for $280,000, also to Ryan, out of the de Meric Sales consignment, and Hip 300 was bought by Narvick International for $200,000 out of the Brick City Thoroughbreds consignment. Upstart was the only freshman sire with an average above $200,000 and one of two freshman sires with medians above $100,000. The other was WinStar Farm's Outwork , who had a median of $125,000.

Claiborne Farm's Runhappy  was the second-leading freshman sire of the sale by average at $190,333 from three sold out of four offered. The top price among the son of Super Saver 's progeny was a $475,000 colt (Hip 320) out of Pledge Pin (Chatain) named Brother Lob, whom Tom Durant bought out of the Pick View consignment. Bred by Millennium Farms, Brother Lob also appeared to be well regarded as a yearling, though he did not meet his reserve at the Keeneland September sale. He was bought back on a final bid of $145,000.

The other freshman sires with six-figure averages were Ashford Stud's Air Force Blue  ($145,500 from four sold), Outwork ($142,800 from five sold), Darley's Frosted  ($140,000 from five sold), WinStar's Speightster  ($114,500 from six sold), and Taylor Made Stallions' Not This Time  ($103,600 from five sold).

Several freshman sires had individuals attract big prices.

Frosted's top seller was a $420,000 colt (Hip 456) out of the Forestry mare Taboo that agent Jacob West bought for owner Mike Repole out of the Kings Equine consignment. The colt is a half brother to grade 3-placed winner Der Lu (Orb ).

Air Force Blue's highest-priced juvenile was a colt (Hip 27) out of Dreamy Maiden (Meadowlake) that Willis Horton Racing purchased for $390,000 from Ricehorse Stable. The colt is a half brother to multiple group 2 winner Daddy Long Legs  (Scat Daddy).

Outwork was represented by a $380,000 colt (Hip 358) out of the Speightstown  mare Riding Point, who is a half sister to grade 3 winner Onus (Blame ). Ryan bought the colt from Pike Racing.

Pike Racing also sold a colt (Hip 347) by Gainesway's Anchor Down  for $270,000. The colt is out of the Exclusive Quality mare Red Brunette, who is a winning half sister to grade 3 winner and multiple stakes winner Devilish Lady (Sweetsouthernsaint).

Not This Time's top juvenile was a $250,000 filly (Hip 607) out of the Broken Vow  winner Breaking Promises, who is the dam of grade 3-placed winner Street of Dreams (Street Sense) and two other winners. Ben McElroy bought the filly for KSI out of Eddie Woods' consignment.

Spendthrift Farm's grade 1 winner Hit It a Bomb  was represented by a $200,000 filly (Hip 63) that David Meah and Jamie Lloyd bought from Harris Training Center. The filly is out of the Five Star Day stakes winner Five Star Daydream, who is the dam of grade 2-placed grade 3 winner Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief ).

Among all sires, Darley's Medaglia d'Oro  led the standings with a $366,667 average from three sold out of three offered. The 21-year-old son of El Prado was also the leading sire with a $350,000 median.

Four other sires were represented by averages above $200,000: Ashford Stud's American Pharoah  ($335,000 from four sold), Spendthrift's Into Mischief ($262,000 from five sold), WinStar's Constitution  ($226,250 from four sold), and Gainesway's Tapizar  ($209,333 from three sold).

American Pharoah sired the sale-topper, a filly out of the Songandaprayer mare Megalicious that Katsumi Yoshida bought for $650,000 out of the Wavertree Stables consignment. Upstart was the fourth-leading sire by average among all sires represented at the OBS March sale.