Action Continues to Pick Up Ahead of OBS July Sale

The Ocala Breeders' Sales July Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age will get underway July 14 at 10 a.m. ET and run through July 16. The juvenile auction, which was shifted almost a month from its original timing on the 2020 sales calendar due to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be the last chance for many buyers and sellers to get horses moved before the fall. 

For most, the pressure is on. 

"I think things are shaping up OK," said OBS sales director Tod Wojciechowski. "We had a good breeze show even though there was a lot of weather that occurred over seven days and we had a little hiccup with the lightening strike to our timing system which caused us to cancel on Saturday. But yesterday went smoothly and all in all I think we're set for a sale. 

"I think there are people on the grounds and more people coming in today. Certainly, the news cycles aren't necessarily helpful for us but I think people are figuring out ways to buy a horse."

On July 11, Johns Hopkins University had reported that 15,300 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Florida. The total was the largest one-day report seen in the United States since the pandemic began in earnest back in March. 

While the challenge of keeping patrons, consignors, and horses looms large for OBS employees, the July sale will be the third such auction conducted during the pandemic and will be subject to the same stringent precautions. All attendees will be required to wear masks inside the sales pavilions and disinfecting stations will be available around the property for those wishing to sanitize their hands throughout the week. In addition, extra staff will be placed at all points of ingress and egress at the sale to help open doors and cut down on the number of surfaces with which buyers can come into contact. 

A total of 1,114 horses were originally entered in the three-day sale. As of July 13, 370 were listed as out. 

During last year's regularly-scheduled June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale, OBS reported 609 2-year-olds from 756 offered sold for gross receipts of $21,493,300. The cumulative average was $35,293 and the median price $17,000. The total buyback percentage for 2019 was 19.4%. 

During the Horses of Racing Age section, nine Thoroughbreds changed hands in 2019 for receipts of $69,200 compared to five older horses that were purchased for $96,500 in 2018. The three that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 25%.

Torie Gladwell of Top Line Sales, who sold last year's $900,000 record-breaking sale topper with her husband Jimbo, said the action on the grounds up to Monday had been somewhat spotty, but that buyers were still rolling in.

"The action is a little light," said Gladwell. "We were fairly steady throughout the day but we have a good group of horses overall. From our $10,000 horses up to our $200,000 and $300,000 horses I think there are people here to buy them.

"I think if you have a lot of vet issues you could be in trouble. If you had a slower gallop out  you could be in trouble. The Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay trainers and other people I think will come in tomorrow, but those types of guys will buy out of the back ring. I hope the Puerto Ricans are there as well because they also buy a lot out of the back ring. There are people here. It is lighter and I feel like our action might have been a bit better than others because we have such a large group and a variety of horses. Horses will get traded and I'm pretty optimistic. But as far as the big guys, you don't see them walking around too much."

The auction will also offer phone and online bidding to those buyers unwilling or unable to attend the sale. Wojciechowski said the online component, which was the first of its kind to be introduced at a Thoroughbred auction in North America, will be back up and running on Tuesday and will no doubt help facilitate the continued remote sale of horses through the ring. 

"I think certainly the addition of online bidding—the first of its kind in a Thoroughbred horse sale—went off very well last sale and it will only continue to grow to be part of the permanent landscape."