Laoban Filly Sells for $175,000 to Top OBS Winter Sale

The closing session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale ended on a high note Jan. 27 as Hip 805, a Laoban  filly who was the last horse through the ring, sold for $175,000 to Sand Hill Stables to top the sale. 

OBS reported 231 horses sold from 294 offered on Wednesday for receipts of $2,054,800. The median for the session was $4,500 and the average was $8,895. The 63 unsold horses represented an RNA rate of 21.4%. 

In total for the two-day sale, 406 horses changed hands for receipts of $5,686,600. The median was $6,000 and the average was $14,006. A total of 113 horses went unsold for a cumulative RNA rate of 21.8%. During last year's sale, 354 horses were sold for gross receipts of $4,928,100. Last year's average was $13,921 and the median was $7,500.

"All in all it was a solid sale," said OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski. "The average was up but there was a slight dip in the median. RNA's were down from 26% last year to 21% this year. I think it held pretty steady. We sold some nice horses today well and, of course, yesterday we sold some nice ones, too. I think it was a steady market overall. From a numbers standpoint, it held up well. 

"We also didn't see any internet bidding numbers off. It was very similar to what we had seen in prior sales." 

Wednesday's sale topper, Hip 805, is a short yearling filly consigned by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. Bred in New York by Kenneth LeJeune, she is out of the stakes-placed Grand Reward mare Best Reward. 

Second-highest price on the day was Hip 616, a Mor Spirit  colt out of Cat Be Nimble (by Tale of the Cat ). Bred by Beth Bayer in Florida, the short yearling was consigned by her breeder and purchased by Donato Lanni, agent, for $115,000. The colt's extended family includes grade 1 winner Home At Last and grade 3 winners Niner's Home and Indy Groove. 

Particularly active during Wednesday's session were pinhookers such as Tami Bobo and Fernando De Jesus of First Finds. The couple purchased two short yearlings, a $92,000 Into Mischief  colt (Hip 577) and a $60,000 Army Mule  colt (Hip 647). 

"The Army Mule, that horse came in from New York, and it's my understanding he had quite a long trailer ride," said Bobo. "I saw him the first day at the sale, and I thought he improved every day after. I feel like there is a lot of horse there for the money, and I felt comfortable with him. I think he's a horse that will get better and better." 

Bred in New York by Saratoga Glen Farm out of Dial the Doctor (by Dialed In ), the colt's fourth dam is Gana Facil, dam of champion Unbridled. 

"I've also found that when bringing horses in from New York, they truly blossom in the Florida sunshine," said Bobo. "It changes them a lot and helps them grow up. Horses need to be out running and playing and that stimulation is what builds strong bones."

Hip 577 is out of Annabird (Flower Alley) and bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm. Bobo said the price for a colt by North America's leading sire was too lucrative a deal to pass up.

"The Into Mischief, I think he just needs to grow a hair," said Bobo. "All the parts are there. I just feel like they could both improve so much. We put them out tonight together and that Into Mischief is an incredible mover. To get an Into Mischief colt for $92,000, how could you really go wrong there?" 

In addition to buying, Bobo and De Jesus were also active sellers Wednesday and received healthy returns on two short yearlings they had purchased last November for the purpose of pinhooking them to the OBS sale. 

"We've gotten a lot of good horses out of this sale," said Bobo. "We bought (Central Bank Ashland Stakes, G1, winner) Speech from this sale a couple years ago, but you have to shop it. I think a lot of people have a misperception of this sale because you don't have a lot of Kentucky sires per se, but you can get a decent amount of money for a good horse down here. We are always looking for horses that can improve. We don't like to buy today's horse; we like to buy tomorrow's horse. That's our vision.

"I thought the sale was good today. We like to pinhook, so for us, we like to have a lot left to go on with. I felt like today the horses, in my opinion, sold better today. It seemed stronger to me. I think a lot of people, if they would exercise this OBS sale, it's a great spot to get out of the cold and come sell their horses. People come here to get a break from the weather as well and that helps the sale."