Market Strength on Display at OBS March Sale Opener

From the moment the first horse entered the ring during the March 16 opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, buyers on the grounds put their foot on the gas pedal and didn't let up until the last 2-year-old left the stage. 

"You can feel the energy here," said bloodstock agent Mike Ryan. "It's vibrating. There are a lot of people here. You could feel it walking around the barns the last few days. There is a lot of energy. People want good horses. Purses are rising at tracks across the country—even at some of the smaller tracks—and it's a real breath of fresh air for many of us who make a living at this game." 

OBS reported 160 horses sold from 203 offered on Tuesday for receipts of $18,482,500. The average was $115,516 and the median was $62,500. The 43 that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 21.2%. 

During the 2020 renewal of the March sale, at which the under tack show began one day after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, OBS reported 145 horses sold form 241 offered for gross receipts of $12,994,500 during the first session. The median that day was $50,000 and the average was $89,617. A total of 96 horses went unsold during that session for an RNA rate of 39.8%. 

"It was a very good day," OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said after Tuesday's session. "It seemed like it held through the entire sale—a lot of horses got moved, with a very low RNA rate. What was great is that we saw horses trade at a lot of different levels. What we saw pre-sale, from people on the grounds, and that pent-up energy we talked about, it bore itself out today, for sure … Kudos to the consignors for the quality of horses that they brought. Without them, it's hard to have a sale, and they did a great job of presenting some horses that people really wanted."

Topping the day were two juveniles purchased for $550,000 each. The first to reach that mark was Hip 48, a colt by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa stallion Violence   out of Lemon Belle (by Lemon Drop Kid  ). 

Bred in Kentucky by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, the colt's page was one of the more impressive reads in the catalog, as his second dam is graded stakes winner Queenie Belle, dam of Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) winner Unrivaled Belle , who is better known herself as the dam of two-time champion Unique Bella . 

Consigned by Kirkwood Stables, agent, the colt was purchased by Spendthrift Farm. He worked the co-fastest eighth-mile of :9 4/5 during the under tack show. 

"He is a very, very nice horse," said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm. "We thought he was one of the best horses in the sale." 

Also just tipping over the half-million dollar mark was Hip 216, a bay filly by Ashford Stud's Munnings   out of Show Me (Lemon Drop Kid). Bred in Kentucky by Nathan McCauley, the filly was purchased by Donato Lanni, agent, from Eddie Woods' consignment. She breezed an eighth-mile in :10 during the under tack show.

"Bob (Baffert) and I came and shopped the sale together, and she's the type of filly that looks like she will fit right into the California program," said Lanni. "She looks fast. We're all on the same horses; there aren't any secrets. These horses go through a lot at the sales and they have to survive (the process), and she looks like a really nice filly. Her breeze was very good, and she came out of it great."

Among other horses to reach the upper echelons of pricing was Hip 202, a colt by Claiborne Farm's War Front   also from the consignment of Eddie Woods, agent. The bay colt was purchased by trainer Ron Ellis on behalf of Richard Templar's Doubledown Stables for $525,000.

Bred by Lewis Thoroughbred Breeding in Kentucky, the colt is out of stakes winner Serene Melody  (by Street Cry). His second dam is champion Serena's Song , dam of group 1 winner Sophisticat , grade 2 winner Grand Reward , grade 2 winner Harlington , grade 3 winner Schramsberg , and stakes winner Serena's Tune . Serena's Tune, in turn, is the dam of Serena's Cat , dam of champion and sire, Honor Code  .

Hip 202 breezed an eighth-mile in :10 during the under tack show. 

"I was told to find what I thought was the best horse in the sale and buy it—that was it," said Ellis. "I thought he worked awesome and he had an amazing pedigree and I just have a lot of respect for Eddie Woods getting them up to this point. All the pieces fit. 

"I didn't think there was a lot of depth to the catalog so we, and others, really zeroed in on a few horses and I think that drove the prices up on those few." 

Hasegawa Spends Big Online for Progeny of Into Mischief 

Progeny of leading stallion Into Mischief   once again proved to be at the top of most short lists for buyers on the grounds. Two fillies by the stallion shared a $500,000 price tag on Tuesday. 

The first of the pair was Hip 10, a bay out of multiple stakes winner Island Escape  (Petionville), who is also the dam of Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3T) winner Tricky Escape . Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, the filly was consigned by de Meric Sales, agent, and worked an eighth-mile in :9 4/5 during the under tack show. She was purchased by Yuji Hasegawa via the internet. 

Hasegawa was also the buyer of Hip 224, the second Into Mischief filly purchased for $500,000. Bred in Kentucky by Breeze Easy, the filly is out of Sly Warrior (First Samurai  ) and from the female family of grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed Good Samaritan  . Consigned by Gene Recio, agent, she also breezed an equally impressive eighth-mile in :9 4/5. 

Hasegawa's final purchase of the day was Hip 259, a colt by Lane's End's Candy Ride   out of the stakes-winning mare Supreme  (Empire Maker).

Consigned by Eddie Woods, agent, the colt was also purchased for $500,000. He was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and had been a $95,000 RNA when offered by Summerfield, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Hip 259 breezed an eighth-mile in :10 during the OBS under tack show. 

"We're very excited. She's a nice filly and I'm glad for the support of everybody," said Recio. "There are lots of people around here and the market is a little spotty in places, but if you brought up the right horse you got rewarded for it." 

The presence of Japanese buyers both online and on the grounds of OBS was a boon to many consignors who often benefit greatly from the participation of international interests. 

"We do have some Japanese buyers on the grounds, but some of the higher-priced ones were bought online," said OBS president Tom Ventura. "So, not only is the online bidding part of it, but also the veterinarians in Japan are actually able to access the repository information. They need to have someone on the ground scoping the horse and looking at the horse physically, but technology is helping us from that end too."

"Our representative in Japan has been telling us that for a number of the horses who have come out of sales, and out of March in particular, the buyers who purchased those horses are really happy with them, and that's driven them back to the sale," echoed Wojciechowski. 

OBS March Sale Opener Ends on Artistic Note

The final horse through the ring on Tuesday was of the mechanical persuasion. Known as "Clockwork Fury" the life-size, steampunk-inspired creation made by Florida artist Mark Hershberger and owned by Ocala's Journeyman Stud, was auctioned off as part of a partnership between Horse Fever 20/20 and OBS to help raise funds for Florida Thoroughbred Charities and Marion Cultural Alliance.

The statue was offered by Journeyman co-owner Crystal Fernung to help raise funds for charities adversely hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clockwork Fury was purchased on a final bid of $30,000. 

Based on Tuesday's results, both Ventura and Wojciechowski said they remain hopeful that the market March 17 maintains the momentum it acquired during the latter half of 2020 and into 2021. 

"The fall was good in that there was activity, and it was steady," said Ventura. "I think the pinhookers paid less on average—we know what's in our sale, and it's less on average than it was last year. So at least they're playing in a market that was similar and maybe even a little better right now than it was in the fall, versus last year when they were buying (yearlings) in a normal market and selling in the middle of a pandemic. For the market to do well today—even if the prices are not quite what they were two years ago—the money that's invested in these pinhooks is less. We're very happy with the strength and depth of the market, and hopefully we have a similar day tomorrow."

The OBS March sale concludes Wednesday with the final session beginning at 11 a.m. ET.