Japan's Hideyuki Mori Stays on a Roll at OBS March

On the second day of selling at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Japan's Hideyuki Mori added two more precocious juveniles to his stable. Both colt's are by freshman sires, the first by Mor Spirit  , consigned as Hip 437 for $700,000, and immediately after, Hip 438, a colt by Bolt d'Oro  , which sold for $900,000.

The trainer picked up the Day 1 sale-topping colt by Into Mischief  , Hip 257, for $1.1 million along with three others to also be the day's leading buyer after spending $1,650,000.

"I liked the build and movement on both of these horses," Mori said through a translator from the back ring.

The first horse purchased Wednesday, a colt consigned by Wavertree Stables, agent, by Mor Spirit, aptly named Mor Speed breezed a slick :09 4/5 across an eighth-mile on the final day of the under tack show March 13. 

The chestnut colt is out of the Indian Charlie  mare Follow My Tail and is a half brother to stakes winner Proofsinthepuddin  and stakes-placed Red Raider . This is the family of Freefourracing , a group 3 winner in England, and multiple stakes winners Ready Racer , a new track-record setter at Northlands Park (six furlongs in 1:08 3/5), and Speedway .

Bred in Texas by Brad King, the handsome colt sold initially for $160,000 to Redwings out of the Legacy Bloodstock consignment at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale. 

The next horse through the ring, Hip 438 consigned by Top Line Sales, agent, shared the fastest eighth-mile time Sunday of :09 4/5.

Mori noted: "I was impressed by him on the track, his movement was very nice, and he put in a nice breeze in the morning."

The striking colt is out of the Giant's Causeway  mare Foolish Cause, producer of turf stakes winner Foolish Humor . She is a half sibling to millionaire, multiple grade 1-winning sire Get Stormy  ,  scoring in the 2011 Maker's Mark Mile (G1T) and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1T) and 2012 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1T).

The Springhouse Farm-bred colt initially sold through the Keeneland September Sale with consignor Paramount Sales for $200,000 to Exclusive Equine Investments.

"He's been a straight-forward horse all year. He is very precocious. I'm so happy for Mr. Mori," Jimbo Gladwell of Top Line Sales said. "He is going to love this colt."

While both colts are by freshman sires, Mori looks at everything, selecting horses on performance and speed. 

"I look for physically fast horses. I don't care so much with the breeding," Mori said.