OBS Winter Mixed Sale Kicks Off Optimistic Year

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Winter Mixed Sale gets underway Jan. 24 with Hips 1-143 as part of the consignor-preferred session, followed by the horses of racing age, Hips 201-348. The following day Jan. 25, will consist of the open session, Hips 401-653. Both days begin at noon ET.

"It's always exciting to start the year off with a mixed sale," OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said. "It's fun to see the new yearlings come on board. With the horses of racing age, there are a lot of newly turned 3-year-olds; it's kind of exciting. People enjoy being able to look at these newly turned 3-year-olds that are ready to run. You get to start the year off with a lot of optimism."

During last year's two-day sale, OBS reported 417 of the 465 horses on offer sold for gross receipts of $6,693,100, suitable for an average price of $16,051 and a median of $8,500. Forty-eight horses failed to meet their reserve, representing an RNA rate of 10.3%.

During the 2022 sale, 228 yearlings were offered, with 206 changing hands for gross figures of $4,147,300, good for an average of $20,133 and a median of $12,000. The sale was highlighted by a Gun Runner   yearling filly out of the Uncle Mo   mare, Homemade Mo Nae. Get Away Farm consigned her as Hip 86 to the preferred section of the sale, where Mike Hall of Breeze Easy scooped her up for $275,000 to be the highest-priced offering over the two days. 

This year's catalog, including supplements, showcases 544 horses comprised of 270 short-yearlings, 96 broodmares in foal, and 33 mares. Of the 148 horses of racing age, there are 14 2-year-olds and 105 3-year-olds.

The horses of racing age took to the all-weather track Monday under a sunny sky and amicable temperatures for the under tack show, where two 3-year-old geldings stopped the clock in :33 1/5 after breezing 3 furlongs. The Dialed In   gelding consigned as Hip 210 by Coastal Equine, a half sibling to grade 3 placed Dubini , stakes winner What a Catch , and Catch the Moon , dam of grade 1 winning sire Girvin   and Preakness Stakes (G1) placed Midnight Bourbon . The second horse to clock :33 1/5, Honor You Vow, by Broken Vow comes from the deep Pin Oak family of grade 2 placed Much Obliged  and Modesty Handicap (G3) winner Bedanken. Kaizen Sales consigns the gelding as Hip 215.

Two horses breezed a half mile in :47 flat, the first a New York-bred 3-year-old filly by Micromanage  consigned by King of Kings as Hip 309 and the next Hip 348, a Mendelssohn   colt named D' Composer consigned by CM Thoroughbreds as Hip 348. The 3-year-old is out of Super Girlie , dam of Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Super Stock  and Boujie Girl , third-place finisher in the Debutante Stakes (G1).

Short-yearlings by popular Florida sires include Bucchero  , Khozan   as well as impressive Kentucky sires Audible  , Bolt d'Oro  , Catalina Cruiser  , City of Light  , Classic Empire  , Enticed  , Flameaway  , Frosted  , Girvin  , Kantharos  , Kitten's Joy, Maclean's Music  , Malibu Moon, Maximus Mischief  , Midshipman  , Mitole  , More Than Ready, Omaha Beach  , Practical Joke  , Sharp Azteca  , Tapit  , Union Rags  , Upstart  , Vino Rosso  , Violence  , and World of Trouble  .

First-crop sires include Complexity  , Gift Box  , Global Campaign  , Gunnevera  , Improbable  , Instagrand  , Instilled Regard  , McKinzie  , Shancelot  , Spun to Run  , Thousand Words  , and Vekoma  .

Wojciechowski added: "I think you approach each year with a lot of optimism. We are certainly excited with what we see regarding entries for March and April for our spring sales. I think we're going to have a lot of quality horses available all year. Not just here in January but all year long. So we're excited about that."

Last year Woodford Thoroughbreds purchased five horses for $410,000 to be the leading buyer by gross. Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield sold 63 of the 65 horses under the banner for $1,044,000 to be the leading consignor by gross. 

"I'm excited to get our feet wet with the first sale of the year," said Wojciechowski. "There was good activity at the barns here Sunday, and I expected it'll only pick up Monday."

As of Monday evening, 93 horses had been withdrawn from the sale. The full catalog, pedigree updates, and under-tack videos are available online.