Opening Session OBS March On Par With Previous Year

The first of three sessions for the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded March 12 with a Tapit   colt topping the day after realizing $1.2 million from the powerhouse partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds/D J Stable/C J, LEB agent. Hip 173, the only seven-fgure horse on Day 1, was offered by Tom McCrocklin, agent for the Complete Dispersal of Lothenbach Stables. 

Born in Kentucky in late February, the impressive gray or roan colt out of Distorted Music is a half sibling to Chilukki Stakes (G3) winner She Can't Sing , by Bernardini. The colt did not breeze but instead galloped during last week's under tack preview.

"The under tack show is one metric. People use many metrics to buy horses; it gets talked about a lot," OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said. "There were people here who felt like they got a good read on the horse (Hip 173) and liked what they saw in the barn and on the racetrack in how he moved. Everybody focuses on the time because it's an easy touch point, but many variables and intangibles go into that decision-making process."

During Tuesday's opening session, OBS reported 153 horses sold of the 208 through the ring for a gross of $20,904,000, a 1% decrease over the corresponding session last year. The average dropped 3.6% to $136,627, and the median rose 2.9% to $72,000. There were 55 horses who failed to attain their reserve price, representing an RNA rate of 26.4%.

"It was pretty varied today. There were a lot of different people buying horses," Wojciechowski said. "There were no real surprises today; good horses are spread throughout the catalog. We had some highlights today, and I think we will have some more tomorrow."

McCrocklin closed the day selling 10 horses for final figures of $2,012,000 to be the leading consignor, while West Point Thoroughbreds/D J Stable/C J, LEB agent, was the leading buyer with its single purchase.

The top 10 prices brought $400,000 or more and were purchased by 10 distinct buyers/groups.

The top six priced horses all brought $700,000 or more and were by these sires: Tapit (Hip 173—$1.2 million); Not This Time   (Hip 183—$850,000); McKinzie   (Hip 89—$750,000); Uncle Mo   (Hip 106—$750,000); Munnings   (Hip 26—$700,000); and Into Mischief   (Hip 202—$700,000).

The sale continues tomorrow, with Hips 285-568 heading through the sales ring beginning at 11 a.m. ET. As of Tuesday evening, 116 horses had been withdrawn from the remaining sessions.

ALL DREAMS EQUINE SCRATCHES ITS DRAFT

"Juan Centeno voluntarily scratched his horses from the sale after a conversation with OBS," Wojciechowski said. "With the culmination of events, in light of the unknowns, it was determined to be a better course of action for all involved."

During the under tack show last week, March 6-9, All Dreams Equine breezed its horses, with one juvenile collapsing on the track after her work. The filly regained her wind and was able to walk off the track and be stabled in the barn for further observation. It is still undetermined what caused the incident.

"There was some publicity about me and my consignment, and I just felt like it wasn't going to be a fair judgment on the horses," Centeno said of the resulting scratched horses. "I could feel the energy wasn't all there. The best thing for the horses and everybody else was to scratch them for now.

"I was happy to be tested; I have nothing to hide. I treat my horses with the highest standards, and I am very dedicated to them. I have an attachment to my horses and am very proud of what we do together."

Another horse from the same consignment dropped its rider and ran loose around the track before being apprehended. It was subsequently scratched as he was scheduled on the final day and didn't have another day to possibly breeze again.

"Juan didn't feel his horses were going to have a fair opportunity, and his horses were under extra scrutiny, including blood and hair samples taken from each," said Tom Ventura, president of OBS. "Those results have not been returned at this time. He welcomed any additional scrutiny to help show the horses he had here had nothing in their systems."