Mori Bags $800K Constitution Colt for Japan at OBS

Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori, a mainstay at the Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, purchased 10 horses for total receipts of $2,695,000 to lead all buyers at the 2024 auction March 12-14.

All of Mori's purchases went for six figures, with the most expensive being an $800,000 son of Constitution   he bought during the final session of the sale. The colt, out of multiple group 2 winner Sand Puce , was consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales as Hip 617.

"He has been a great student all year," David Scanlon said. "We had high expectations for him right away because of his sire and dam, and Don Alberto raises such a good horse. He has been a star for us all along—breezed fast and showed that he has a lot of natural speed. Constitution has shown that he can get you horses for the classics. The combination of the great sire with a good, hard-knocking mare and a breeder that can breed horses for the classics is a great combination. The colt checks all the boxes. He breezed well, walked well, and vetted well."

Don Alberto bred the colt in Kentucky and sent him through the 2023 The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, where he failed to meet his reserve, hammering at $385,000. Last week, during the under tack preview, he sped a furlong in :09 4/5.

"He has a great build, and he moved very well in his breeze," Mori said, speaking through an interpreter. "The horses here are nice and cheaper than in Japan. We will debut these horses as early as possible at 2 and have a well-started 3-year-old for the group races next year."

Mori purchased six horses over the first two days of OBS March and added four more in the final session. Mori's first purchase Thursday was Hip 588, a Thousand Words   colt, from Julie Davies for $150,000. The colt out of Refigure, by Bodemeister , turned in an eighth-mile work in :10 during the under tack show.

Mori also picked up a $255,000 Frosted   colt from Niall Brennan Stables, which breezed an eighth in :09 4/5. Consigned as Hip 597, the bay is the first foal out of the stakes-placed mare Rocket Reload , by Reload  . That purchase harkened back to the 2021 OBS March sale, when Mori purchased a Frosted colt from King's Equine for $90,000. Consigned as hip 491, he turned out to be multiple graded stakes winner Jasper Krone .

Mori completed his purchases this year with a $275,000 Mitole   colt from L. G., agent, that also worked in :09 4/5. The first foal out of the winning Quality Road   mare Warrior's Way—a half to stakes-placed Warrior's Kid—the colt was a $75,000 pinhook out of Four Star Sales' consignment at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky July Sale, where Gina Fennell was the buyer.