Stay Thirsty Filly Tops OBS June Sale Opener

Topped by a filly from the first crop of Stay Thirsty  , the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age sale began June 14 with across-the-board declines when compared with the same session a year ago.

OBS reported 135 sold for $3,427,000, compared with gross receipts of $5,557,600 for 151 on the opening day in 2015. The average fell 31% from $36,805 in 2015 to $25,385 and the median was down 16.7% from $18,000 to $15,000. The initial rate of horses that did not meet their reserves was 36.6%, a figure that will change after private post-sale transactions are added. The initial 2015 RNA rate of 33% was eventually adjusted to be 25.6%.

"We certainly would have liked to have gotten off to a better start, but we still do have three more days of sales and I would like to hold final judgment until we get through the whole sale," said sales director Tod Wojciechowski. "There are a lot of good horses left. There are some buyers we see on the grounds who maybe haven't gotten into action yet so that's something to look forward to."

The session-topper produced from the stakes-winning Seeking the Gold mare Broadway Gold was bought by trainer Stanley Hough for $180,000. Consigned by Ocala Stud as Hip 69, the filly was produced from a mare trained by Hough and is a half sister to grade II winner Broadway’s Alibi, multiple grade III winner Golden Lad, and multiple stakes winner R Gypsy Gold. Ocala Stud bred the filly in Florida.

“I trained her mother and I have watched everything out of her and I wanted to buy part of that family,” said Hough, adding the filly was bought for a partnership. “It was mostly the mare, but with Stay Thirsty off to a good start that didn’t hurt.”

Stay Thirsty, who stands at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., for a $10,000 fee, has been represented by two winners from five starters.

Two 2-year-olds from first-crop sires that could have been the session-toppers were both bought back by their owners, reflecting the softness within the market.

Hip 215, a Gemologist   colt who had the sale’s fastest pre-work time of :09 4/5 for an eighth-mile, was bought back at $245,000. Consigned by Jim and Torie Gladwell’s Top Line Sales, the colt had been bought for $45,000 by agent Julio Rado for $47,000 from co-breeder Millennium Farms’ consignment to last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale.

Torie Gladwell said the owners were planning to race the colt in California.

Bought back on a final bid of $195,000 was Hip 218, a Bodemeister   colt consigned by Eddie Woods, agent. The colt produced from the stakes-placed Dixieland Band mare Dixie Crisp, the dam of stakes winner Reconstruction, was a $160,000 RNA at this year's OBS March sale.

The first-session results were not surprising to some consignors and who had seen very light traffic in the barn area leading up to the sale and a paucity of buyers once the sale began, indicating a softness in the 2-year-old market that had already shown signs of weakness at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale and OBS April sale.

“I felt that it was going to be very, very tough, based on what we had seen at the (Fasig-Tipton) Midlantic sale and the OBS April sale,” said consignor Niall Brennan. “Attendance was very sparse at those sales, with rarely anybody new popping in. The reality is that the American economy is not doing well. According to the Better Business Bureau, it’s the first time in our history there are more small businesses closing than opening. Those small business owners are our middle-market buyers and they are not spending their money on horses or boats or anything. Those middle-market people are not here.”

“I think a lot of people are sitting this one out and that means those buyers who are here are going to get some very good buys,” said Tristan de Meric of de Meric Sales. “It’s been a solid year for us, but we had to adjust to the market.”

“There are not enough buyers for these horses,” said Mike Recio, co-owner of South Point Sales, which does not have a 2-year-old consignment but was active at the sale. “You can buy $50,000-$60,000 horses here for $30,000. I think there are going be great buys from $20,000 to other upper end. You can discount everything by 25%-30% of what you used to have to pay.”

Recio said there is likely to be an impact on yearling sales with less buying activity from pinhookers than in recent years.

“The strong will always survive, but I think some pinhookers will cut bait so they can start over,” he said. “This means they will probably be buying half as many yearlings.”

Wojciechowski said the sales company would always like to have more buyers. "At any sale you want more, but it did seem light (on buyers) in certain areas," he said.

Michael Hall of Breeze Easy signed the ticket at $150,000, co-second highest of the day, for two juveniles—Hip 204, a Harlan's Holiday colt bought by from Thoroughbred Champions Training Center, agent, and Hip 277, a Distorted Humor   filly from Omega Farm, agent. Also selling for $150,000 was Hip 107, a filly from the first crop of The Factor   bought by SAC Racing from the Eddie Woods, agent, consignment.

Bred in Kentucky by Santa Rose Partners, the Harlan’s Holiday colt had been acquired for $30,000 from the Dromoland consignment at the Keeneland September yearling sale. The Distorted Humor filly was bred in Kentucky by Diamond A Racing and was a $28,000 RNA at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale. The Factor filly bred in Kentucky by William Harrigan was bought for $250,000 by agent A. C. Elliott from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to the Keeneland September sale.

The OBS auction continues through June 16 with sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT daily.