Heiligbrodt on Buying Spree at OBS Winter Mixed Sale

Bill Heiligbrodt loves the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's winter mixed sale.

"I've been coming here for years and have bought a lot of horses at this sale and done very well with them," said the prominent owner who went on a purchasing spree Jan. 25 and emerged as the leading buyer during the first session of the two-day auction in Ocala, Fla., that saw a large number of horses go unsold.

Wearing a tan cap that bore his stable's silks encircled by the Heiligbrodt Racing Stable name and seated to the left of the auctioneer's stand in the pavilion auditorium, Heiligbrodt waited patiently for the horses he wanted in Wednesday's consignor preferred session, finally signing for five head in the name of his East Hickman Bloodstock for a total of $318,000.

"This is a good sale to buy racehorses," said Heiligbrodt, who when asked if this was a buyer's market responded, "I don't normally buy this many, but I liked the horses and I liked the prices."

Topping the sale were two well-bred short yearlings purchased by Heiligbrodt, who pounced early to get a daughter of Shanghai Bobby   (Hip 10) for $110,000 from the consignment of Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield, agent. The April 1, 2016, foal bred in Florida by Kris R. Del Guidice, was produced from the stakes-placed Yankee Victor mare Yankee Victoria.

The sale's second-highest-priced horse was also a short yearling acquired by Heiligbrodt, an Into Mischief   filly (Hip 115) that cost $90,000 when purchased from the Select Sales offerings. Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and Golden Pedigree, the March 17, 2016, filly is the first foal produced from the Unbridled's Song mare Maren's Melody. Second dam is multiple grade 3 winner Maren's Meadow.

"These are nice horses with nice race pedigrees," Heiligbrodt said. "They are by nice stallions, but they perhaps have not been handled the same way (as more expensive horses in other sales). If you get four or five out of here and one turns out to be a really good one, then those are pretty good percentages."

Held on a warm January day in the OBS headquarters that is currently undergoing an extensive renovation, the auction's first session attracted a large group of industry professionals, including many breeders, agents, and owners. Most, however, were not active participants in the trading Wednesday, but were there because they were in Florida either to check on other horses in which they have interests, especially just-turned 2-year-olds, or to attend the races in South Florida at Gulfstream Park where the inaugural Pegasus Invitational (G1) is taking place this weekend.

OBS reported that during the consignor preferred session, 84 horses grossed $1,522,000, for an average price of $18,119 and a median of $10,000, both up slightly over the $18,037 and $8,500 median during the comparable session a year ago when $2,471,100 was paid for 137 head.

With buyer preferences still going for the quality lots and breeders not willing to take less than a certain amount, the 77 horses that did not sell represented an RNA rate of 47.8% for the session. It was 30.8% last year.

A Curlin   colt out of the stakes-placed Eavesdropper topped the 2016 sale when purchased by the Redbud Partnership for $150,000.

The gross, average, and median were off considerably during the horses of racing age session, with 55 head selling for a total $639,000 compared with $947,200 paid for 61 in this category a year ago. This year's HRA average of $11,618 was down 25.2% from the $15,528 figure a year ago, and the median fell 20% from $10,000 to $8,000. With 11 of 46 offered not selling, the RNA rate was 15.4%; it was 16.4% in 2016.

Lake Sebago, a multiple stakes winner who had been cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect but offered only for breeding purposes, topped the session when Doug Arnold acquired the 5-year-old mare for $87,000.

Consigned as Hip 202 by Lisa McGreevey's Abbey Road Farm, the daughter of Munnings   won the Laurel Gin Talking and Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel Park as a 2-year-old and was  second in a September stakes race at Delaware Park. Trained by John Robb for Tim E. O'Donohue Racing Stables, Lake Sebago earned $243,225. The filly was produced from Aviva's Pride, an unraced daughter of Borrego who is a half sister to Canadian champion 2-year-old male Hollinger.

Arnold said he was specifically at the OBS auction to buy Lake Sebago, noting that the mare "could really run."

Leading consignor for the combined sessions was Summerfield, with four sold for $230,000, an average price of $57,500 and a median also of $57,500.

The winter mixed sale concludes Thursday, Jan. 26, with 349 horses consigned to the open session that begins at 10:30 a.m.