OBS April First Session Soars

With brisk across-the-board trade, including strength in the middle market that has been weak in previous juvenile sales this year, the Ocala Breeders' Sales spring sale of 2-year-olds in training kicked off with double-digit increases in gross and average April 25.

Topped by an Orb   colt sold for $685,000, the session lived up to the most optimistic of pre-sale expectations. Lured by a catalog that OBS officials said was better than in the past, the sale grounds were crowded with principals, agents, and trainers leading up to the sale and they showed up on the first day.

MITCHELL: Orb Colt Grew Up, Brought $685,000 at OBS

OBS reported gross sales rose 30.9% to $15,305,700 for 169 head sold, compared with the $11,687,500 for 165 that changed hands a year ago. The $90,566 session average represented a 27.9% gain over the Day 1 figure of $70,833 in 2016. This year’s session median of $50,000 was also up over the $47,000 figure a year ago.

With 302 cataloged for the session, 222 went through the ring after 80 head were withdrawn. With 53 horses bought back, the RNA rate was 23.9%, compared with 22.9% a year ago. There were 17 horses sold for $250,000 or more on the day, compared with nine at the corresponding session in 2016.

"This sale looks a lot deeper and a lot more solid than the first three Florida sales this year," said agent Pete Bradley, who had two 2-year-olds sell through Eddie Woods, agent. "There is a middle market, and horses are selling in the $20,000 to $50,000 range."

Included among Bradley’s successes was a Creative Cause   filly sold for $575,000 to White Birch Farm, the highest price for a filly and second-highest overall price on the day. Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, the filly had been bought by Bradley for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale.

Bradley also sold a Successful Appeal   colt for $160,000 that had been purchased as a yearling for $95,000. "A horse like the Successful Appeal colt were hard to sell during the first three sales," he said of the Monday market.

Pinhooker Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall Farm agreed with Bradley.

"The middle market (buyers) finally showed up," said Brogden, who owns all or part of 18 juveniles entered in the sale. "When my trainer from Sunland Park is here, you know there’s a middle market. But purses are good and people need horses.”

Agent Justin Casse, participating in the OBS sale as both buyer and seller, said there was stiff competition for the horses he wanted. He said the relatively low RNA rate was likely a reflection of sellers taking a realistic view of the market, with a limited number of auctions remaining in the juvenile sale season.

"If you don’t get it sold here (at OBS April), you’re probably going to race it," Casse said. "This is near the end of the road."

With 11 sold for a total $1,272,500 Woods was leading consignor, followed by Randy Miles, who had four 2-year-olds, including the session-topper, sell for a total of $1,072,000.

John Oxley, represented at OBS by trainer Mark Casse, was leading buyer with three purchases for $1,050,000.

The sale continues April 26 with a session that begins at 10:30 a.m. EDT.