OBS June Sale Highlighted by Scat Daddy's Last Crop

Topped by the last foals from the final crop of Scat Daddy to be offered at public auction, the Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-year-olds in training sale concluded June 15 with an increase in gross as a result of an expanded catalog and declines in average and median prices.

OBS reported 520 juveniles changed hands for gross receipts of $17,125,500, compared with $14,999,900 paid for 434 head a year ago. This year's average price of $32,934 represented a 4.7% decline from the $34,562 average a year ago. The median fell 18.9% from $18,500 to $15,000. The 145 horses that did not sell represented an RNA rate of 21.8%; it was an adjusted 16.9% last year. (OBS results are adjusted after post-sale private transactions are reported.)

Five older horses sold for $96,500, compared to four bringing a total of $77,000 in 2017.

"All in all, I thought it was a good sale," said OBS sales director Tod Wojciechowski. "We had some groups here buying quite a few horses, including Korean and Puerto Rican interests and the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club. It was nice to see some trade in the middle and lower levels of the market."

The $650,000 sale-topper was a son of Scat Daddy, the Ashford Stud stallion who died in December 2015 and has sired more than 100 black-type winners, including this year's Triple Crown winner, Justify. Consigned by Top Line Sales as Hip 211, the colt was purchased by Carlo Vaccarezza.

Scat Daddy also accounted for the Friday session-topper, a colt purchased by Alistair Roden Bloodstock on behalf of Peter Redekop for $360,000.

Consigned as Hip 742 by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, agent, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Bryant Prentice's Pursuit of Success and was produced from the First Defence mare Imprecation, a half sister to French Oaks (G1) winner Nebraska Tornado, group 2 winner Burning Sun, and grade 3 winner and producer Mirabilis.

The colt worked an eighth-mile in :10 1/5 during the under tack show.

Roden said he and Redekop attempted to purchase the sale-topper "and we got blown out of the water. We sat tight and were lucky enough to get this one. There were a lot of good people on this horse, too. I was just happy we got him. He was just a really nice horse who had a super breeze."

Conducted in the stifling, hot, humid weather typical of June in Central Florida, the OBS sale is the final opportunity for sellers—especially pinhookers who buy to resell—to move their stock and begin the process of shopping yearling sales in search of next year's 2-year-old sale prospects. For buyers, the auction is also the last opportunity to buy near-race-ready 2-year-olds, sometimes at a discount because consignors are more motivated to sell.

"I think it's a buyer's market," said trainer Edward Plesa Jr., who was buying on behalf of Karl and Cathi Glassman. "It's the end of the 2-year-old sales, and these horses are here for different reasons, so you have to do your homework and pick through them."

Veteran Florida horseman Justin Casse said the sale was "probably one of the better June sales we've had in a while. The clearance rate has been solid, and there are (more) people here than I've seen in a long time."