Rebah Farm Evolves to Fit Market Changes

Since its founding in 1983, the Ahearn family's Rebah Farm in Williston, Fla., has been a consistent presence on the Florida sales circuit. Owned and operated by Tim Ahearn Jr., Rebah Farm returns to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale Jan. 29-30 with 18 horses, one of its larger consignments. 

As the breeder of such horses as former Florida champion 2-year-old filly Scratch Pad, Ahearn and his parents have carved a successful niche for Rebah over the past three decades.

"We have a 40-acre farm and it's mostly nursery mares and foals. We also do some layups off the track. I've been in this business basically my entire life," Ahearn said. "We've been doing this for about 35 years now. This year is a pretty large consignment for us because we sell based on what we have on our farm and what our clients want." 

"We've had some homebreds through the years that have sold for $70,000 or $85,000. The majority of our clients race. We did sell Bob and Beverly Lewis their first stakes-winning horse ever, which was Sunshine Machine. That was a nice horse. 

"We consign a lot more now because of market changes. We used to just mainly take the ones we had from the farm. Now, if people want to consign with us that don't have horses on the farm we also work with them. You have to change with the times." 

A total of 11 short yearlings, nine mares, and one 2-year-old will be offered. In general, Rebah does not attend 2-year-old sales, and in 2019 the farm will have a consignment in only the OBS Winter Mixed Sale and OBS October Yearling Sale. 

With the Florida Thoroughbred foal population declining precipitously for the fifth consecutive year, Ahearn believes the demand for well-bred mares, such as what was seen at the previous breeding stock and mixed sales this season, could have a drastic impact on the bottom line of this year's sale. According to the Report of Mares Bred published by The Jockey Club in 2018, Florida ranked third in number of live Thoroughbred foals conceived per state. Florida posted the second biggest drop among the top five breeding states in the U.S., down more than 15% from 2017. 

"I think the top of the market will be very strong like it usually is," Ahearn said. "I think the yearlings will be good, maybe better, than it has been in the past, and I think the bottom end of the market will likely stink. But I think the mare market is going to be really, really tough.

"I think the purses at Gulfstream Park will definitely help the market, especially for people who want to buy to race. I think also adding 3-year-olds to the Florida sire stakes will help." 

Three of the mares cataloged from Rebah—Hips 537, 499, and 452—will be offered in foal to Canadian champion sprinter and Florida-based sire Field Commission . Hips 371 and 518 are in foal to Long Island Sound, and Hip 519 is in foal to Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured . 

"We also have an older race mare, Miss Wilby (Hip 303), she's a stakes winner and has earned close to $400,000," Ahearn said. "So if someone is looking for broodmares she would be a nice fit. Or they could take her back to the track. "

From the short yearlings cataloged by the Florida farm, one of the most interesting offerings will be Hip 369. Named Papa Twosexyeight, the Anthony's Cross yearling was bred in Florida by Double G Farm out of the Grand Reward mare Gerry's Reward.

A portion of the proceeds from the Anthony's Cross yearling's sale will be donated to Changing the World for Noel, a charity founded to provide scholarships to autistic high school graduates in Gilchrist and Levy counties in the name of Florida police sergeant Noel Ramirez Jr., who was killed in the line of duty in 2018. The money will go toward funding a scholarship for an autistic graduating senior from either Gilchrist or Levy county.  

"All the yearlings I'm pretty sure will get eyeballs on them," Ahearn said. "People have to have 2-year-olds to sell at the later sales."