The Factor Colt Profitable for Off the Hook

A colt by The Factor  sold for $300,000 during the April 25 session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training produced a healthy profit for Adalberto Lozano, farm manager at consignor Off the Hook.

Consigned as Hip 729, the bay was purchased by trainer Timothy Hills on behalf of Patrick Welsh's Sea Gull Capital. The colt bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons was acquired by Lozano for $50,000 from Paramount Sales at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The colt is out of the multiple grade 3-placed mare Tarrip, a daughter of Green Desert who is a full sister to grade 2-placed stakes winner Green Lyons. As a broodmare she has produced Irish stakes winner Planchart.  

Hills said one of the colt's selling points was his eighth-mile breeze in :10 during the under tack show.

"He is a big horse, and I'm always worried about a big horse being hard on himself, but he moves like a cat," Hills said. "He just flows over the track. The guys at the barn said he is laid-back and easy on himself, but when he goes, he's there."

Hills said Welsh has ramped up his stable and is looking for horses that can route.

"He looked like a two-turn horse, and that's what the owner wants," Hills said. "He has stepped it up big-time. I was always the guy who was looking for bargains."

Midway through the Thursday session, Hills had bought four 2-year-olds for Sea Gull totaling $920,000.

"He breezed well, and his gallop out was particularly impressive," said Off the Hook's Joe Appelbaum. "I think you see that when everyone likes a horse, there is plenty of money here."

Appelbaum said the colt was straightforward after being acquired as a yearling and was allowed to develop at his own pace.

"We try not to stress out our horses over the winter and let them develop," the consignor said. "Sometimes it's a little scary before a sale because you don't put a lot of stress on them."