Goldencents Colt Tops OBS Opener

An unraced 3-year-old colt by Goldencents (hip 251) topped Tuesday's opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Winter Mixed Sale when bringing a final bid of $200,000 from Susan Montanye's S B M Training and Sales, as agent. Montanye, who signed the ticket on behalf of two undisclosed partners, said the sophomore will head to the Oaklawn Park stable of trainer Brad Cox.

“I think he's a beautiful horse,” Montanye said. “I watched him breeze at the breeze show and he did it right. I looked at the horse afterwards for them just to make sure he was sound and I passed my information along, since I was there and they could not be at the sale. So, I wish them all the best of luck with him. He seems to be the real deal.”

The bay colt, who worked four furlongs in a bullet :44 flat during Monday's under-tack preview, was consigned by Woodside Ranch. He is out of multiple stakes placed Angels Trace (Bellamy Road).

Woodside's Bryan Rice purchased the colt for $10,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale and re-offered him at last year's OBS April sale.

“I thought he had a really good frame and I really liked the way he moved,” Rice said of the colt's appeal as a yearling. “And I was pretty encouraged about the sire–a freshman sire at the time–so there were a handful of things, both physical and pedigree that caught my eye.”

The colt sold for $100,000 after working a furlong in :10 1/5 at the April sale, but eventually made his way back to Rice's care.

“We had him sold last year,” Rice explained. “But the horse got pretty sore in his shin and the people that bought him came to me and said, 'This horse is struggling a little bit. What do we want to do?' I told them I wanted them to be happy. We took him back and did right by him. We gave him the summer and started getting him fit again and he's done very well. The horse has grown and improved in the course of those six months.”

Of the opportunity to offer a ready-to-run horse at the January sale, Rice said, “My first priority is to sell these horses; to do right by them and sell them. And the January sale was the only one that was really available to me in the time frame. The horse is pretty much ready to run right now. I either needed to run him and sell him privately or present him at sale.”

Multiple stakes winner Noble Commander (Forestry) (hip 198) also topped the six-figure mark in Ocala Tuesday, selling for $135,000 to Agave Racing Stable. The 4-year-old won last month's Woodchopper S. at Fair Grounds for owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. He was consigned by Moonshadow Farm.

During the horses of racing age section of the Winter sale, 62 horses sold for $1,204,000. The average was $19,419 and the median was $8,500.

A trio of yearlings shared the top price of $75,000 during Tuesday's short select session of the OBS Winter Mixed Sale. A colt by Distorted Humor (hip 28) was first to hit the mark when selling to Tami Bobo's First Finds. From the Select Sales consignment, the chestnut is out of Inspeight of Us (Speightstown), a half-sister to Grade I winners Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) and Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday). Also from the Select Sales consignment, a colt by Bernardini (hip 70) brought a final bid of $75,000 from Calumet Farm. The bay, who RNA'd for $37,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale, is out of graded stakes winner Palanka City (Carson City). Completing the trio of yearlings was a colt by Bayern (hip 31). Consigned by Stuart Morris as agent for Highclere, the dark bay is out of Jera (Jeblar) and is a half-brother to multiple Grade I winner Jeranimo (Congaree).

Tuesday's session missed out on a six-figure yearling when a filly by American Pharoah (hip 86) was led out unsold at $240,000.

In all, 103 horses sold during the select section for a gross of $1,749,100. The average was $16,982 and the median was $12,500. During last year's select session, 147 horses sold for $3,452,700 for an average of $23,488 and a median of $10,000.

The OBS Winter Mixed sale concludes with an open session Wednesday. Bidding commences at 11 a.m.