by Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato
OCALA, Florida–Unseasonably cool temperatures and overcast conditions did very little to keep away prospective buyers from completing their final inspections on the eve of Tuesday's two-day OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Ocala.
Leading trainers Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Graham Motion, John Sadler, Keith Desormeaux, Phil D'Amato; advisors Alex Solis II and Jason Litt, Bob Feld, Charlie Boden, David Ingordo, Donato Lanni, Gary Young, Hubert Guy, John Moynihan and Steve Young; and Claiborne Farm's Walker Hancock, WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden and SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan have all been spotted making the rounds on the grounds.
“We've had very high traffic through the barns,” consignor Nick de Meric commented while keeping a close eye on the activity outside of Barn 12. “We've been very busy. We've barely had a moment to catch our breath… That's a good sign, obviously, and I'm told we've had some good credit requests in the office, so hopefully it'll be a nice dynamic market.”
While numbers were up at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale earlier this month–the average of $339,392 increased 3.8% from a year ago, and the median rose 8.0% to $270,000–the continued trend of market polarization and particular strength at the top end was certainly evident at the first juvenile auction held this season in Miami.
A total of 677 2-year-olds have been consigned for OBS March with already 150 listed as outs on the OBS website as of Monday afternoon. Now in its third year without the “Select” moniker, the underlying question remains, 'Will the middle market emerge?'
“I'm hoping that this sale has the depth to it that sometimes lacks at these early 2-year-old sales,” de Meric said. “But I feel very confident that it's going to be a strong sale at the top of the market and I think our better offerings look like they're being well-received. Fingers crossed. For me, I define a good market by the percentage we can get sold and I'm hoping that there will be enough interest in the more modest offerings to where we can get everybody placed.”
Consignor Quincy Adams of Q Bar J Thoroughbreds added, “I think it's going to be good coming from Miami to OBS, there were people really out in droves trying to find horses in Miami. So, if that's any indicator for the market, we're in for a really good 2-year-old sale.”
Asked if he expected those who were shut out at Fasig-Tipton to further drive demand at OBS, Adams replied, “That's what I'm betting on. They've got a good set of horses put together for the March sale, too. I'm seeing a lot of good horses on the grounds.”
Hip 462, a son of More Than Ready consigned by Cary Frommer, Agent VI, fired the fastest eighth of a mile breeze in
:9 3/5 during the sale's three-day under-tack show.
“He's a special horse, and we did not actually see that breeze coming,” Frommer revealed. “He's very, very talented, and owned by his breeder [Joseph Sutton]–he races also, so he won't sell him cheaply.”
Hip 153, a son of Super Saver consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent XXIV, breezed a quarter mile in a bullet :20 1/5, the co-fastest breeze at that distance in OBS history.
“He's a freaky colt,” de Meric said of the bay. “He actually has a feminine look when you see him on the line, which at this time of the year I'm more than happy about because sometimes with those big, bulky types, you have a hard time keeping them sound. He just absolutely sprouted wings out there, and he's been doing that at home as well–he actually didn't come from my stable [he came from Danny Pate's]. They've been talking a big line on this horse for a while and I've seen him work on the farm. [Last Thursday's breeze] was consistent with what he's done before he came here.”
At the conclusion of last year's March auction, 325 juveniles changed hands for a combined $51,650,000, good for an average of $158,923 and median of $100,000. The RNA rate was 25% at the immediate conclusion of the sale, but dropped after OBS added subsequent private post-sale transactions to the numbers.
The 2016 topper was Hip 591, a Smart Strike colt purchased by Lane's End Bloodstock for $1.9 million. The bay was consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent XV. Woods was leading consignor with $6,440,500 in gross receipts from 26 sold. Lane's End Bloodstock led buyers with $2,910,000 in expenditures for four 2-year-olds.
It was a big year on the track for recent OBS March alumni in 2016, led by the seven Grade I winners pictured on the catalogue cover.
Graduates of last year's auction include, GI Darley Alcibiades S. heroine Dancing Rags (Union Rags) ($210,000-Casse Sales), GI Del Mar Futurity S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Klimt (Quality Road) ($435,000-Eddie Woods); and GI Chandelier S. victress and 'TDN Rising Star' Noted and Quoted (The Factor) ($375,000-Eddie Woods).
Last year's March graduates also include three promising runners on this year's GI Kentucky Derby trail–American Anthem (Bodemeister) ($435,000-Hoppel's Horse & Cattle Co.), 'TDN Rising Star' El Areeb (Exchange Rate) ($340,000-Eisaman Equine); and Iliad (Ghostzapper) ($285,000-Eddie Woods).
“At the end of the day, it's great to sell horses for a lot of money, but the horses need to perform,” OBS President Tom Ventura said. “We need repeat business, we need new buyers to take notice and when you have seven Grade I winners on the catalogue cover, and some others with a lot of promise that are on the Derby trail, that certainly helps.
Ventura concluded, “This sale has consistently produced top-end horses and last year's graduates have already been making a mark. That's critical for ongoing success of the sale.”
Both sessions of the OBS March Sale begin at 10:30 a.m., with hips 1-338 selling Tuesday and 339-677 headed to the ring Wednesday.
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