By Brian DiDonato
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale kicks off Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. with the first of two days of selling. A total of 611 juveniles were cataloged for 2016, continuing on with the decision last year to expand the catalog by about a third and make it an open sale. As of Monday afternoon, 92 hips had been withdrawn.
“It's a great mix of quality horses and levels of horses for all different buyers,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “It's a very good catalog. It has depth, and it has breadth to it, for sure.”
A total of $55,432,000 changed hands at last year's OBS March sale for an average of $170,560 and median of $105,000. Conquest Stables was leading buyer with five purchases totaling $3,160,000, while Eddie Woods led all consignors with 26 head racking up $7,117,000 in gross receipts.
Topping last year's auction was a $1.4-million Bernardini colt consigned by Steve Venosa's SGV Thoroughbreds. The close relative to MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini) and GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini) was acquired by Live Oak Plantation.
Other notable graduates from last year's sale include MSW and GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Constellation (Bellamy Roady), who was scooped up by agents Solis II and Litt on behalf of LNJ Foxwoods for $800,000 out of the Northwest Stud consignment; and Acapulco (Scat Daddy), a McKathan Bros.-consigned filly who went for $750,000 to Coolmore's M. V. Magnier. She would go on to annex Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. before finishing second against open, older competition in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York. Gomo (Uncle Mo), acquired for just $75,000 by agent Dennis O'Neill out of the Eddie Woods draft, subsequently took Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. for Reddam Racing.
The March sale comes shortly after the passing of Norman Casse, an OBS co-founder and former chairman of the board. Casse's son Mark has been one of the most active buyers at this sale in recent years, and son Justin has a seven-horse consignment.
“Norman's ties to OBS were strong and many–he touched a lot of people in this community, and helped a lot of people,” said Wojciechowski. “Mark, and all of Norman's sons, are still a big part of this community here. The successes that Mark has seen at the racetrack–he's a hometown boy–and Norman was a big part of that.”
Buyers and Sellers Share Positive Outlook…
A trio of juveniles recorded overall bullet eighth-of-a-mile breezes during the under-tack previews, which were held last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. An Adios Charlie colt (hip 322) consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, Inc.; a City Zip colt (hip 449) offered by Hal Hatch's Halcyon Hammock Farm, Agent III; and a son of Kantharos (hip 606) from the de Meric Sales draft were clocked in that time.
Three horses earned the overall fastest quarter-mile clocking of :22 2/5: hip 257, a filly by The Factor from Eddie Woods, Agent III; hip 532, a son of Frost Giant offered by Dormellito Stud Sales; and hip 558, a Twirling Candy filly consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent XIX.
“There's a wonderful cross-section of horses here at OBS, which really caters to all levels of buyer from the very top end, all the way down to good, solid racehorses and everything in between,” said consignor Nick de Meric. “I would expect the catalog to draw a wide range of buyers, and I hope it will show the depth that it has in recent years. I feel very positive about this market going into it. We had perfect conditions for three days of breezing, we had some exceptionally good workouts across the board, and I think all the stars look like they could be aligned for a sensational sale.”
Veteran bloodstock agent Pete Bradley shares positive expectations on the heels of robust trade at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale Mar. 2.
“I thought Fasig-Tipton Florida was a very solid sale,” he noted. “People were there trying to buy horses, instead of trying to find reasons not to buy them. I think that's going to carry over into this market and I just see it strengthening again and moving forward. I think it's going to be a really good sale.”
Consignor J.B. McKathan added, “I think it'll be more of the same–the high end will be really good, and there will be something that you call the middle, but it's not really what it used to be. The thing is, there will be the occasional runner from the middle or the lower end that will turn out to be a really good racehorse. That's kind of what makes this whole thing work for everybody. A guy can pay a bunch of money and get a really nice horse, but sometimes a guy can pay not a lot of money and still end up with a really nice horse.”
For the complete catalog, visit obssales.com.
What They're Saying…
“I know there were a lot of fast works, and sometimes people equate that to a rock-hard racetrack and being unsafe, but there was no humidity and a tailwind [during the breeze shows]. The track was very quick, but not dangerous. All of our horses post-breeze X-ray have all checked out fine. Hopefully, the buyers will be able to find what they're looking for.” -consignor Dr. Barry Eisaman
“With so many horses having gone fast, and with the track staying consistent, I think it's going to be more of a horse show than a breeze show.” -consignor Ciaran Dunne
“This is a bread-and-butter sale. The March and April sales now are just top of the line. Everybody has to come here. You can't be serious about owning racehorses if you're not at these sales. There's just no way… There are just too many good horses on the racetrack that have come from these sales. They're here–you just have to work to find them.” – consignor Niall Brennan
“There are plenty of people here… and the right people. It should be a very good horse sale.” -consignor Jimmy Crupi
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