OBS Spring

Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded its record-setting renewal with a frenetic day of bidding in Central Florida Friday. The four-day auction produced its highest-ever gross when 723 horses sold for $73,907,900. The average was $102,224 and the median was $50,000--both figures just off the records set in 2019 of $108,903 and $60,000. "We went into the sale with high hopes and certainly the sale didn't let us down," OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said. "The buyers showed...

OCALA, FL--There's been a palpable good feeling all week at OBS for the auction house's marquee Spring 2-Year-Old Sale, and you need look no further than the full parking lot to explain why. Business is booming, but perhaps equally responsible for the positive vibes is the easing of coronavirus restrictions as the country rapidly becomes vaccinated, which means old friends seeing and hugging each other for the first time in a long time. Wednesday morning, Joe Bianca and Jon Green talked about that and much more with four consignors and...

As the sale season finally restarts, Taylor Made vice president Mark Taylor joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland this week to discuss where he sees the market going from here, the early success of Taylor Made stallion Not This Time (Giant's Causeway) and a host of other hot-button industry issues. [audio mp3="https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/TDN-20200617-v1-Writers-Room-41-Audio-2-1.mp3"][/audio] Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week on the heels of OBS Spring, Taylor said, "I don't see any scenario where the market's not going to be off from 2019. I...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, an auction most people seemed happy could even be held following all of the uncertainties of the global pandemic, concluded its four-day run in Central Florida with a pair of seven-figure transactions book-ending the session. Early in the day, Kaleem Shah purchased a son of Quality Road for $1.25 million from the Wavertree Stables consignment and, with only a handful of lots left to offer, Larry Best secured a colt by Speighster for...

A New York-bred colt from the first crop of Speightster lit up the board late Friday at OBS as he garnered a $1.1-million final bid from Christina Jelm, who was acting on behalf of Larry Best's OXO Equine LLC. Consigned by Tom McCrocklin as hip 1312, the :20 4/5 breezer turned in a strong gallop out that caught plenty of eyes. A supplemental entry to the OBS Spring sale, the son of MSP Auspicious (Indian Charlie)--already named Fortunate Son--was a $110,000 Saratoga York-bred yearling purchase by McCrocklin.

A colt by Quality Road (hip 1018) rang the bell earlier in the day on Friday at OBS Spring when selling to Kaleem Shah's son Arman for $1.25 million. The Shah family's bloodstock advisor Ben McElroy signed the ticket. A $240,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling buy, the half-brother to MSW and MGISP Standard Deviation (Curlin) breezed in :20 3/5 last week and was consigned to the sale by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, Inc. Kaleem Shah has done well with 2-year-old in training buys by Quality Road in the past--he purchased MGISW...

by Jessica Martini, Christie DeBernardis and Steve Sherack A daughter of freshman sire Not This Time (Hip 1254) was the first juvenile to reach the million-dollar mark during the Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Spring Sale towards the end of the second session Wednesday. The fleet-footed bay, who worked the fastest quarter-mile of the sale in :20 1/5, was also the first ever seven-figure sale for her consignor Top Line Sales. She was purchased by Gary Young. Both Hip 1254 and Tuesday's topper, a $750,000 colt by Ghostzapper (Hip 1250), were...

It's not every year that John Shirreffs, a patient trainer with a small stable of mostly older horses, has a GI Kentucky Derby contender. In fact, the last time most remember him being in the spotlight was with a certain mare named Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), four-time champion and arguably the most popular horse of the 21st century. But with newly-minted Grade I winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code) looking like a leading challenger for the Run for the Roses, Shirreffs joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday...

Prominent bloodstock agent Tom McGreevy will begin selecting horses on an exclusive basis for Mike Hall and Sam Ross's Breeze Easy LLC starting with next month's OBS Spring Two-Year-Old in Training Sales, it was announced Tuesday. "We are delighted that Tom will be working with Breeze Easy as we continue to develop our racing and breeding operation." said Breeze Easy managing partner Mike Hall. Breeze Easy racing manager Mike Mollica added, "Tom's track record and reputation go before him, and we are extremely fortunate that the opportunity for him to...

The catalogue for the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training, postponed from next month to June 9-12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is now online at the company website at www.obssales.com. A total of 1,231 juveniles have been catalogued for the four-day sale, with lots 1-308 going under the hammer Tuesday, June 9; lots 309-616 Wednesday, June 10; lots 617-924 Thursday, June 11; and lots 925-1231 Friday, June 12. Bidding begins each day at 10 a.m. Seven under-tack previews are scheduled to begin Sunday, May 31 and continue through...