by Nicolle Neulist
The 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale drew to a close today.
Year-over-year results were mixed.. During the course of the two-day sale, 309 horses were sold for a total of $44,22,500, both figures up from the 257 horses who sold for $42,275,000 at OBS March 2018. The buyback rate dropped compared to a year ago. This year 23.1% of offerings failed to meet reserve; last year, that rate was 29.2%. Average and median, on the other hand, lagged behind last year. The $143,762 average was a 12.6% drop from last year’s average price. The $80,000 median price was a 23.8% drop compared to the 2018 median.
Day Two Top Sellers
After yesterday’s pair of seven-figure horses, no horse soared past the million-dollar mark today, though three commanded more than $800,000.
Just as with yesterday’s session, the Wednesday sale-topper had Tapit in the pedigree — though this time, the formidable grey stallion was the damsire, not the sire. Hip 422, a colt by Medaglia d’Oro out of the Tapit mare Rashnaa, was purchased for $900,000 by D. J. Stable and Cash Is King from the Kings Equine consignment. The colt breezed a furlong in 10.0 seconds on March 9, during the breeze show. His dam, Rashnaa, won seven times in 34 starts between ages 2 and 7, and ran third behind Atlantic Hurricane in the 2011 Seaway Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. She has produced one winner among three foals to start: Anuket (Pioneerof the Nile), a filly born in 2016, who won a maiden special weight sprint over the Santa Anita dirt in December.
Two others, both by first-crop sires, brought $850,000 in the ring.
West Point Thoroughbreds, a partner on yesterday’s sale-topper, also partnered in one of those $850,000 buys today; M. Anthony and B. Sandbrook were the other names on the ticket, with Lane’s End Bloodstock as agent. They purchased hip 302, a filly by first-crop sire The Big Beast out of the Trippi mare Lucky Trip. Lucky Trip won three times in 20 career starts, and has produced seven winners from seven starters. Though neither she nor any of her progeny have black type yet, Lucky Trip is a full sister to both Grade 1-placed stakes winner Candrea and multiple stakes winner Dream of Angels.
The other $850,000 horse, hip 325, is a Palace Malice colt out of the More Than Ready mare Miss Always Ready. The colt sold as part of the Pick View LLC consignment; Mike Ryan (as agent for Jeff Drown, according to a tweet by Three Chimneys Farm, who stands Palace Malice) signed the ticket. Miss Always Ready won once in five career starts, and the colt who sold today is her first foal. She is out of Miss Seffens, a five-time listed stakes winner by Dehere, and she is a full sister to 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) winner More Than Real.
Active Sires and Buyers
Among the 147 horses to change hands during Day 2, Competitive Edge led the way in terms of number of horses sold, with six ($75,333.33 average price). Uncaptured was next with five ($39,200 average price).
For the duration of the sale, Competitive Edge also led all sires by volume of horses sold, with nine to sell, for an average price of $81888.89. Two sires has seven two-year-olds each sell: Into Mischief ($297,857 average price) and Wicked Strong ($108,285.70 average price).
By average price, Tapit technically led all sires, though that was based on his lone two-year-old to sell being the $2 million sale-topper. Among sires with more than one two-year-old to sell at OBS March, Medaglia d’Oro led, with two horses (including today’s session-topper) averaging out to $575,000.
Day One of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales’ second-largest buyer by amount spent, HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal al Saud (through agent Narvick International), remained active on Day Two. After purchasing four horses on the first day of the sale, they purchased four more on the second day, putting them in a tie with BSW Bloodstock (Liz Crow, agent) and Peter Miller (as agent) as the buyer to sign the most tickets today. Among those buyers who signed four tickets, HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal al Saud led them in total spent; his four purchases added up to $1,260,000.
That also made HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal al Saud, just as he was on Day One, the session’s second-leading buyer by amount spent. Mike Ryan (as agent) was the leading buyer. He purchased three horses for a total of $1,475,000, including the $850,000 Palace Malice colt. For the duration of the sale, he was the top buyer both by number of purchases, with eight, as well as by sum of the purchases, with $3,050,000.
By average purchase price for buyers who made more than one purchase, the top purchaser was Lawrence Best’s OXO Equine, with two purchases averaging $862,500. Those include hip 194, the Pioneerof the Nile colt from Day One that he purchased for $1.2 million, as well as hip 495, a Discreet Cat colt out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Staria. The colt, who sold for $525,000, is a half-brother to multiple Louisiana-bred stakes winner Sir Genghis (Tale of the Cat), and from the family of Canadian champion Comet Shine.
American Pharoah Watch
As mentioned in yesterday’s Day 1 recap of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales, a pair of American Pharoah foals were expected to go through the ring today. Though both did step into the ring, neither met their reserve price.
Hip 295, a colt out of the War Front mare Loudly from the consignment of Sequel Bloodstock as agent for Chester and Mary Broman, brought bids up to $190,000. Hip 295, a colt out of the More Than Ready mare Mary’s Follies from the consignment of Q Bar J Thoroughbreds, took bids as high as $120,000.
