The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the first of the spring's juvenile auctions, kicks off Tuesday with bidding on the first of 853 catalogued lots beginning at 11 a.m. The OBS March sale, which transitioned from a select to an open sale in 2015, was held over three days for the first time since 2014 in 2023 and again returns in that expanded format in 2024 after a power-packed renewal a year ago.
“I was really impressed by the number of people who were here watching the breeze show,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “The quality of horse flesh is as good a March sale as we have had in a long time. We seem to say that every year, but the consignors seem to outdo themselves every year and bring better horses. There is a lot of activity on the grounds right now. Horses looked good at the breeze show and they look good at the barns as well. So we are excited about the sale.”
There were five seven-figure juveniles sold at the 2023 March sale, led by subsequent Grade I winner Muth (Good Magic), who sold for $2 million to Zedan Racing Stables. There were 24 horses who sold for $500,000 or more at the auction, double the number from 2022. Those numbers reflect the end result of the auction's change from a select to an open sale, according to Wojciechowski.
“We opened up the March sale about five or six years ago and took it away from being a select sale and made it an open sale,” Wojciechowski said. “I think people now appreciate and understand that March is a larger catalogue. That the guy that thought he was going to get priced out of the market when it was a select sale, now it has been demonstrated over enough years that they can come buy a horse in their price range and be happy with the results. Not only did we need the buyers to see that, but the sellers did as well.”
The OBS April Spring Sale had become much more of a destination sale over the last several years, but Wojciechowski said top-level horses are gravitating back to the March sale.
“When we originally opened it up, some of those [top] horses may have gotten scared and thought they couldn't participate in March,” he said. “I think they are seeing the pendulum swings back and forth and a lot of them went to April. April is a great sale and those horses do good in April, but over the last couple of years, some guys who have made the commitment to send them to March have been rewarded for it. I think they can kind of see, not unlike April, there is something for everyone, both buyers and sellers.”
During last week's under-tack show, a pair of juveniles by first-crop sires shared the fastest furlong time of :9 3/5: a filly by Vekoma (hip 448) consigned by Wavertree Stables and a colt by Tiz the Law (hip 529) consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds.
A filly by Win Win Win (hip 788) consigned by Ocala Stud turned in the under-tack show's fastest quarter-mile breeze of :20 1/5.
With plenty of activity around Ocala Stud's Barn 4 over the weekend, the operation's David O'Farrell is looking for a competitive market this week.
“We weren't really planning on a busy show day, but we were busy showing horses throughout the day,” O'Farrell said Saturday. “I think traffic will be fine. I am optimistic about the sale, there are some really nice horses on the grounds. I think the previous sales have shown that the market is pretty darn good and I think it'll be a good horse sale.”
O'Farrell said strong results on the racetrack should lead to return buyers at the sales. In addition to Muth, multiple graded stakes winner Nysos (Nyquist) and Ocala Stud-bred GIII Holy Bull S. winner Hades (Awesome Slew) also sold in Central Florida last year.
“The 2-year-old sales graduates have performed really well this year,” O'Farrell said. “Basically, 2-year-old purchases have performed really well and our runners are our best advertisement. I don't see any reason that the market isn't going to be very good.”
Despite O'Farrell's optimism, consignor Eddie Woods is expecting to see some familiar patterns emerge at the March sale.
“It's going to be the same old story,” Woods said. “Top end, all the way, they will bring all the money. And you just have to hang on to your hats with the rest of them, I think. There will be some people there for other horses, but that's just the way the sales have been the last couple of years–not just the 2-year-old sales, all sales.”
The March catalogue also includes 40 horses who are part of the dispersal of the racing stock of the late Bob Lothenbach. Consigned by de Meric Sales, Niall Brennan Stables, Tom McCrocklin and Ocala Stud, the group galloped at last week's under-tack show.
Lothenbach passed away last November and the dispersal of his stock began at Fasig-Tipton last month with a digital sale of racing age horses followed by a selection of broodmares and short yearlings at the company's Winter Mixed Sale.
“There are some nice quality horses in there, no doubt,” said Wojciechowski. “The fact that they galloped here, I don't think is having any connotation negative or otherwise other than understanding the situation. Everyone understands the situation under which [the dispersal] is occurring.”
The March sale will be held Tuesday through Thursday with sessions beginning each day at 11 a.m.
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