OCALA, FL – For the third straight day, the team of Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni, acting on behalf of Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, made the highest bid of the session, this time going to $2.2 million–top price of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training sale so far–to acquire a colt by Gun Runner from the de Meric Sales consignment as the Spring sale continued to produce figures largely in line with its record-setting 2022 renewal.

Through three of four sessions, OBS has sold 519 juveniles for a total of $67,661,000. The cumulative average of $130,368 is down 3.7% from the corresponding end-of-day figure from 2022 and is down just 1.8% from the average of $132,821, which includes post-sale transactions from a year ago. The median of $65,000 is down 7.1% from a year ago.

“We were very pleased with the March sale and it seems like that momentum has carried on through April,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “We set records last year and here we are bumping up against those records this year. It feels good and it is a testament to the strength in the marketplace.”

Zedan topped the sale's opening session with a $1.45-million son of Arrogate and added a $900,000 son of Frosted Wednesday.

“He's come with a big budget and that's helpful to the consignors,” Wojciechowski said of Zedan. “It probably pushes horses that he gets and hopefully, it moves buyers to other horses and they look for other top prospects that they can settle on as well.”

With 128 juveniles reported not sold after the final horse went through the ring Thursday, the buy-back rate was 19.8%. it was 16.5% at the same point a year ago.

While the figures remained stronger, consignors continued to see a polarization in the marketplace.

“I had so many people on that horse who just had to have him,” Jesse Hoppel of Coastal Equine said after selling a colt by Blame for $700,000. “But if you don't have the flavor of the week, they don't want to have anything to do with you.”

Hoppel said the absence of a select sale like the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale has buyers scrambling to make sense of the new sales landscape.

“I think the buyers are confused,” he said. “They don't know where to go. The 2-year-old sales market now lacks a select sale. It doesn't give you direction–where are these middle market horses going to be, where are the expensive horses going to be. Right now, they are scattered. The public doesn't have an idea of where to go for the right horses.”

Still buyers found plenty of competition for the top lots.

“People are saying it's a little bit spotty, but at the same time anything we followed up seemed like it's made plenty of money,” said Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin after signing for a $575,000 daughter of Into Mischief. “I don't think it's overly strong.”

Donato Lanni | Photos by Z

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, who has made the highest bid of each of the sale's first three days, said, “It's really strong for the top, top horses. The middle market looks like it is holding pretty strong. Everyone is here, so it's very strong for the top-end horses. The market was very strong here last year and we're seeing that again this year. Hopefully it continues that way.”

The OBS Spring sale concludes with a final session Friday. Bidding begins at 10:30 a.m.

Guns Blazing at OBS Day 3

The storms that barreled through the Ocala area Wednesday night seemed like a mere breeze compared to the gale force that swept through the OBS sale's ring midway through Thursday's session. In the moments leading up to the entrance of Hip 782 into the ring, several of racing's biggest names lined up to duke it out for a juvenile colt by Horse of the Year Gun Runner. With several separate interests clashing, including agent Donato Lanni–accompanied by trainer Bob Baffert in their customary perch in the media box–and fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who trained Gun Runner during his illustrious campaign, it was Amr Zedan's potent team that outlasted the rest to land the colt for a cool $2.2 million.

Hip 782 | Photos by Z

“That was 'wow',” said Lanni. “Amr Zedan absolutely loved him and he really wanted the horse. He was not going to go home without that horse…Bob really loved him too. The whole team did.”

Outlining some of the factors that led to the team extending to the sale-topping price through three sessions, Lanni offered, “He performed very well and had a great gallop out. He was really fast for a such a large-sized horse. He looks like he wants to go a Classic distance and has gears.”

“It's nice to see a horse with that much size by Gun Runner who looks like a two-turn horse but also has the speed. He showed it here.”

The Mar. 20 foal is out of Perfect Wife (Majesticperfection), the dam of the colt's full-sibling GSP Runaway Wife.

“Every day when you have one like that in the barn, you're kind of sweating bullets and you're worried you'll walk into the barn and find him with his legs up in the air or colicking,” said Nick de Meric. “But he's been a wonderful horse for us. Tristan and Val [de Meric] take the credit for producing him like they have.”

Bred by Fern Circle Stables, the bay brought $430,000 at Fasig-Tipton last July. Consigned by de Meric sales at OBS, the colt breezed in :10.1 last week.

“It was a ton of pressure,” continued de Meric. “Frankly, that [yearling price] was out of our comfort zone. We just all felt so strongly about him and we had a couple of partners on him, so we didn't have to shoulder the whole load.

“He affected all of us [when we first saw him] and we thought he could be something special.”

Tristan de Meric was equally enthused with the colt.

“The way this horse moved, his balance and the way he just kept it up all day long [stood out],” he said. “He always did everything right. He's a horse with a great mind and did everything right from the get-go.”

Reflecting on the colt's purchase last term, he continued,

“We definitely stretched well beyond our comfort zone, but when we were signing the ticket on him, it felt right. I am happy it all worked out. We were just lucky to have him.”

In regard to the colt's illustrious sire, who led all second-crop sires and ranked sixth on the General Sires list in 2022, the junior de Meric explained, “We started out just trying to find some nice Gun Runners because we believed in him and he had a nice run with his first crop. It was amazing what he did with his first crop.”

With the relief evident after hitting it out of the park following months of intense preparation, the elder de Meric could breath a sigh of relief now that the colt was going to get every chance under the care of the Hall of Fame trainer.

“All of us in this business know it doesn't work out like that every time. You need one of those every once in a while and that was outstanding. We couldn't be happier.”–@CBossTDN

Hoppel Plays the Blame Game

When Jacob West signed the ticket at $700,000 to obtain a colt by Blame (hip 786) on behalf of Repole Stable Thursday at OBS, it marked an impressive pinhooking score for consignor Jesse Hoppel, who purchased the youngster for $70,000 at last year's OBS October sale.

Hip 786 | Photos by Z

“He was a very sleek horse that looked like he needed to grow up a lot,” Hoppel said of his early impressions of the colt. “I still think he has growing up to do. There is no telling how good he will be when he is finally there because he's not there yet. He's going to keep coming.”

The colt is out of the unraced Petunia Face (Congrats) and is a half to graded winner Jalen Journey (With Distinction). He worked a quarter-mile last week in :21 flat.

Of the colt's final price Thursday, Hoppel said, “I was thinking in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, but this market is really polarized. I had so many people on that horse who just had to have him. If you don't have the flavor of the week, they don't want to have anything to do with you.”  @JessMartiniTDN

Uncle Mo Draws Fire Early at OBS

After a filly by Uncle Mo brought a $675,000 final bid during the first day of selling at the OBS Spring sale, a colt by the Coolmore sire (Hip 682) realized the same amount Thursday afternoon. Consigned by agent Gene Recio, trainer Keith Desormeaux signed the ticket on behalf of Dallas, Texas-based Benjamin Gase, founder and CEO of the shipping technology company R2 Logistics.

“He didn't have as much as a quick cadence as most of these eighth-of-a-mile breezers but his movement was fluid, and he still went in :10.1,” said Desormeaux. “That's what we're looking for, a horse with speed but most importantly the distance.

“I hate to use the same old cliche but he ticks every box.”

Echoing the sentiment, Recio added, “He showed himself well and just has a lot of class. He didn't turn a hair the whole time. He did all the right things.”

The colt was offered at Keeneland last September, bringing $250,000 from Lynnwood Stable. The Apr. 26 colt was offered by a partnership that included the breeder, Breed First.

Gene Recio | Photos by Z

“I fell in love with him when I saw him at the yearling sales,” explained Recio. “I didn't really think I was going to be able to buy him, I thought he was going to bring more than that.”

The juvenile is out of the unraced Bodemeister mare Mezinka, a half-sister to dual Grade I-winning Pioneerof the Nile, who also finished runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“The breeder is a good friend of mine, so I am happy for them. They stayed in for a piece. I'm happy when it all works out like that.”

The Desormeaux and Gase axis has already produced results, highlighted by a win in this winter's GII Rebel S. with Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}), who was unearthed for a mere $25,000 at Keeneland last September. Confidence Game currently stands 12th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 57 points.

Clearly looking to mine another Classic-bred jewel with a long-term view on next season, Desormeaux enthusiastically outlined the colt's list of attributes.

“The horse has Classic pedigree, great lines, awesome conformation and a good foot,” he said. “He was as good as you get from head to toe.”

He continued, “One of the added values is that he has great sire value, being by Uncle Mo and with Pioneerof the Nile [under the second dam]. We know he's got speed and Classic distance on the bottom.”

With the Classics still a year away, Desormeaux's ambitions in the shorter term appeared to be no less lofty.

“He's going to go to California and prepare for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.”–@CBossTDN

Into Mischief Filly to Qatar Racing

Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing, which enjoyed top-level success along with partners with Caravel (Mizzen Mast) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, continued to build its U.S.-based string with the purchase of a filly by Into Mischief (hip 777) at OBS Thursday. Fergus Galvin of Hunter Valley Farm made the winning bid to acquire the filly for $575,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment.

Hip 777 | Photos by Z

“We actually haven't come up with a trainer for her yet, to be honest,” Galvin said. “She will definitely stay in the U.S. She is a lovely, big filly. Ciaran [Dunne of Wavertree] recommended her well and we are very happy to get her.”

The bay filly is out of the unraced Pearl River (Quality Road) and from the family of champion Sweet Catomine and multiple Grade I winner Life Is Sweet. She was bred by Pam and Martin Wygod.

Marc Tacher purchased the 7-year-old Pearl River, in foal to Nyquist, for $50,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

In addition to Caravel, Qatar Racing was also partners on Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), who was purchased for $5 million at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November and whose 2022 campaign included a win in the GII Fleur de Lis S. The partners returned the mare to the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton last November where she sold again for $5 million.

Caravel has already started 2023 a winner, recently winning the GIII Shakertown S. at Keeneland.

“We just have to keep our run going,” Galvin said. “Sheikh Fahad is keen to establish a string here in the U.S. We've had a lot of success with turf horses and now we are trying to aim a little bit more on the dirt side.” @JessMartiniTDN

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“We are excited to be kicking off the year with a good sale,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “I think we have a good crop of short yearlings. We had the breeze show Monday and had some horses show out on the racetrack–there were a number of unraced 3-year-olds that are ready to go.”

The January sale benefits from buyers coming in from out of town to take advantage of both the horses on offer, as well as the warm weather, according to Wojciechowski.

“We see a lot of people who come down from Kentucky–I think they are looking for a reason to come down out of the cold and have a neat opportunity to shop for short yearlings,” he said. “And then we get a number of trainers who come in from all over the country for the racing age section who are getting ready to restock their stables for the spring and the summer.”

The 270 yearlings catalogued represent a diverse group of sires, including: Audible, Bolt d'Oro, Bucchero, Caravaggio, Catalina Cruiser, City of Light, Classic Empire, Enticed, Flameaway, Frosted, Girvin, Kantharos, Khozan, Kitten's Joy, Maclean's Music, Malibu Moon, Maximus Mischief, Midshipman, Mitole, More Than Ready, Omaha Beach, Practical Joke, Sharp Azteca, Solomini, Tapit, Union Rags, Upstart, Vino Rosso, Violence and World of Trouble.

First-crop sires with yearlings in the sale include Complexity, Gift Box, Global Campaign, Gunnevera, Improbable, Instagrand, Instilled Regard, McKinzie, Shancelot, Spun to Run, Thousand Words and Vekoma.

The sale also features mares in foal to such sires as: Awesome Slew, Bolt d'Oro, Connect, Dialed In, Girvin, Gunnevera, Improbable, Independence Hall, Midshipman, Mitole, Tacitus, Uncle Chuck, Vekoma and Violence.

During Monday's under-tack show, a pair of unraced 3-year-old geldings shared the three-furlong bullet time of :33 1/5: hip 210, an unnamed gelding by Dialed In consigned by Coastal Equine (video); and Honor You Vow (Broken Vow) (hip 215) consigned by Kaizen Sales (video).

An unraced 3-year-old filly by Micromanage (hip 309) worked a half-mile in :47 flat and that bullet time was equaled by the unraced 3-year-old colt D'Composer (Mendelssohn) (hip 348, video), who is consigned by CM Thoroughbreds, Agent I.

“We had very good attendance at the under-tack show,” Wojciechowski said. “We have seen a lot of activity in the barns starting Sunday and continuing on today. We are excited to start the new year off right.”

A yearling filly by Gun Runner topped the 2022 Winter Mixed sale when selling for $275,000 to Breeze Easy. The filly was one of eight six-figure horses at last year's auction.

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Bloodstock agent Larry Zap, along with Amanda Murphy and Hoppel, picked out both fillies for clients that include Matt Dohman and Joe Ciaglia.

“I got to watch him as a top racehorse–that definitely sticks in my mind,” Zap said of Collected's appeal. “He has a lot of his dad in him, a lot of the City Zip in him. They are not necessarily big, robust horses, like say the Bolt d'Oros, but they seem very athletic and they seem very versatile. We liked quite a few of them as yearlings. Like City Zip, they move a lot bigger than they appear.”

Hip 317, out of the unraced Sassy Ali Joy (Indian Charlie), is a half-sister to stakes-placed Tuscan Queen (Street Boss) and from the family of Banshee Breeze. Dohman, making his first foray into the world of pinhooking this year, signed the ticket to acquire the filly for $150,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Dohman, co-founder of the mortgage company Optimum First Mortgage, has owned racehorses for about a decade now, starting out in the claiming game before trying his hand buying at the 2-year-old sales and finally settling into partnership ownership with Ciaglia in their California Racing Partners.

The Californian's first exposure to the sport is a familiar one to many.

“When I was a kid, my dad used to take me to the track,” Dohman said. “My mom and dad were divorced, so on our weekends, dad would take us to the track and he taught me to read the Form. That was how I got exposed to racing. When I got older, I had an affinity to it already from my early exposure. One of my friend's girlfriends babysat for an ex-jockey, Goncalino Almeida, so I contacted him and he said he wanted to become a trainer. He said, 'Let's claim a horse.' We claimed two horses in one day. And then we waited a month, we moved them up in class and one of the horses won and the other one ran second. So I said, “Oh, this is so easy.'”

Dohman continued, “I decided I wanted to get better horses. I went to Barretts at the 2-year-old sales and I started buying by myself for a little bit, just going through the trials and tribulations of trying to be an owner, trying to buy a horse.”

Dohman started communicating with Zap online and the bloodstock agent recommended connecting with his longtime client.

“He told me I should talk to Joe Ciaglia,” Dohman recalled. “I spoke to Joe and last year, I started buying and partnering with them.”

Zap and Ciaglia had been pinhooking with Hoppel for years and the Ocala horseman thought Dohman might also like the resale game.

“When I first met Jesse, he told me I should look at pinhooking, but I told him I didn't think it was for me,” Dohman said. “I am trying to get some racehorses and win some stakes races. He told me he thought I might change my mind sooner or later.”

It ended up being far sooner than later as Dohman watched the group's success at the 2-year-old sales last year.

“They bought a bunch of horses at Keeneland [in 2020] and they absolutely just crushed it,” Dohman said. “They really killed it last year, so I decided I should jump into pinhooking with them.”

He added ruefully, “I am learning it was a little bit of an odd year because they were able to buy really cheaply during COVID and then the market picked back up and the horses sold really well.”

Despite the change in the market, Zap said the group has had a successful year so far.

“We've done OK,” he said. “The ones that we've taken to auction–obviously these two Collected fillies are helping a lot–it's been a good season. It was tougher to buy yearlings last year than the pandemic year, but it's been a profitable year.”

The team has high hopes that hip 317 will continue the strong 2022 results and the success will be shared by some new faces.

Dohman brought Robert Drenk, his co-founder in Optimum First Mortgage, into the partnership on the filly, and Drenk in turn brought in first-time owner Ryan Rezaie.

“This is his first exposure in horse racing,” Dohman said of Rezaie. “He's never owned horses, never raced horses or pinhooked horses. I put him in three horses–one earmarked to pinhook and two for racing.  I wanted to get him one horse that would sell and make money and that was this Collected filly. This is the horse that I am trying to get him a little taste of making some money in pinhooking to kind of draw him into the game more.”

The filly was originally entered in the OBS Spring sale, but the decision was made to scratch her from that auction following a :10 1/5 work.

“She's a May foal and it was just an erratic work,” Dohman said of the April experience. “I told Jesse, 'Let's just pull her and put her in June and work her two furlongs.' Jesse started stretching out her works preparing her for it and he said, 'Matt this horse is looking really good stretching her out.' So he was expecting under a :21.”

Zap added, “Jesse has been very patient with her and he worked with her to come along for this. When we take a horse to market, we know it's a performance sale, we know we have to perform. This one did everything right. Jesse thought we might get a :20 3/5 today, but we will take the :20 4/5.”

Also during Tuesday's session of the under-tack show, six juveniles shared the furlong bullet time of :10 flat: a filly by Bolt d'Oro (hip 191, video) consigned by Niall Brennan Stables; a filly by Bucchero (hip 217, video) consigned by Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds; a filly by Square Eddie (hip 246, video) consigned by Wavertree Stables; a filly by Practical Joke (hip 297, video) consigned by Top Line Sales; a colt by Awesome Slew (hip 348, video) consigned by All Dreams Equine; and a filly by Greenpointcrusader (hip 359, video) consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales.

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 7:30 a.m. The June sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday with bidding commencing each day at 10 a.m.

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A filly by Nyquist (hip 150) was the first to hit the :10 flat mark while working during the second set for consignor Randy Miles. The chestnut is out of Westside Tapstress (Lookin at Lucky), a half-sister to graded stakes winner Discreet Hero (Honour and Glory).

“We knew she could do it, but your nerves take over as you're leading her up there, hoping that nothing happens,” Miles said after the work. “She performed the way she was supposed to and I'm glad she represented herself well.”

Miles is consigning the filly on behalf of her breeders, Todd and Chad Frederick and Carl Thomas Potter.

“We've had some horses for them in the past and they entrusted us with two really nice horses this year,” Miles said of the breeders. “The first one sold well in April and this is the second one.”

Miles admitted he is a big fan of the Midlantic May sale.

“We love this track and when you get a week like this of great weather, it's so fun to come here,” he said. “This filly got over the track great all week and she loved the weather, the low humidity and cool weather. When Mother Nature cooperates, it's a wonderful place.”

Miles sent out four horses to work throughout Tuesday's session and said he had found the track to be consistent from start to finish.

“The track was beautiful,” he said. “They did a great job with the 25 horses and then a break. They kept it so consistent. It doesn't matter whether you go early or late.”

Juveniles from the first crop of Bolt d'Oro have been in demand at the auctions all spring and a son of the Spendthrift stallion (hip 30) was the second to work in :10 flat during the session's fourth set. Consigned by Pike Racing, the bay is out of stakes-placed Shine Softly (Aldebaran), a daughter of champion Soaring Softly (Kris S.) and also the dam of stakes winner The Grass is Blue (Broken Vow). Al Pike purchased the youngster from Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm for $90,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. O'Callaghan had acquired the colt for $65,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“He was beautiful,” Pike recalled of the colt as a yearling. “He was in Book 2 with Woods Edge and he was a little immature at the time, because he's young, and Peter had a stunning group of Book 2 horses. So I think he got a little bit overlooked. I was very fortunate to get him. We've liked him all winter. He's done nothing wrong. We came here thinking he was capable and hoping that he would perform and we were pleased with him.”

Pike's consignment topped the 2020 Midlantic sale with a $1.1-million son of Uncle Mo.

“This is one of our favorite spots,” Pike said of the Maryland auction. “We always try to bring a good horse here because you'll get rewarded.”

Grassroots Training and Sales sent out a filly by Neolithic (hip 9) to work one of three :10 flat works during the day's fifth set. Out of multiple stakes placed Sarahline (Northern Afleet), the chestnut was purchased for $8,500 at last year's OBS Winter sale.

Hip 20, a son of More Than Ready, turned in his :10 flat work for Keiber Rengifo's Golden Rock Thoroughbreds. A $12,000 Keeneland September purchase by Jose Silva, the bay is out of Seeking Sheba (Seeking the Gold) and from the family of champion Perfect Soul (Ire).

Completing the :10 flat works was hip 36, a New York-bred gelding by Practical Joke consigned by Scanlon Training and Sales. The bay is out of the unraced Silken Lily (Grand Slam), a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winning sire Upstart (Flatter). He sold for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling sale last August.

“He is a horse we took a little bit of time with,” Dave Scanlon said. “I don't know that they announced it during the breeze, but he is a gelding now. We bought him privately after the New York sale and he always looked fast. He had a great hip and body, but he was just a little bit tough through the breaking. So around December, we just decided, let's make life easier on me and you and everybody else. So he became a gelding. And then we took our time with him. He's always had a great hip, he just needed to level out. My assistant and I were just talking about how he is just looking better and better. Every work, he's just been getting better.”

The Scanlon team comes into the Midlantic sale off a strong OBS Spring sale, which included a $1.3-million Mendelssohn colt.

“It's been great,” Scanlon said of his 2021 results so far. “We've had a really good year. We were pretty excited last year when we bought these horses. We thought we had done a good job picking them out and it's been a great group all year. We were excited for OBS, but we've been excited about coming here. I love to bring my New York-breds here. Horses that we find quick and precocious–horses like Army Mule–we've always done really well with here.”

A filly by Collected (hip 202), the first horse to work during the second set, turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of :21 1/5 for Jesse Hoppel's Coastal Equine. Out of Aurore (Arch), the dark bay is a half to stakes-placed Orageuse (Broken Vow) and Boreale (Makfi). Her dam is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Interactif (Broken Vow). She was purchased by Larry Zap, Hoppel and Amanda Murphy for $47,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.

The Midlantic under-tack show continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The auction will be held next Monday and Tuesday with bidding commencing both days at 11 a.m.

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The sale comes on the back of a very strong OBS March Sale where 378 juveniles summoned $49.941 million, including four seven-figure sellers.

“The March Sale was very good,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “There was a lot of activity at all levels in March and we anticipate that strength to carry over into April.”

There was a high level of activity on the OBS grounds leading up to the March Sale and consignors saw the same during the seven-day Spring Sale under-tack show last week.

“There was a good buzz in the air at the March sale, better than we've had in some time,” Coastal Equine's Jesse Hoppel said. “I feel the same type of environment coming here in April. I anticipate another strong horse sale.”

With 1231 juveniles in the catalogue, the Spring Sale is a major player on the calendar each year for both buyers and sellers.

“The April Sale is the largest 2-year-old sale in the world and probably the most productive,” Wojciechowski said. “If people are only going to be able to attend one 2-year-old sale, this is probably going to be the one they will attend. The consignors are always impressive. Each year they outdo themselves with the quality of horses they bring.”

Last year's $1.5-million Spring Sale topper Corniche (Quality Road) went on to win the Eclipse Award for top 2-year-old male after a perfect three-for-three season capped by a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Spring Sale graduate Country Grammer (Tonalist) took the G1 Dubai World Cup this term after finishing second to fellow OBSAPR seller Emblem Road (Quality Road) in the G1 Saudi Cup a month earlier.

“We ran one-two in the Saudi Cup, won the G1 Dubai World Cup,”Wojciechowski said. “There are horses that win all over the world that come out of the April sale.”

At the 2021 Spring Sale, a total of 724 juveniles changed hands for a gross of $73,874,900. The average was $102,037 and the median was $50,000.

Tuesday's opening session will offer Hips 1-308, followed by Hips 309-616 Wednesday, Hips 617-924 Thursday and Hips 925-1231 Friday.

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Hip 939 is one of three :9 4/5 workers for Grassroots this week with the others being a Tapiture filly (Hip 87) (video) and a Macho Uno colt (Hip 674) (video). McKathan also had a :9 3/5 breezer in Hip 346, a daughter of Street Boss.

“It's been good for us,” McKathan said of the Spring Sale under-tack show. “We have some nice horses. They were training good on the farm and we can usually relate how they are training out there to what we are going to get here. But, it is always a pleasant surprise when you break :10 flat. It is harder to do than people know.”

McKathan purchased Hip 939 for $38,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale. Bred in Ontario by Stan Dodson, the chestnut is a daughter of SW Quite a Ruckus (Richter Scale).

“She is a really nice filly,” McKathan said of his latest bullet worker. “She has been training well. We knew she was a special filly. She is a pretty filly too. I have had some luck with Jimmy Creeds.”

The other juveniles to breeze in :9 4/5 Friday were a Candy Ride (Arg) filly (Hip 901) consigned by King's Equine (video); a son of Honor Code (Hip 1006) from the McKathan Bros. shedrow (video); a Bolt d'Oro filly (Hip 1017) sent out by de Meric Sales (video); and a filly by Midshipman (Hip 1048) from the Top Line Sales barn (video).

A colt from the first crop of GI Haskell Invitatonal S. winner Girvin (Hip 1004) breezed the fastest quarter of Friday's session in :20 3/5. He was consigned by Jesse Hoppel's Coastal Equine, which also had a bullet worker Wednesday in Hip 548, a Lord Nelson colt who went in :20 3/5.

An $8,000 OBS October purchase, Hip 1004 was withdrawn from the OBS March Sale in favor of this auction. He is a half-brother to MSW Tiger Blood (Cowtown Cat) and SP Smarten Up (American Freedom). A filly by Ocala Stud's Girvin (Hip 198) summoned $240,000 during the OBS March Sale after breezing in :20 4/5.

The seventh and final session of the OBS Spring Sale under-tack show starts at 8 a.m. Saturday.

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The quartet of :9 4/5 workers were an Uncle Mo filly from Clary Bloodstock (Hip 537) (video); a Goldencents colt consigned by Eddie Woods (Hip 546) (video); a filly by Street Sense from the Lucan Bloodstock shedrow (Hip 611) (video); a Macho Uno colt consigned by Grassroots Training and Sales (Hip 674) (video); and a Mo Town Filly from Top Line Sales (Hip 687) (video). This is the first crop for Mo Town, who was represented by his first winner Wednesday at Keeneland.

The bullet breeze was an emotional one for Clary Bloodstock principal Jaylyn Clary. The young horsewoman is the daughter of trainer Mike Neathlerin, who passed away in September due to COVID-19. Clary grew up working side-by-side with her father at the track and their training center in Texas. He helped her get her new business off the ground three years ago. Additionally, she trains 15 active racehorses, some for outside owners and some that failed to sell at the juvenile sales.

“My dad already had everything started with our training center in Texas,” Clary said. “About three years ago, we developed Clary Bloodstock and he helped me with that. This will be out first year selling without him. It was bittersweet to work a :9 4/5 without him.”

She continued, “My dad started out training, so if we can't sell them, we train them. The end goal is to always sell, but it doesn't always happen that way. That's how my dad got Kip Deville (a MSW for Neatherlin turned MGISW after a private sale to Rick Dutrow), but then we had [MGSW] Airoforce [an OBSAPR pinhook].”

Clary purchased Hip 537 along with her husband, father and their longtime owner and partner Brad Walker for $80,000 at Keeneland September. Bred by WinStar Farm, the bay is out of MGSW & GISP House Rules (Distorted Humor). Her year-older half-sister Customer Driven (Quality Road) broke her maiden in February.

“We knew she had a really nice pedigree,” Clary said. “We decided if she went for a decent price we would try to get her. She was a really well-balanced filly and she had a presence about her. You could tell she was a very business-oriented filly and that has come through quite a bit. She is all business on the track.”

As for the bullet work, Clary said, “We always knew she was pretty special. She has shown she was fast. She has never backed down from work and always wants to go train. She watches herself and nothing gets her too worked up. She walked up there and showed herself like I knew she would. She laid it out on the track for us.”

Clary added, “She has a good scope, good vet, good breeze and good pedigree. It is all we could ask for.”

Clary's consignment consists of four horses total, including a Dialed In colt, who was he final purchase by her father before his death (Hip 871).

“It is bittersweet, but he would want me to sell the Dialed In,” Clary said. “That's what he would want at the end of the day, so hopefully she works fast and makes some money.”

The trio of :20 3/5 breezers was comprised of a Mizzen Mast filly from Wavertress Stables (Hip 543) (video); a Lord Nelson colt consigned by Jesse Hoppel's Coastal Equine (Hip 548) (video); and a Distorted Humor colt from the Pick View shedrow (Hip 671) (video).

Hip 548 is from the second crop of the late MGISW Lord Nelson. Hoppel acquired the dark bay for $80,000 at the Keeneland September sale. The Arkansas-bred is a half to MSP Macho Miah (Macho Uno).

“He looked like a good individual [at Keeneland] and something that would grow up into the type of horse we want to sell as a 2-year-old,” Hoppel said. “He is one of the better individuals we were bringing out here. I knew he was going to be one of my stars for April back in January. It was becoming pretty apparent that he was going to be a nice horse.”

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The topper and the day’s third-highest purchase, a son of fellow first-season sire American Freedom (Hip 3196), were both sold by Shawhan Place, who was the session’s leading consignor by average.

“Both of them are big, strong colts, especially the Cupid,” said Shawhan’s Matt Koch. “He is a good walking colt. We foaled and raised him at the farm. We know everything about it. That is kind of our niche, to bring up horses we are very familiar with, and the market rewarded us today”

Bred by Jory Sherman and Don Blowe, the Cupid colt is out of the Distorted Humor mare Just Joking, who is also responsible for GSP Quick Release (Trappe Shot). His third dam is champion Safely Kept (Horatius).

Zap could not be reached by phone, but tweeted a photo of the colt with the following caption: “Headed to Jesse Hoppel in Ocala to get his education! A special thanks to Amanda Murphy for helping out with isolating the colt. What a cool colt with a great mind and the physicality to match. Feeling so fortunate to have Mike Mellen believe in what we do!”

Hoppel will be heading back to Ocala with both of Wednesday’s top lots, having purchased the second highest-priced offering, a $115,000 colt by first-crop sire Klimt (Hip 3523). Consigned by Vinery Sales, the colt was bred in New York by Allen Hallett and is a half-brother to Grade I winner El Deal (Munnings).

“He is a May 29th foal,” Hoppel said. “There is no telling what he is going to be as a 2-year-old. He is a horse that is going to take a little more time. He will probably a candidate that ends up at a later [2-year-old] sale if we go that route. How handy he is and how well put together and balanced, there is no telling what this horse could be when he grows up.”

A total of 290 yearlings changed hands Wednesday for a gross of $4,521,900, an average of $19,920 and median of $13,000. There were 63 horses that failed to meet their reserves. Overall, through 10 days of selling, 2,129 youngsters sold for $245,278,700. The average was $115,208 and the median was $50,000 with 795 RNAs.

“There is not quite the stock that was in here in the earlier books,” said “So individuals like the [top two colts] are standing out amongst the rest. I am glad some of the guys who have a little more money than we do are already gone.”

From the buyer’s perspective, Koch found the market to be tough.

“It is tough,” Koch said. “We had five horses in today. Two of them did extremely well, but with the other three it is tough sledding. When you’ve got that horse, it’s great. They exceed your expectations. But, when you don’t have that horse it is tough times.”

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Shawhan Place, agent for Ascot Thoroughbreds, consigned the colt, who is out of Just Joking, by Distorted Humor. He is from the family of Hall of Famer Safely Kept along with Grade 2 winners Partner's Hero and Venetian Harbor.

Zap was the leading buyer with the single purchase.

On Wednesday, Keeneland sold 238 yearlings for $4,664,900, for an average of $19,600 and a median of $12,500. Cumulative sales for 2,010 yearlings are $235,224,700, for an average of $117,027 and a median of $50,000.

Jesse Hoppel, agent, paid $115,000 for the day's second high seller, Klimt Eastwood, a colt from the first crop of Klimt who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner El Dean. Consigned by Vinery Sales, agent, the colt is from the family of Grade 2 winners Choctaw Nation, Her Temper and Thunder Achiever as well as Grade 3 winner Street Game.

Two colts sold for $100,000 each.

Shawhan Place, agent for Mr. and Mrs. Theodore R. Kuster, sold the first, a colt from the first crop of American Freedom, to New Day Training Center. A half-brother to Grade 3 winner Strike the Bell, the colt is out of the Mountain Cat mare Vesper Cat. He is from the family of Grade 1 winners Hymn Book and Data Link.

Three Amigos paid $100,000 for a Tapizar colt, who was consigned by Cross Key Sales, agent. Out of the winning Super Saver mare Chainsmoknsuprmodl, he is from the family of Grade 2 winner Greeley's Galaxy and Grade 3 winner License Fee.

Paramount Sales was the day's leading consignor, selling a total of 19 horses for $371,000.

The September Sale continues Thursday with the final session on Friday. Both sessions begin at 10 a.m.

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“Certainly the numbers were off comparatively, but it’s hard to compare this to other years with so much that has gone on,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “There were some bright spots and then there were some not-so-bright spots. I think we were fortunate to get the sales off and completed. We are dealing with a different environment even from June to July. That environment posed obstacles, but I think with our online bidding we were able to help buyers who were unable to travel still participate in the sale. So that was one bright spot that we can look to.”

At the close of business Thursday, 498 horses had grossed $15,195,300. The average fell 12.1% to $30,513 from a year ago and the median dropped 23.5% to $13,000.

At the 2019 June sale, 615 horses sold for $21,349,300. The average was $34,714 and the median was $17,000.

While the buy-back rate concluded at 20.5%, only 650 of the 1,100 juveniles went through the sales ring.

“It’s hard to say why that was,” Wojciechowski said of the large number of outs. “People make different plans with horses, they might decide to keep them, so it’s difficult to pinpoint. Everything is so topsy-turvy this year, that it’s kind of hard to start assessing or assigning reasons why to things.”

The July sale was into its supplemental section when bloodstock agent Jacob West made the week’s highest bid, going to $700,000 to acquire a colt by Distorted Humor on behalf of Robert and Lawana Low from the McKathan Bros. consignment.

“It still shows you that the top end still has plenty of strength,” Wojciechowski said of the sale topper. “So it was nice to have that towards the end of the day.”

West purchased four juveniles during the July sale from every price level and the agent said there were plenty of people looking to buy horses this week in Ocala.

“Competition was pretty fierce all around,” West said. “I probably bid on a total of six or eight horses and ended up walking out of there with half of them. I bought one for $4,000, one for $50,000, one for $110,000 and then one for $700,000, and we followed a handful of others in hoping we would get them and we didn’t end up getting them. So there were enough people there to spend money.”

The $700,000 topper marked a highlight of the sales season for Kevin McKathan, who had purchased the youngster for $165,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October sale, but the Ocala horseman says sellers will have to reassess the market going into the yearling auctions this fall.

“I am thinking people are going to have to expect that the yearling market is going to be a little better for us [2-year-old pinhookers] for once,” McKathan said. “I think over the years, it has just seemed to be multiplying with these babies costing so much and then so much more every year. It almost put us out of the game. So hopefully everyone can step back and take a breath and maybe have the market readjust for itself. I want to go in and buy nice horses and nice horses always cost money. So I don’t expect to buy them cheap, but hopefully we can get a little better market on them.”

With 18 horses sold for $1,081,000, de Meric Sales was the leading consignor at the July sale. Jacob West’s lone sale-topping purchase for the Lows made him the leading buyer. He was followed by Dennis O’Neill who purchased five juveniles for $620,000.

Late Fireworks for Distorted Humor Colt

Jacob West, bidding on behalf of Robert and Lawana Low, acquired the highest-priced offering of the week at OBS when paying $700,000 for a son of Distorted Humor (hip 1027) from the McKathan Bros. consignment Thursday in Ocala.

“He appealed in every aspect, from conformation, to pedigree to breeze (:10 flat), so when they do that you have a pretty good idea that you’re not going to go in and steal him,” West said. “We had an idea that he would bring somewhere around that and we’re just happy to get him.”

The dark bay colt is the first foal out of Tizacity (Tizway), a daughter of stakes winner Vindy City (Vindication) and from the family of graded-placed Lady Chace and graded winners Bahamian Squall and Apriority. He fit the mold of horses West seeks out for the Lows.

“To me, he just looked like a two-turn, go-win-the-Derby type horse,” West said. “Mr. and Mrs. Low, their goal is to win the Arkansas Derby and then go win the Kentucky Derby after that.”

Asked if he thought the colt might have cost more in the pre-pandemic market, West admitted, “I honestly don’t know. All I can say is, in 2020 during the middle of a global pandemic, he brought $700,000.”

Distorted Humor Colt a Score for McKathan

Kevin McKathan purchased hip 1027 for $165,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale and the Ocala horseman admitted the later auction dates due to the pandemic may have helped the youngster who was supplemented to the July sale after being withdrawn from the June catalogue.

“He was a big, rangy stretchy kind of horse, but he was really immature at the [October] sale,” McKathan said. “So I saw a lot of potential in him. I thought if I could get him to develop in time, he would really grow into a beautiful horse. So with COVID, that gave us the time. If we had been pushing to make March, it would have been a little different story. April was the spot we were aiming for and for one reason or another, it all fell apart, so we ended up here and it worked out well, I think. It’s nice to be a big fish sometimes.”

Despite the down market, McKathan was confident the colt would bring a top price Thursday.

“I thought he was a really nice horse and I’d just come back from Baltimore [Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale] and really nice horses were bringing a lot of money,” he said. “So I had some idea that the horse would sell well. If you end up at the top of the heap, at every one of these sales, even though it is a really tough market, those horses have all been hard to buy. I didn’t know what he’d bring, but I did feel like he was the best of them and so I had high hopes that he would sell well, that’s for sure.”

With the end of an abbreviated, disjointed juvenile sales season, McKathan said he was ready to start over again with the yearling sales.

“It feels like I’m always out of a job, so I have to start all over,” he said with a laugh. “It’s like filling out my resume again and off I go hunting for work. But I love doing what I’m doing. I love training horses. A little break is nice, but I really look forward to my barns being full and getting to play with another group.”

Tizacity Timely Buy for Lyons

Hip 1027 was bred by Three Lyons Racing, HTH Enterprises and Distorted Humor Syndicate and was a standout result, not just for McKathan, but also for Matt Lyons who purchased Tizacity for $5,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton February sale.

“We do still have the mare,” Lyons confirmed Thursday evening. “She is going to get an extra flake [of hay] tonight.”

Lyons knew plenty about Tizacity and her family before she went through the ring at Fasig-Tipton three years ago.

“I foaled her and raised her,” Lyons, the former manager of Woodford Farm, said of the mare. “I know the family pretty well. We had Squall City, the granddam, when I worked at Classic Star, and we foaled her mother, Vindy City, there. We raised Tizacity and sold her at Saratoga for Woodford as a $425,000 yearling. She was a beautiful filly, she really was. Mandy Pope bought her. She had a little injury setback and never got to quite realize her potential at the racetrack, but for a Tizway to bring $425,000, that tells you what she looked like. So when she came back through the Fasig-Tipton sale, obviously I was interested in her. Luckily I ended up getting her. We bred her to Distorted Humor on a foal share and we got that colt and we have a Street Boss colt who is a yearling and we have a Munnings colt that is a baby.”

Of his early impressions of the OBS July topper, Lyons said, “He was always a nice colt, pretty with a clean neck. He looked like the mare in that respect. He was a Distorted Humor with a little bit of scope and stretch and he was good through his pasterns. He was popular at the sale, he got enough action and he sold well. We were happy to see him go to the McKathans and they have obviously done a fantastic job with him. It’s great to see him going to good hands.”

The mare’s Street Boss yearling will be offered at this year’s Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, according to Lyons, and the mare is back in foal to Goldencents.

Malibu Moon Colt to Wilson

Carolyn Wilson and trainer Larry Rivelli have found success buying out of the OBS sales ring with graded winners like Wellabled (Shackleford) and The Tabulator (Dialed In) and they went back to the well to acquire a colt by Malibu Moon for $260,000 Thursday in Ocala. Consigned by Eddie Woods, the bay colt is out of Grand Pauline (Two Punch) and is a half-brother to graded winner Keen Pauline (Pulpit). He was a $100,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase.

“He is just a big, beautiful, athletic-looking colt,” Rivelli said of the juvenile. “I know that Eddie Woods was excited about him and a lot of the guys around his operation thought he was a special horse. When we pulled him out of the stall, Carolyn and I were looking at him and it was one of those that was, ‘Oh, look at this one.’ The video was great. The time was good (:21 1/5). And I think it was value. I think the sale is a little light, so I think we did good.”

Wilson also purchased a colt by Cairo Prince (hip 342) from the Woods consignment for $150,000 during Tuesday’s first session of the July sale.

“I think the good ones are selling ok-to-good and that’s about it,” Rivelli said. “But we are really happy with both the ones we purchased.”

Wellabled, purchased for $340,000 at the 2016 OBS Spring sale and winner of that year’s GIII Arlington-Washington Futurity, won the Honor the Hero S. at Canterbury Park Wednesday night. The Tabulator was purchased for $460,000 at the 2017 OBS March sale and went on to win that year’s GIII Iroquois S. Both participated in juvenile Breeders’ Cup races.

“Obviously we buy them all with the plan to get them to stakes races and the Breeders’ Cup,” Rivelli said. “Carolyn and I have had success in the last few years with horses from here, so we’re always happy to go back to this sale. Eddie Woods and Ciaran Dunne at Wavertree, those are good consignors and we have faith in them. It seems that the combination is working.”

Of Wellabled’s win Wednesday, Rivelli said, “He broke the track record. It was awesome. We’re hoping this could be the next one.”

Laoban Colt Pays for Ortiz

Victor Ortiz, a longtime showman for consignor Jesse Hoppel, was showing a colt by Laoban (hip 983) all week at OBS, but it wasn’t until after the juvenile sold to Steve Young for $255,000 Thursday that Hoppel revealed Ortiz, along with his mother Elizabeth Ortiz and father Luis Franco, owned the juvenile who had worked a furlong in a bullet :9 4/5 at the under-tack show. The family had purchased the colt for just $3,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October sale.

“Victor works for me and has shown horses for me for years, he’s grown up in the industry,” Hoppel said. “He and his mother Elizabeth Ortiz, and his father Luis Franco, they all three owned a third of this horse.”

The colt originally was led out unsold at the Fasig October sale and Hoppel himself had plans to buy him until the 23-year-old Ortiz expressed interest.

“I vetted this horse out to buy,” Hoppel said. “I was on my way back to the barn to buy this horse after he RNA’d and Victor called me and said, ‘Hey boss, what do you think about number 980?’ I said, ‘I am walking back to the barn to look at that horse now.’ He said, ‘Never mind.’ I said ‘Victor, what’s going on? Talk to me.’ He said, ‘I was going to buy that horse.’ I told him I had vetted the horse out, he scoped good and vetted good. I told him everything was good to go. I said, ‘I have a bunch of horses bought already, why don’t you go look at him. If you like him, let me know and you can have him. But if you don’t like him, let me know and I’ll go buy him. Twenty minutes later, Victor called me and said, ‘I’m going to take him.'”

The bay colt is out of One Look (Henny Hughes), a half to graded-placed Before You Know It (Hard Spun) and Instant Reflex (Quality Road).

“He was a skinny little thing,” Hoppel said of his impressions of the May 2 colt as a yearling. “He just looked like he needed anything he could get and Victor gave him everything, along with Luis and his mother. They took care of him, they trained him themselves and he came out here looking like a million dollars. In this game, close doesn’t do it. So many times we are so close to having the right horse but the wrong vetting or the right vetting with the wrong horse. When it all comes together, it is a really good thing. And it couldn’t be for a better family. He is ecstatic. I think they are all on the verge of crying. If you’re going to do good things, do it for people like them.”

Hoppel continued laughingly, “I’m grateful he gave him to me to put in the consignment. But he does need to pay that vet bill. He has never reimbursed me.”

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