Tom Ventura | Horse Racing Free Tips

Steady Results as $1.3-Million Into Mischief Colt Stars at OBS Finale

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

OCALA, FL – The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training completed its four-day run Friday with a new record gross and average and a record-tying median in an auction which closely mirrored the 2022 renewal which set high-water marks for all of those metrics.

Through four sessions, 698 horses grossed $90,805,000. A year ago, 705 horses grossed a record $90,723,000. The 2023 average of $129,907 was up fractionally from $128,685. The median remained unchanged at $65,000.

“It was a great day,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “We finished up strong, right to the end of the sale where we sold a horse for $500,000. It was a good day to end with.”

This week's Spring sale had to contend with a more uncertain global backdrop than a year ago, according to OBS President Tom Ventura.

“We're just glad we were able to hold up to a pretty high bar from last year,” Ventura said. “The world has changed since last April. Things have happened that could have impacted the marketplace and it didn't, so that was great to see.”

A colt by Into Mischief topped Friday's session and became the sale's third seven-figure juvenile–and first session topper not purchased by Amr Zedan–when selling for $1.3 million to Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo, bidding on behalf of a new partnership headed by Miami music mogul Rich Mendez.

Five horses sold for seven figures a year ago, when 25 juveniles sold for $500,000 or over. With three million-dollar transactions this year, a total of 28 horses sold for over $500,000.

From a catalogue of 1,222, 840 juveniles went through the ring with 142 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 16.9%. A year ago, the catalogue featured 1,231 head and 705 went through the ring with 132 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 15.8%.

Consignors continued to comment on the polarized market.

“It's the most polarized market that I've ever seen,” said Clovis Crane. “Everyone keeps saying that it's polar, but I think it's even more polar than ever.”

There was plenty of demand for horses at the top of the market, according to Sequel Bloodstock's Carlos Manresa.

“Over the week, it became clear that the very high end were very desirable and you were also able to sell horses that were closer to the bottom,” said Manresa. “The middle market was very difficult to place. That seemed to be the consensus among the consignors. I think that a lot of the consignors will be changing strategies going into the yearling season.”

He continued, “The guys that gave a lot of money [as yearlings] on the top end, like Dean [DeRenzo] and Randy [Hartley] were handsomely rewarded. Some of Ciaran [Dunne]'s horses, they had a lot of money in them as well. And Nick de Meric and Tom McCrocklin–those were the horses that really stood out here. They had the sires and they worked very well.”

“There was some forgiveness if you had a less commercially desirable sire if there was a really fast work. Ultimately, the prices were directly related to the works. There is a strong correlation between the works and price. There were horses that we gave $50-150,000 for and they were in no-man's land if they didn't work well.”

Colin Brennan agreed the money for the top-end horses was there, but the middle market struggled.

“I think there was great money here for the right horses; the horses who breezed well and ticked all the boxes. We were fortunate to have a few of those and some solid pinhooks. Of course, the lower market struggled a little bit, especially on this last day. Traditionally you would get a little bit more of a middle market with this sale because there is something for everybody. I felt like that $100-$300,000 range was a little quieter. Anyone and everyone you could ask for attended. I think OBS did a good job getting everyone here. They really stepped up their game with marketing this year, with the podcast sponsors and the vidoes they've done on YouTube. I think they did a great job with that. Everyone was here, I don't know if it was the economy or horse or a combination of both.”

But the results were just more of the same to Off The Hook's Joe Appelbaum.

“It's the same market condition that has persisted for several years,” Appelbaum said. “It's reflected at the racetrack as well. If you have the horses that people want to collect like trinkets, you can sell them for any amount of dollars. And after that, there is not a lot of market depth. So much money is flocking to so few horses, there is less to distribute to the middle market. It's simple economics.”

As consignors bemoaned the lack of strength in the middle market, buyers still found plenty of competition in bidding this week in Ocala.

“I got outbid on a lot of horses,” said bloodstock agent Alistair Roden. “There was some value here, but it was hard work to get that value. It's still a healthy market. I know the consignors are not happy, but I suppose they bought them at the top end of the yearling market.”

Chad Schumer was busying buying at all levels of the market this week.

“I think it's a typical 2-year-old market,” he said. “The really high-end horses stood out and brought huge prices. We bought quite a few in different price ranges. We swung on some of the expensive ones and we didn't get them. I don't think I bought a single horse with many bids left in the tank. Almost everything I bought was right at my budget or within $5,000 or $10,000 of what my budget was. So I think it was a fair market. I think a lot of these pinhookers possibly overpaid for the yearlings in September because the market was so strong. And there is a ceiling. Purses are great and that's wonderful, but there is some uncertainty about the economy. I don't know why, it doesn't seem to be bad to me, but a lot of people I talk to keep saying the economy. I guess that might be a factor.”

Also busy throughout the week, bloodstock agent David Meah saw both sides of the ledger struggling.

“There has been a big difference in the last couple of years,” Meah said. “It's been a lot stronger and the middle market seems to have fallen out a bit. It was hard to find the horses in the range we were looking for. We were looking for horses in that $50-$100,000 range, which in the past few years I found a little bit easier. This year, it just seemed very different. For me it was all or nothing. Consignors are struggling to sell them and buyers were struggling to find them.”

He continued, “We were thinking we would buy anywhere from five to 10 and we ended up on the low end with five. We got a lot less than we wanted to get, but we'll go to Maryland [Fasig-Tipton Midlantic] now and see how that goes.”

Wavertree Stables was the auction's leading consignor with 37 sold for $9,041,000 and with his three purchases for Amr Zedan, Donato Lanni was the leading buyer.

Into Mischief Colt Feels the Beat

A colt by Into Mischief (hip 967) became the third seven-figure juvenile of the week–and the first not purchased by Amr Zedan–when selling for $1.3 million early in Friday's final session of the OBS Spring sale. Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo, bidding on behalf of a new partnership of owners, signed for the colt, who was consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables.

“We are helping these guys do a couple of different things,” Hartley said. “It's a group of guys, but Rich Mendez is the head of it. They are looking for horses like this, that if this horse hits a graded stakes, he will be a stallion. He went :9 3/5, unbelievable. He's a super fast horse and super good-looking.”

The bay colt is out of multiple stakes winner Singing Kitty (Minister Wildcat) and was purchased by the Red Wings Enterprises pinhooking partnership of Dunne and Paul Reddam for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“Ciaran has talked about this horse all year,” Hartley said. “And I've talked to everyone on the farm that works there. [Wavertree's] Mark [Edmonds] loved him. They just felt like this was the horse.”

Dunne agreed the team had thought highly of the colt all winter.

“We thought he was one of the nicest horses we've ever had our hands on,” Dunne said. “He trained like a good horse. I thought his breeze was magnificent. To be honest, I think they got a bargain.”

Hartley and DeRenzo signed the ticket for the colt as More Play. For the same group, they purchased a colt by Good Magic (hip 323) for $450,000 earlier in the sale.

Hartley admitted the group was among the underbidders on the $2.2-million colt by Gun Runner who sold during Thursday's session of the four-day auction.

“We went to $1.8 million on him,” Hartley said. “I loved him, he was a beautiful horse, but I wanted this horse more. To me, :9 3/5 and :10 1/5, it's just a lot faster. I just felt like this horse is going to be more brilliant. I promise you, first time out, they will not catch this horse. We are hoping for good things.”

While no trainer had been picked out for the youngster, Hartley said he had a guess.

“We're not sure where he will go yet,” he said. “If I had to guess, it would probably be Baffert. This guy loves Baffert. If he has to go to L.A. for anything, the first place he goes is Bob's barn, so I am guessing that's where he will go.”

Mendez, founder of the Rich Music label in Miami, is still a newcomer to the sport.

“He has only ever raced one before,” Hartley said. “But he is so in love and he's so enthusiastic about the game. He comes to Ocala almost everyday. He loves the farm and he loves his horses. He just bought a big farm here in Ocala, not to have horses on. He just bought it for his wife and kids to come up here.”

Mendez has assembled a group of other fans to invest in both racehorse and pinhooking prospects.

“He's a big social media guy, so he's got a lot of people who are involved because they see him involved,” Hartley said. “So he has gathered all of this money. One of the guys, his father owns a racetrack in Ecuador. So it's a bunch of guys that are in a group together.”

Hartley expects to be buying for the group in the fall, as well.

“We are going to be strong at the yearling market, for pinhooking and racing. I look for them to spend $25-30 million.” —@JessMartiniTDN

Mendez is “All In” on Racing

Rich Mendez, who said he built his independent Latin music label Rich Music from the ground up, is starting his racing business roughly the same way. The music mogul made his first 2-year-old purchases this week in Ocala, warming up with the $450,000 purchase of a Good Magic colt Wednesday, before taking home a $1.3-million son of Into Mischief Friday.

“I am in the music business and we were able to start from nothing and to, at least, become relevant in the game,” Mendez said Friday. “I have always loved the sport of horses. So that's the plan here, as well. To slowly and surely build the brand and go from there.”

Mendez is a lifelong fan of racing and has strong family ties to the sport.

“Back in the day, I used to always be around the track,” he said. “My uncle was a jockey back in the day and I always knew that I wanted to eventually race.”

Mendez has partnered with Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo, who signed the ticket on the Into Mischief colt Friday.

“I met Randy and Dean a few years ago,” Mendez said. “We've become close friends. And we just decided this last year to partner up on some babies. The guys do very well at picking good horses. I am excited to be part of their team. ”

With Hartley and DeRenzo, Mendez purchased a group of weanlings last year to pinhook this coming fall. In addition to selling, he also expects to be an active buyer at the yearling sales.

“We will do a little bit of everything and try to do it smart. And to do it right, if there is such as thing,” he said.

As for trainers for his new juveniles, Mendez said, “The Good Magic will go to Jose D'Angelo. He's an up-and-coming trainer, everybody is talking about him. And then we are going to see if this colt goes to Bob [Baffert]. I will call him to see if he wants him eventually.”

Mendez's passion with the horse business has extended to the purchase of a farm in Ocala.

“I'm all in,” he said of his involvement in the sport. “When I got into the music business, it was the same, I am all in. But this time I have some good partners and teachers with Dean and Randy.”

He continued, “I am on my way to see the Good Magic colt now,” Mendez said. “And we loved the Into Mischief colt. I am excited about them.”

Nyquist, Half to Oaks Hopeful, to Speedway

A filly by Nyquist (hip 1024), who is a half-sister to GI Kentucky Oaks hopeful Affirmative Lady (Arrogate), will be joining the roster of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables after bloodstock agent Marette Farrell signed the ticket at $900,000 to acquire the dark bay from the Wavertree Stables consignment.

“We thought she was a tremendous physical, a beautiful, beautiful filly,” Farrell said. “She had an incredible breeze. And it's not just about the speed for us, it's the way she did it and how she galloped out. Tescha [von Bluecher] and Nick loved how she did it. And when we went to the barn, she was a scorpion. She was beautiful and tough. We are excited for Speedway to have her.”

The juvenile, who is out of multiple stakes winner Stiffed (Stephen Got Even), worked a quarter last week in :20 2/5.

The Red Wings Enterprises pinhooking partnership of Ciaran Dunne and Paul Reddam purchased the filly for $170,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“She is a queen,” Dunne said. “They don't breeze like that too often. She's going to a great owner. She's a nice filly with a great future.”

The Red Wings partnership was also responsible for Friday's seven-figure Into Mischief colt, who was a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase. The group also sold a colt by Bolt d'Oro–who had been purchased for $210,000–for $700,000, and a filly by Omaha Beach–who was purchased for $200,000–for $700,000. An Omaha Beach colt purchased for $160,000 last July, sold Friday for $350,000.

Farrell agreed the team would eagerly be watching the filly's 3-year-old half-sister go to the post in the May 5 GI Kentucky Oaks.

“We will be glued to the Oaks,” she said.

Into Mischief Filly Brings $725K at OBS

Early in Friday's session, a juvenile by Into Mischief drew $1.3 million to lead all colts representing the Spendthrift sire at OBS this week, and later in the session, Hip 1036 led the stallion's fillies with a $725,000 final bid from Rich Schermerhorn, Jay Hanley & 30 Year Farm. Handling the bidding duties from the back ring were agents Liz Crow and Lauren Carlisle.

“Lauren's client, Rich Schermerhorn and my client, Jay Hanley and 30 Year Farm, both individually liked the horse,” explained Crow. “Both of our clients teamed up to get her purchased. She will go to Chad Brown.”

The :9.4 breezer was consigned by Eddie Woods.

As to her obvious selling points, Crow added, “She breezed phenomenal. And she came from Eddie Woods, one of the best consignors here. She is a really beautiful filly and has a really athletic walk.”

Added Woods, “She was a spectacular filly all year. She was very mature in the fall and she was a good filly from the first time we worked her. She's just blossomed through that time.”

The Apr. 9 foal is out of the unraced Succeeding (Smart Strike), a daughter of SW Cascading (A.P. Indy). The third dam Teeming– a half-sister to champion Rags to Riches–is also responsible for GI Hollywood Starlet S. winner Streaming.

Bred by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures, the filly RNA'd for $245,000 at Keeneland last September.

“We don't buy here based on pedigree, but when you have Eddie Woods plus Into Mischief and that kind of breeze, that's what we're looking for,” said Crow.

Asked about her impression of the juvenile market at OBS this week, Crow echoed the sentiments of many buyers and sellers.

“There is a strong market for the top horses and it's really hard to get those bought,” she said. “You have to really reach, which is why our clients lined up together to get that filly bought. The really good horses it takes a strong budget. It's just really hard to buy what is perceived as a really good horse.”

Schermerhorn, Hanley & 30 Year Farm also teamed up Friday to secure Hip 1093, a filly by Audible for $535,000 from the Richardson Bloodstock consignment. —@CBossTDN

Caliente Hits it Out of the Park in OBS Debut

Saul Marquez had one horse in his first-ever consignment and the colt by Solomini (hip 1109) made it a memorable debut when selling for $700,000 to the bid of bloodstock agent Donato Lanni Friday in Ocala. The colt, who worked in :9 4/5, became the first horse purchased by a group of close friends when they paid $50,000 for him at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“I was selling for myself and a couple of buddies,” Marquez said. “We created a pool together, we all pitched in and he was one of the four we bought. He was actually the first one we bought, so this was very sentimental.”

The chestnut is out of Timberlea (Flatter), a half-sister to graded winner Untrapped (Trappe Shot).

Lanni signed the ticket on the New York-bred colt on behalf of Dr. Ed Allred and Jack Liebau.

“He fit our program,” Lanni said. “We want to buy horses that look like stakes horses. It was very hard to buy yearlings in September. He worked really fast and looks the part. He [breezed well] and then you have to pay for it. He is beautiful and we liked him.”

Marquez, who spent years as a jockey's agent in California before relocating to Ocala in February, admitted to some buyer's remorse after acquiring the yearling.

“Honestly, I thought we overpaid for him,” he said. “We were very anxious. But we loved him since day one. He means everything to me.”

Of the colt's price tag Friday, Marquez shook his head in disbelief.

“Honestly, I was happy with $100,000 two weeks ago,” he said. “And today, I don't even know what is going on. It's mixed emotions. I just want to call my mom.”

Following his one-horse consignment at the Spring sale, Marquez will offer two horses at the OBS June sale.

“I am a fourth-generation horseman,” he said. “I was a jock's agent for a long time. My father was an assistant out in California. A friend of mine invited me to the business and I thought there would be better opportunities here. So here I am. I have been in Ocala since February.”

Crane Soars with Lookin At Lucky Colt

What a difference three years make. Just as COVID-19 was about to upend the world in March 2020, Crane Thoroughbreds experienced one of the worst things that a commercial horse operation could face–a barn fire. Located near Penn National, Crane Thoroughbreds tragically lost 15 juveniles in the blaze. However, with a lot of hard work and perseverance, Clovis Crane and his team rose out of the ashes like a phoenix, culminating with the sale of $500,000 colt by Lookin At Lucky at OBS Friday.

“It is very emotional,” admitted the visibly moved Crane. “This is the first time since that barn fire that we got a drink of water.”

Offered as Hip 942, the bay was secured by West Point Thoroughbreds.

“He's going to the best people and will be in the best hands,” said Crane. “It's really exciting because the horse can really run and it's been obvious for a long time.”

Out of the Forestry mare Shawnee Moon, the Feb. 9 foal caught the eye with a :10 flat breeze last Friday.

“My horse's stride was huge and he did it beautifully,” explained Crane. “But he has been that way that way all winter. Every breeze that he has done had been fabulous. I was just fortunate to be a spoke in the wheel with him.”

A full-brother to GISP Giuseppe the Great, who earned over $500,000 on the racetrack, the juvenile is from the extended family of champions Storm Bird and Northernette.

“The breeze was really over-the-top good,” said West Point's Terry Finley. “These consignors get better every year–you see several sub-:10 times. It's crazy that when you see a :10 flat breeze, you need to really investigate it. But he just did it really well.”

Bred by Buck Pond Farm, the colt was an $80,000 purchase for the partnership of Keep The Ball Rollin at Keeneland last September.

“The Keep The Ball Rollin partnership is with a couple of investors who I can't thank enough for sticking with me through thick smoke and sunny skies,” said Crane of his longtime partners and clients.

Underscoring the seller/buyer connection, Finley made it plainly clear that his respect for Crane and the former jockey and national rodeo champion's horsemanship played a big part of the purchase of the colt.

“He is the type of person that gives you hope for the future because he's such a quality guy,” extolled Finley. “He took as big as a gut punch that anyone can take when he lost all those horses. He just made the best of it.”

He added, “I have the utmost confidence in Clovis when he said he liked this horse all along.”

In addition to Crane, Coolmore's Lookin At Lucky also enjoyed a breakout sale. The two-time champion and Classic winner was represented by a $700,000 colt (Hip 570) sold to Repole Stable on Day 2 of the Spring sale.

In 2022, the sire's top priced juvenile realized $125,000, and he rounded out the season with a juvenile average of $34,714 for 14 head sold. He stands for $10,000 in 2023.

“We always liked him,” said Finley of the son of Smart Strike. “We always thought he punched above his weight. He's had some really good horses [incl. BC Classic hero Accelerate and Kentucky Derby winner Country House]. He's kept at it and people still support him. And most importantly, he produces racehorses. That's what you want.”

Finley continued, “He is the type of sire that really makes this game go. They can't all be $100,000-plus stud fees, you have to have some of those stallions that give people a really good chance to get a really good horse at the sale or on the racetrack [at a reasonable price].”

Added Crane, “No one would have expected Lookin At Lucky to have a breakout year at the sales this year, but all the horses by him that sold well worked lights out.”

Overall, Crane, who brought six head to OBS Spring this year, encountered a mixed bag with his operation's results.

“One horse didn't breeze very well and the owner decided to take him to the races,” he said. “We sold three and one RNA'd.”

In regard to the single RNA, a filly by Kantharos, he added, “I'm not positive why [Hip 619] didn't have more action, honestly. She could have breezed a little better, but she is a nice filly. But that's the way the market has been playing.”

Following the all hits and misses, Crane admits that this week's OBS sale marked a turning point for the operation.

“We lost quite a bit in the barn fire,” he said. “And it's the first time we are coming out with a breath of fresh air.”–@CBossTDN

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Market Opens Strong at OBS

by Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack

With the end of the coronavirus pandemic seemingly in sight, and both buyers and sellers eager to return to some semblance of normalcy, the opener of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training featured borderline euphoric trade from start to finish.

A total of 160 head changed hands Tuesday for gross receipts of $18,482,500 at an average of $115,516 and a median of $62,500. The RNA rate as of Tuesday evening stood at 20%. While exact year-to-year comparisons are somewhat difficult due to OBS policy of adding subsequent post-sale transactions to its official statistics, it's clear that participants found a far different market than they did 12 months ago, when the industry and world at large was right on the precipice of COVID-19 shutting down everything and the sport was still trying to weigh the impact of a high-profile doping scandal.

During last year's corresponding session and afterwards, 145 sales were completed for a combined $12,994,500. The average was $89,617 and the median $50,000. The RNA rate was more than 44% at the immediate conclusion of the session.

“It was a very good day,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said at the conclusion of Tuesday's session. “It seemed like it held through the entire sale–a lot of horses got moved, with a very low RNA rate. What was great is that we saw horses trade at a lot of different levels. What we saw pre-sale, from people on the grounds, and that pent-up energy, it bore itself out today, for sure… Kudos to the consignors for the quality of horses that they brought. Without them, it's hard to have a sale, and they did a great job of presenting some horses that people really wanted.”

Nine horses sold for between $500,000 and $550,000 Tuesday, with two sharing top billing–a Violence colt (hip 48, :9 4/5) purchased by Spendthrift Farm from Kirkwood Stables, Agent I; and a Munnings filly (hip 216, :10) bought by agent Donato Lanni from Eddie Woods, Agent VIII.

Woods led all consignors during the first day of trade at OBS March, selling six juveniles for $2.127 million. He sold three head for $500,000 or more Tuesday.

“I think the market has been very good all day,” Woods said. “Even for the handy horses. You've got to remember, we didn't have the Koreans [due to the Korean Racing Authority's temporary restriction on foreign-bred racing imports] who took all those horses in the past. The traffic in the barns has been nothing short of amazing–all the way through until this evening. When you went up there this morning at five to 11 a.m. to walk around the corner, you haven't seen that many people up there in years. It's been very vibrant and positive all week.”

OBS President Tom Ventura noted that pinhookers fared significantly better buying in the 2020 yearling market and selling at March than they did in the corresponding cycle in 2019 and 2020.

“The fall was good in that there was activity, and it was steady,” Ventura said. “I think the pinhookers paid less on average–we know what's in our sale, and it's less on average than it was last year. So at least they're playing in a market that was similar and maybe even a little better right now than it was in the fall, versus last year when they were buying [yearlings] in a normal market [in 2019] and selling in the middle of a pandemic. For the market to do well today–even if the prices are not quite what they were two years ago–the money that's invested in these pinhooks is less. We're very happy with the strength and depth of the market, and hopefully we have a similar day tomorrow.”

Japan's Yuji Hasegawa was the session's top buyer, spending $1.5 million total and $500,000 apiece on three juveniles.

“We do have some Japanese buyers on the grounds, but some of the higher-priced ones were bought online,” noted Ventura. “So, not only is the online bidding part of it, but also the veterinarians in Japan are actually able to access the repository information. They need to have someone on the ground scoping the horse and looking at the horse physically, but technology is helping us from that end too.”

Wojciechowski added, “Our representative in Japan has been telling us that for a number of the horses who have come out of our sales, and out of March in particular, the buyers who purchased those horses are really happy with them, and that's driven them back to the sale.”

Among March grads to succeed in Japan is Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah), a $475,000 purchase by Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International on behalf of Koichi Nishikawa two years ago.

Selling continues Wednesday at 11 a.m. Watch live on www.thetdn.com.

Woods Consignment 'Riding' High After Day One at OBS March

With three offerings bringing a half-million dollars or more during the first session of OBS March–a co-topping $550,000 Munnings filly (purchased by Donato Lanni, agent); a $525,000 War Front colt (purchased by Ron Ellis); and a $500,000 Candy Ride colt (purchased by Yuji Hasegawa)–Eddie Woods led all consignors during the first day of trade, selling six juveniles for $2.127 million.

“It was a spectacular day–a fabulous day,” Woods said. “We haven't had one like this in a while.”

He continued, “I'm just grateful to have good clients that give me nice horses to sell.”

The co-topping Munnings filly (hip 216) is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me, a half-sister to GSW Aegean (Northern Afleet) and SW Light Bringer (Northern Afleet). The $240,000 KEESEP yearling pinhooking prospect glided through an eighth in :10 at the breeze show. She was bred in Kentucky by Nathan McCauley.

“A spectacular filly,” Woods said. “We paid good money for her when we bought her and she grew up and got stronger and prettier. Her work was amazing and her gallop out was great. Everyone just seemed to love her because she was real easy to like.”

The War Front colt (Hip 202), a grandson of power couple's Robert B. and Beverly J. Lewis brilliant Serena's Song, is out of the stakes-winning Street Cry (Ire) mare Serene Melody. The powerful :10 breezer was bred in Kentucky by Lewis Thoroughbred Breeding. War Front's War Decree, winner of the G2 Qatar Vintage S. and G3 Koffy Diamond S., is also out of a Street Cry mare.

“The War Front colt was very backward as a yearling,” Woods said. “They didn't feel like he was going to bring what he should, so we were very lucky to get him from Mr. Lewis. He's trained beautifully all year. He's gotten better and better as we've gone along. We've always thought he was a serious horse.”

The Candy Ride colt (hip 259), a half-brother to last Saturday's game Essex S. winner and last term's GIII Lecomte S. second and GII Risen Star S. third Silver State (Hard Spun), worked in :10. His SW & GSP dam Supreme (Empire Maker) is from the female family of GI Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, hip 259 RNA'd for $95,000 as a KEESEP yearling. The Candy Ride/Empire Maker cross is also responsible for MGISW Separationofpowers and GSW Crewman.

“The Candy Ride colt belonged to Stonestreet,” Woods said. “He's another sad story from a yearling sale where he was very small. He's still not overly big, but his video was amazing, and he did grow and round out. He just hit all the spots.” –@SteveSherackTDN

Kirkwood Comes Out Firing at OBS March

Before heading down to Hallandale with his seven-strong 'Gulfstream Gallop' consignment, Kip Elser's Kirkwood Stables had a bullet to fire in Ocala Tuesday.

Hip 48, a well-related son of Violence consigned by Kirkwood Stables, Agent I, brought a co-session-topping $550,000 from Spendthrift Farm following a bullet :9 4/5 breeze.

“Push-button from the beginning,” said Elser, currently on the mend recovering from back surgery. “The horse told us this is what he wanted to do and said, 'This is how I want you to get me there.'”

Hip 48 was previously a $125,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Steve Schwartz. He is out of the winning mare Lemon Belle, a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), who also produced two-time champion Unique Bella (Tapit). Hip 48 was bred in Kentucky by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds.

Elser and Schwartz, a California-based lawyer, also teamed up to pinhook the recently retired 2020 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. winner Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man). The $95,000 KEESEP yearling buy brought $625,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old after RNA'ing for $55,000 at OBS March in 2018. Mucho Gusto was previously a $14,000 KEEJAN short yearling.

Through the Kirkwood consignment, Schwartz was also represented by hip 114, an Empire Maker colt ($50,000 KEESEP; :10 4/5), who brought $50,000 from Rob Bailes, agent for Marshall Dowell, during the first day of trade. Hip 308, a colt by Blame (:10 4/5) ($100,000 KEESEP yearling), sells Wednesday for the duo.

“Very pleased with the outcome, all credit to Steve Schwartz, who bought the horse and the crew who got him ready and presented him,” Elser said. “Congratulations to Spendthrift.”

Elser added, “I am just very lucky that Steve chooses me to be the passenger on the train.”

Kirkwood's upcoming Gulfstream consignment of non-breezing juveniles includes colts by Gun Runner, More Than Ready, Street Sense and Violence. Elser's outside-of-the-box idea was launched at the 2018 sale.

Graduates of his Gulfstream Gallop program so far include: GII Jim Dandy S. runner-up Liveyourbeastlife (Ghostzapper) ($200,000 '19 FTFMAR); GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity third Defense Wins (Flatter) ($175,000 '19 FTFMAR); and MGSP Splashy Kisses (Blame) ($100,000 '18 FTFMAR).

“Obviously, two very different programs,” Elser said of his OBS March and Gulfstream consignments. “The gallop program was dreamed up by another very brave client. I absolutely believe in the program, but it's not for everyone and it's not for every place. We're looking forward to going to Gulfstream with a very nice group of horses that goes through the gallop program at Gulfstream.” –@SteveSherackTDN

De Seroux Stays Busy

A Cairo Prince colt consigned by Robbie Harris's Harris Training Center LLC, Agent VI as hip 188 garnered a winning bid of $525,000 Tuesday from agent Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International, who was active throughout the session.

The :9 4/5 breezer will stay in the U.S. for his racing career, de Seroux said.

“We thought he was a lovely horse; a good mover on the track and very athletic with a nice racing future. We loved the horse,” de Seroux said.

Bred by Cairo Prince's co-owner Namcook Stables and signed for on behalf of another member of that ownership group, Paul Braverman, as a $70,000 KEENOV weanling, the dark bay RNA'd for $110,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase. He is the first foal out of MSP Sadie Be Good (Big Drama), a $125,000 OBS March grad herself.

“It's very hard to value that kind of horse because, unfortunately, there are other people who like them as well,” de Seroux said when asked about the price. “We were obviously hoping to get him a little cheaper, but there was some competition.”

In total, de Seroux signed for five head for $1,440,000. He also purchased a $525,000 Liam's Map colt (hip 243) from Pick View LLC, Agent V. Out of SP Starlet O'Hara (Discreetly Mine) and a half to MSP Delia O'Hara (Khozan), the grey worked in :20 3/5.

The agent was not surprised to see such strong competition Tuesday.

“I thought there were a lot of people on the grounds looking at the horses,” he said. “It seems like there's a strong interest in racing at the moment. It was very active on the grounds. There are a lot of buyers here.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

Into Mischief Filly Heading to Japan

Hip 10 was the first horse to breeze during last week's breeze shows when she covered a furlong in a co-quickest :9 4/5, and it was no surprise Tuesday to see the daughter of scorching-hot Into Mischief cause a stir in the ring as well.

Consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent XVII, the Feb. 15 foal was purchased by Japan's Yuji Hasegawa for $500,000.

Out of 19-year-old MSW Island Escape (Petionville), hip 10 is a half to MGSW Tricky Escape (Hat Trick {Jpn}) and GSP Felifran (Discreet Cat). Bred by Machmer Hall, she was bought back for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“We had her in Book 1,” recalled Machmer Hall's Carrie Brogden. “Kyle Wilson, who works for Keeneland, loved two of our Into Mischief fillies. We had six at the time. He picked two for Book 1, our Special Me filly who we ended up selling to Liz Crow for $1.025 million, and this filly. At the time, they were both kind of going against each other, and I think the million-dollar filly just overshadowed this one a little bit. But she had never, ever stepped wrong a day in her life.”

Brogden continued, “Nick de Meric called me after she RNA'd and asked if we'd mind selling a small piece of her and sending her to them to train. Valerie de Meric is my best friend, and I've worked very closely with that family forever, so we said, 'Sure; great.' She went to Valerie and Tristan's to train, and Nick and his partnership owned a minority piece of her. They said from the get-go that she trained like an Into Mischief. They may not be perfect, they may not be 10-feet tall, they may not be this, they may not be that, but they are racehorses through and through. And I think when they come up here, that's what they show.”

Machmer Hall was an early supporter of Into Mischief, having bred one of his first of now countless stakes runners in MGSW $1.4-million earner Vyjack.

The price paid for hip 10 was about what Brogden expected.

“The day after the breeze, once we found out she vetted fine, I texted Valerie and said, 'I have a number in my head. What do you think she can bring?'… I said my number was $500,000–the reserve was significantly lower… I also thought the Japanese might be most interested in her. When she's ready to be a broodmare, it's an outcross pedigree, and the whole family works with Sunday Silence and the Halo line. Her half-sister is by Hat Trick (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). Ultimately, I think she fits well as a racehorse and a broodmare for the Japanese market. I'm thrilled and delighted.”

Hasegawa later landed another :9 4/5 breezing, $500,000 Into Mischief filly in the form of hip 224 from Gene Recio, Agent XI; and a Candy Ride (Arg) colt (hip 259) for the same price out of MSW/GSP Supreme (Empire Maker) from Eddie Woods, Agent XXV.

Hasegawa's three purchases for $1.5 million made him the leading buyer for the session. His prior Stateside purchases include a $1.5-million full-brother to champion Unique Bella (Tapit) at KEESEP '19.

Machmer Hall was also involved in another productive sale early in the session–the Brogdens had a piece of hip 50, a daughter of freshman Mohaymen consigned by Paul Sharp, Agent II.

The $40,000 OBS October buy also breezed in :9 4/5. She's a half to MSW Mother of Dragons (First Dude) out of an Indian Charlie half-sister to MGSP Join in the Dance (Sky Mesa).

“I had Join in the Dance as a 2-year-old with Paul and Sarah Sharp,” Brogden said. “He did not vet even a little bit. He went to the [Fasig-Tipton] Miami sale, he worked lights out, he had eight scopes [but RNA'd for $90,000]. So, we ended up racing him because I couldn't get him sold. He ran second at Churchill Downs and then Arlington, then we sold him to Jake Ballis's group through Kim Valerio.”

Join in the Dance ran second in the 2009 GIII Tampa Bay Derby and ran in that year's GI Kentucky Derby.

“He was our first Kentucky Derby horse, and the closest we've ever gotten to winning it–he ran seventh,” Brogden said. “He was one of the first horses who put Machmer Hall and Paul Sharp Stables in the spotlight when he ran in the Derby.”

Machmer Hall bred hip 50's dam Lets Dance Charlie and sold her for $150,000 as a KEENOV weanling.

“Sarah texted me and said, 'Look, I bought this Mohaymen out of Dance Darling (the dam of Join in the Dance)'s family!' Then we all talked about Join in the Dance and how much he meant to us,” Brogden said. “I asked if I could have a leg of the filly, and she said she thought she was already partnered out and they couldn't do it. So I wished her good luck. She called me back about an hour later and said, 'We think it'll be good luck if you have a leg, so you can come in.' We were thrilled. The first day I saw her was yesterday. She's beautiful; looks like her mother. Sarah and Paul did a great job training her, and I'm really appreciative of Sarah letting me have a piece. We've been friends for a long, long, long time.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

Success 'Stori' For Unified Colt

Stori Atchison's Dark Star Thoroughbreds sold its highest-priced juvenile to date Tuesday when Spendthrift Farm went to $400,000 to take home hip 110. From the first crop of fleet-footed MGSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Unified, the handsome dark bay was clocked in a co-quickest :9 4/5 with a particularly fast gallop-out.

The Jan. 22 foal was just a $10,000 KEENOV weanling and a $19,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling buy by Atchison.

“He was very balanced and strong and there was a lot of potential to work with,” Atchison said when asked what she liked about the colt as a yearling. “He's been very easy and forward from day one–a monster on the racetrack, but very passive and cool in the barn.”

Atchison said the price tag far exceeded her expectations. Having gotten her start working for Ricky Leppala right out of college, she has been operating Dark Star for nine years now. Her previous top seller was a $340,000 Honor Code colt at last year's OBS June sale.

Atchison is looking forward to bringing the rest of her juvenile crop to market: “I have a really good group coming this year–really good April horses, and even really good June horses that we targeted for a later sale.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

Fast Break for Cruzin' Thoroughbreds

Brayhan Cruz, consigning for the first time under the Cruzin' Thoroughbreds banner, got the new operation off to a blazing start when he sold a filly by Tonalist (hip 40) for $300,000 to Three Amigos in Ocala Tuesday. Cruz purchased the youngster last year for $10,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“It's a big number, but I really think she deserved that and more than that,” Cruz said. “She is really special. She trains really good and she's really smart, which says a lot. She is a really young filly. That's why I was really impressed with how she's performed because she's a really young filly, but with a really mature brain.”

Hip 40 is out of graded-placed La Grange (Curlin) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Whiskey Bound (Afleet Alex). She worked a furlong in :10 flat during last week's under-tack preview.

“She's a flashy horse and she looked really great with a good body and a good attitude,” Cruz said of the filly's appeal as a yearling. “She really grabbed my attention.”

The filly only got better at Cruz's Ocala base over the winter.

“She grew up a lot,” he said. “She got better. At the beginning, she was a smart filly, but now with the time, she's gotten smarter. It was very easy for her to understand what we were asking her to do.”

While the March sale marked the debut of Cruzin' Thoroughbreds, Cruz has been consigning under a partner's banner in recent years.

He purchased a filly by Not This Time for $8,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale and reoffered her through J R Racing Stables at last year's OBS March sale where she sold to John Sacco for $25,000. Named Dirty Dangle, she won the Woodbine Cares S. and was ninth in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“I am an exercise rider and that's how everything started,” Cruz said of his involvement in racing. “I rode horses and kept thinking about it and then I got involved in the pinhooking and I liked it. I started to learn about how to buy horses and how to break and train them. And I really liked that. It's a lot of fun and you learn a lot every single day.”

While hip 40 is Cruz's only offering at the March sale, he will offer two more juveniles at the OBS April sale and another two at the OBS June sale.

“We hope to get bigger and bigger in the business and continue making smart decisions,” Cruz said. “And at the same time, making sure people are happy with our horses. The horses don't just end here, I think the career of that filly just started right now.” —@JessMartiniTDN

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Things Looking Up As OBS March Kicks Off New Sales Season

OCALA, FL- Hardy attempts at optimism were made at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale, but an unmistakably ominous atmosphere hung over the grounds. Before the first hip had even reached the walking ring in Ocala, both Keeneland's April Sale and Fasig-Tipton's Gulfstream Sale had been canceled as the tentacles of the Coronavirus pandemic tightened their grip around the nation.

There was an unforgettable discord between the then-normalcy of crowded local restaurants and stores while sporting event and festival cancellations seemed to happen between the start of each breeze set.

“Last year we were in the middle of the breeze show when we knew things were happening,” Sequel's Becky Thomas recalled. “There were people fleeing to what they thought was safety and we were stuck here with a group of horses. It was pretty traumatic. We knew that if we got through this sale it would be some time before we would have another sale.”

“Last year we were terrified,” consignor Eddie Woods echoed. “You know, we were in a total gray area. [The Coronavirus] had just shown up out of the blue and no one knew what to expect, but because of the gray area involved, our expectations were kind of nil.”

One omnipresent question sat at the forefront of sales-goers minds. When would these horses even get to see the starting gate?

After a full year of trying circumstances and steady perseverance within the racing community- one where those young sales graduates did get the opportunity to race–a new page is turned as the next crop of juveniles prepare to go through the sales ring as the OBS March Sale marks the beginning of another 2-year-old sales season.

The first of two sessions of the 561-head catalog begins Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.

“We're looking forward to this sale,” OBS President Tom Ventura said. “Last year, we didn't know whether we were moving forward or stopping. We had the sale and we made it work, but now things are loosening up. And you could see the energy on the sales ground here today. Things are doing much better with vaccinations throughout the country and I think the attitude is way different now. There's actually a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Ventura said that interest in this sale has been high over the past months.

“One of the things that was promising even before we got things going here is that the activity in the barns at the training centers was pretty active with people looking in advance at the farms,” he said. “I think one thing about this sale, when we opened it up from the select sale, is that there are horses at the top and then horses at varying budgets. So I think that attracts a broader buying bench and we're hoping that's the case again this year.”

Woods said he believes the results from last fall's breeding stock sales are a strong indication of positive outcomes for juvenile consignors in the coming weeks.

“The fall sales went down really well,” he said. “Now we've gone into the 2-year-old mode off a pretty much solid routine. People are able to move around more and it looks like we got a really good attendance for the first 2-year-old sale. There's a bunch of nice horses here so I think things are just going to be fine.”

Thomas said that her Sequel Bloodstock consignment has been well-trafficked since the start of the sale.

“I can tell you it feels very, very good,” she said, comparing the atmosphere this week from the one a year ago. “There's a lot of interest from agents. We've been steady and busy here this morning. I thought the breeze show was well-attended. Agents are voicing that they've got plenty of interest from owners, so I think it's a very, very good feeling and it bodes well for starting our season.”

RiceHorse Stables' Ali de Meric said that in general, talk on the sales ground has been optimistic.

“It's an exciting time, the first sale of the year,” she said. “There's always a little tint of anticipation and excitement for what's to come. I've very hopeful that it's going to be a strong sale. I think there's a general air of positivity so overall, I'm very happy and excited to present what we've got here to the market.”

de Meric added that she believes the growing market polarization with continue.

“It's ever more polarized, all or nothing, and it's up to us as consignors to set good reserves and set the number because you don't have that burning fire of organic bids making a horse go from zero to 200 naturally,” she said. “So you kind of get good at understanding the market. And if you can get that number right, you'll sell your horses profitably and everyone is happy and goes home a winner.”

Ventura said that an impact is expected due to the loss of the Korean market with the Korean Racing Authority's temporary restriction on foreign-bred racing imports.

“They were fairly active last year,” he said. “They're predominantly buying in the price range where the market could use some help so it's disappointing that they're not able to buy horses. Hopefully next year they'll be able to participate.”

“We will miss seeing the Koreans here,” de Meric echoed. “They're really good under-bidders and a solid middle-market group for us. But I see plenty of people to support a good, healthy sale.”

Ventura also noted that fewer pinhooks are present in this sale's catalogue.

“Looking at the broad picture, on average our pinhooks are down a little bit, which is expected because the market was down,” he said. “So I don't know if we have the exact same sale as we did last year. People will be doing better because they came in with less investment. But I'm very pleased with the horses on the ground and I think that as always, the top of the market is strong.”

Three under-tack sessions were held during last week's breeze show. A trio of juveniles fired off :20 2/5 quarter-mile breezes while another 25, entered as of Monday, shared the quickest :9 4/5 eighth-of-a-mile breeze time. Learn more on the under-tack sessions held Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Despite a disrupted racing season due to the pandemic, several stakes performers have come out of last year's auction including three-time stakes winner Joy's Rocket (Anthony's Cross) ($47,000) and dual stakes winner Madone (Vancouver {Aus}) ($125,000). Recent GIII Herecomesthebride S. victress Con Lima (Commissioner) RNA'd here 12 month ago.

Last summer, 2019 sales graduate Speech (Mr Speaker) ($190,000) reached Grade I stardom in the Ashland S. at Keeneland. Also since last year's sale, 2019 graduate Café Pharoah (American Pharoah) ($475,000) won a trio of graded races in Japan including the G1 February S. this year.

The 2020 sales topper, a filly by American Pharoah consigned by Wavertree Stables, sold for $650,000 to Katsumi Yoshida. Now named Russian Samovar, she is a winner in Japan.

According to subsequent post-sale transactions added to the 2020 OBS March Sale statistics, 295 sales were recorded for gross receipts of 27,349,500 at last year's edition. The $92,710 average was down 35.9% from $144,603 in 2019. 2019 sales averages were also down from $164,494 the year prior. The median last year decreased from $95,000 in 2019 to $50,000.

“I think everybody on the ground is in a much better frame of mind just from walking around the barn and seeing the activity, and even in the grandstand during the under-tack show,” Ventura said. “We're looking forward to a good sale and I think the mind set at the barns is very positive. This is certainly a glass-half-full business and that's what we're looking forward to. Compared to last year, it's so, so different. As we get closer to the finish line here with this pandemic, I think people are ready to get back to business. We're ready to start the 2-year-old season and looking forward to a good couple of days.”

For more information, visit www.obssales.com. Watch full coverage of both sessions of the sale, beginning Tuesday at 11 a.m., at www.thoroughbreddailynews.com.

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Xcira Provides Online Bidding Options at Keeneland and OBS

With pandemic-induced travel restrictions and crowd-size limitations nipping at its heels, the Thoroughbred auction scene finally made its debut on the internet this year, first with the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Spring Sale in June and most recently with the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The company tasked with helping both OBS and Keeneland offer their buyers the opportunity to bid online was Xcira Global Technologies. Founded by Gary and Nancy Rabenold, the Florida-based company helps facilitate online auctions across the globe in industries as diverse as art, livestock and automobiles.

“We started this bloodstock odyssey earlier this year and every single company we spoke to said, ‘We wouldn’t do it unless there was COVID,'” said Simon Wells, head of sales and marketing for Xcira, which also provides online auction platforms for Tattersalls, Texas Thoroughbred Association, Equine Sales Company of Louisiana, and Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association. “So it was almost like they were put in a corner. And they sort of adopted what most other industries have had for years. We have been doing this simulcasting–or as you would call it, online bidding–for 21 years in automotives.”

Wells continued, “We first started contacting Keeneland, [Vice President, Chief Information Officer] Brad Lovell and [President] Bill Thomason and talking to them about this about nine years ago. And they said, ‘I don’t think our industry is ready for this.’ So we have had the longest courtship.”

OBS was able to hold its March sale on schedule just as the pandemic was shutting down most of the world, but as auctions were canceled and postponed, OBS officials began looking for alternatives.

“We had the March sale as scheduled without online bidding and we had the rescheduled Spring sale in June with it, so it was a very small window where we had to crank it up,” said OBS President Tom Ventura. “Certainly from our end, it was the highest of priorities in terms of trying to give buyers as many options as possible. For the March sale we had already increased the phone bidding, had multiple phones and multiple people to handle the phones. For the next sale, we really wanted to try to have online bidding in place, so we went from zero to 60 in no time. We had our backs up against the wall to ramp this up and to Xcira’s credit, they dedicated the manpower to get us there.”

Recalling the moment when he was convinced Xcira’s online bidding platform would work for OBS, Ventura said, “As we’d been looking at online bidding along the way, the concerns we had were A) Is it secure? and B) Is there any delay? It wouldn’t work if there was any kind of significant delay. What really drove home how there is basically zero delay, I had the Xcira system on my computer screen in my office and I had the OBS sale feed on my TV and the online bidding system was actually a half a second ahead of the sound on my TV screen. It was subtle, but you could hear they weren’t quite synced up.”

Of Xcira’s quick turnaround at OBS, Wells said, “So much in livestock is done on the hand shake and everything is about reputation,” Wells said. “So I think some of the reticence to adopt technology comes from the fact that it’s reputations at stake. Tom and [OBS Director of Sales] Tod [Wojciechowski] have been great people to work with because they were willing to risk that reputation. They were in the closest hole because we turned them around in 30 days. We really had to spin that round quickly and we did say to them, ‘You are going to have a life jacket rather than a boat. And then we will build you a boat in due course.’ Which is what we are doing now for bloodstock. We’ve reached out to all of them now and said, ‘Give us a list of the like-to-haves rather than the must-haves and we are developing the product.”

The sales companies function as trusted intermediaries between buyers and sellers and Xcira’s focus is to provide the auction houses the technology platform to create an additional avenue for sales.

“You still need the auction house’s reputation to broker the deal,” Wells said. “We’ve spoken in the office about what makes it all tick and what is most important and what’s it most like, because bloodstock is new to us. And the closest we’ve seen is Christie’s Art. We do their internet bidding and it’s the reputation of the auction house that that painting is really a Vincent VanGogh and it’s that trust with the auction house. Absolutely it’s the same with bloodstock. There is a trusted broker managing the sale. And I think any system like this is still reliant on that. We are almost like the backroom boys and they are placing their reputations on the line. Keeneland put their reputation in our hands as far as the technology working, but as far as the actual transaction goes, it is still very much the part of the auction house to have that trust in the transaction.”

Michelle Labato, a veteran of on-line car auctions, handled the internet bids at both OBS and Keeneland. Sitting in the bottom row of the press box at Keeneland, Labato kept close watch on both the auctioneers and her computer monitor, which shows her how many people are currently logged onto the site and ready to bid. As the bids rise in-house, Labato updates the asking price manually on her screen. When an online buyer makes a bid, it appears in a large red box on her screen and she raises her hand to have the bid recognized by the bid spotters.

“Michelle started off in automotives, she was a senior clerk for some time,” Wells said. “I knew her when she worked in Orlando in the auto auction. Tod asked if I knew anyone who could clerk for them because they started to realize how quick and how specialized it was and we sort of paired them. She’s followed us everywhere, other than Tattersalls, for most of our sales. She gets on really well with [Keeneland auctioneer] Justin Holmberg as he has done automotive. You’ll hear him say, “C’mon internet’ or ‘You’re out Michelle.’ She almost becomes another bid spotter.”

Online bidding at the 12-day Keeneland September sale attracted a total of 1,857 bids, which resulted in the sale of 126 horses for a total of $12,165,900 to buyers in 17 U.S. states, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada and Spain. The highest price recorded online was the $825,000 paid by Yuji Hasegawa for a colt by Tapit out of GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat).

“Online bidding worked as smoothly and was as popular among buyers as we had hoped,” Keeneland’s President Elect Shannon Arvin said at the conclusion of the September sale. “When you try something new, you kind of hold your breath to see how it goes. We are very pleased with our partner, Xcira, and the online auction technology system, as well as the level of participation by buyers.”

Approximately 40% of horses who went through the ring on the final day of the OBS July sale had at least one internet bid, according to Ventura, who said online bidding was just one more option to provide potential buyers.

“I think it just adds another way for people to participate,” Ventura said. “I think the level of comfort for people doing things online has changed over time as people get more and more comfortable. Ten years ago, I was not comfortable doing banking online and now I can’t remember the last time I wrote a check. So different generations may be slower adopting these sort of things–I still don’t really know what Venmo is–but the technology is there, it’s reliable, it’s secure and it gives people options. Especially when we have a long sale. Our 2-year-old sales with extended under-tack shows and then a gap and then sales days, if people want to get their homework done and head back to wherever they are heading, this will give them that opportunity to bid or have their clients bid.”

The Rabenolds founded Xcira over two decades ago in the closet of their son’s nursery room.

“Gary and Nancy are both ex-IBM people,” Wells said. “Their first fax machine was in their son’s nursery in the closet when they first started the company. Gary stayed on at IBM and paid the mortgage and Nancy went off and tamed the automotive world. When we started with cars, we were told by the head of Manheim, the car auction people, that this was a passing fad and it would never catch on, exactly the same attitude that bloodstock has now. It comes full circle. But we have the benefits of all those lessons we learned.”

While many of the concerns are the same, the Thoroughbred auction industry does present unique obstacles.

“Automotives has had it for 21 years and their adoption rate for North America is about 40% of the vehicles go through an online buyer,” Wells said. “However automotive is a commodity item, there are a lot of vehicles that are commodity items and there is a Blue Book guide for pricing, but no one has yet made a Blue Book for Thoroughbreds. So I think that, whilst it’s an essential tool in today’s marketplace, it is just another tool. Horses are like a piece of fine art, so much of it is in that gut feeling and in that look. You stand at the back of it and it walks right and you can’t say why it walks right, but it does. There is still that need because they are not commodities like automotive.”

Wells said the internet purchases at automotive auctions tend to skew to the top and the bottom, with the middle market often requiring more of an on-site presence.

“Of that automotive 40%, they tend to be the two extremes, they tend to be the very expensive, the nearly new factory cars that dealers have, and the very cheap ones,” Wells explained. “Whereas the ones in the middle, where it could be debatable as to the conditions, those are the ones that remain in-person. I think with horses as well, I think a lot of people are coming down, looking at the animal and then going home to bid or having someone there who says, ‘I can look at it for you.'”

A comparison of the online purchases during Keeneland September shows nine on-line purchases during the top-of-the-market Book 1 and a further 16 in Book 2 for gross internet sales of $8,672,000. Seventeen horses sold online for $923,200 during Book 3 and 21 Book 4 horses sold online for $1,423,000. A total of 34 Book 5 horses sold online for a gross of $898,500. During the auction’s Book 6, 29 yearlings sold online for $249,200.

“For the auction house, it’s not just the people who have won the horse, it’s the underbidder who has pushed it up one more bid,” Wells said.

One aspect of the online car auction scene which Wells thinks might be helpful in Thoroughbred industry is a consolidated source of information.

“I think at some point there is a need for the industry to look at how it moves data about,” Wells said. “I think everybody is running their own show and they work in isolation. If you were to look at Autotrader, auto dealers have gotten over the fact that there are other auto dealers out there and they list alongside each other. If I want to search for an F150 in white and gold lariat and I want sat nav on it, I can go straight to it and I can click it and find it. If I want to search for a horse with particular characteristics, I’ve got a lot of phone calls to make.

“There is only one racehorse of a certain type,” he continued. “It is a slightly different industry, so I’m not really comparing apples with apples. There is a bit of apples and pears there because all horses are a unique item, whereas F150s, there are millions pumped out from Ford and there are loads of them about, so I can choose from lots of different ones and I don’t have to worry about the temperament of my F150. You don’t get a cribbing F150. So it is different, but I think there is a point where the industry should come together for the greater good in moving data around.”

As the technology has evolved in car auctions, the need to provide potential buyers with advanced information has also increased.

“In automotive now we are spending so much of the effort on inspections and conditions reporting,” Wells said. “You look at Carvana now, you can have a 360-degree picture of the interior that you can spin around and there is all that imaging. So when you are buying online, you are getting much more information about what you’re buying.”

Now that the Thoroughbred industry has offered its first online bidding opportunities, it is better positioned to face any future challenges presented by the pandemic, according to Wells.

“Who knows when or if the second wave does hit, but our system allows you to go completely virtual,” Wells said. “So you could leave the animal in its paddock and sell it from a distance. Which is what happened in other verticals, like livestock in South Africa. They had hoof and mouth and they weren’t allowed to move animals, so they had a goat sale, believe it or not. The dearest goat was about $15,000 and that was bought by a buyer from Thailand. And the goat never left the field it was in, it was all done remotely, a virtual sale where everybody logged in.”

After purchasing the top three lots online at the Tattersalls August Sale last month, Ted Voute was a satisfied customer of the new technology. Voute told TDN‘s Emma Berry, “Bidding online was very easy and there was no need for me to be there today, having seen the horses yesterday. We had a vet there today to cover eventualities like a horse taking a lame step before going into the ring.”

While it has taken time for the bloodstock industry to adopt internet bidding, Wells said there is no going back now.

“I can quote more than person as saying the genie is out of the bottle now,” he said. “You can’t put it back. It’s like Pandora’s box is open. I don’t think any customers would say they want to step back from it. It was out of necessity that it started, but then it becomes, ‘We would like to have this as an option.'”

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