Numbers Soar at OBS Winter Sale

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Winter Mixed Sale concluded its two-day run Thursday with figures up significantly across the board. During the two days, OBS sold 407 horses for a total of $6,104,600. The average rose 66.5% to $14,999 and the median was up 37.9% to $6,000. The auction, which had one horse sell for six figures in 2017, had nine hit that mark this year, including the $200,000 topper by Violence who sold during Tuesday's consignor preferred session.

Bloodstock agent Patti Miller of EQB, Inc. waited until nearly the very end of the Winter Mixed Sale to make her first purchase of the two-day auction, going to a session-topping $150,000 to acquire a filly by Malibu Moon three lots from the end of Thursday's session. Out of graded stakes winner Yara (Put It Back), hip 745 was bred by Spendthrift Farm and was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield.

“She is a beautiful, big filly, a Jan. 22 foal,” Miller said of the yearling's appeal. “I thought there was so much good about her and obviously she had a great cardio and jumped through all of my hoops.”

Miller purchased the yearling on behalf of an undisclosed client.

“They might race her and they might pinhook her,” Miller said. “They bought her right, so they might consider reselling. But they really like her and they're very excited to get her.”

During Thursday's open session, 202 horses sold for $1,630,000. The average more than doubled to $8,074 and the median rose 75% to $3,500. The top price at last year's open session was $28,000.

“If it's a good physical that vets and has pedigree, you're going to have to pay for it,” Miller said of the current sales scene. “One of the things about this strong market is that people who are racing enthusiasts have trouble getting horses bought. The idea was to come to this sale and try to dodge some of the bigger bullets and try to get a horse that has real value. It was hard to do. Another horse that I bid on was hip 5–a beautiful More Than Ready filly [who sold for $170,000 Tuesday]–and I followed her to about the same level and it was just really frustrating. So this one, I was just hoping that I could tough out the opposition.”