OBS April Marches On

by Christie DeBernardis and Jessica Martini

OCALA, Florida – The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds continued with its second session Wednesday with figures largely in line with the sale's record-setting 2015 renewal and a colt from the first crop of GI Wood Memorial winner Gemologist bringing the day's top price of $550,000.

During Wednesday's session, 158 horses sold for $12,119,000, an average of $76,703 and a median of $43,500. Through two sessions of the four-day sale, 320 head have grossed $23,709,500. The two-day average of $74,092 ticked up 5.6% from last year's figure of $70,182, while the median remained constant at $45,000. Through two sessions a year ago, 341 head had sold for $23,931,900.

From 303 horses catalogued, 228 head were offered Wednesday with 70 horses reported not sold for a buy-back rate of 30.7%. It was 28.1% at the close of business a year ago and dropped to 25.2% with the addition of post-sale transactions.

A total of eight horses topped the $300,000 mark during Wednesday's session, including hip 564, a son of Gemologist, who brought the day's top price of $550,000. Consigned by Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock, the colt was purchased by David Ingordo of Lane's End Bloodstock.

Last year's second session of the auction was bolstered by the record-setting $1.9-million sale topper, who was one of six juveniles to top $300,000 on the day.

Several consignors remarked that the market seemed polarized, with the top-end horses in demand, but a lack of depth in the middle market.

“The market is very spotty,” commented Thomas. “For me personally, I was hoping for more of a middle market because this is a middle market, one-stop shopping sale. We just haven't had the volume of buyers that we needed, except the top is hugely strong. I just don't see a broad enough buyer base.”

OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski acknowledged some soft spots in the market Wednesday, but said overall the April results were strong.

“It certainly looked like there were some spells today that it seemed sticky, but overall, comparing two days this year to two days last year, we are about even with where we were last year,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “It's hard to compare the sale session to session, so let's see what happens in the next couple of days. ”

Trainers Peter Miller and Linda Rice both found plenty of competition for the top-level horses.

“The top end is pretty good,” Miller, who signed for two lots over $300,000 Wednesday, said. “The middle market and lower end is a little soft.”

Rice, who purchased a Speightstown filly for $440,000, said, “I think it started out a little bit slow, but good horses show up and there are a lot of good horsemen here who know what they are looking at and it's always tough to buy the tops ones.”

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan has signed for four juveniles during the first two days of the April sale, including a filly by High Cotton for $400,000.

“I think the market is very solid,” Ryan said. “I know you are going to hear both sides of the story, but when you look at a lot of horses–I've looked at 250 head–anything that looked good on the racetrack, I went and looked at at the barns. The good physicals are selling well and I actually think Book 2 is stronger than Book 1. There are some very, very good horses in Book 2. This sale is a different sale than it was 10 years ago. It's the Keeneland September of the 2-year-old market. There is a horse for everybody.”

Looking ahead to the auction's second book, Wojciechowski said, “There are still plenty of quality horses left to come.”

The OBS April sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10:30 a.m.

Gemologist Colt Tops Second Session

Hip 564, a colt by freshman sire Gemologist, sparked late fireworks during the second day of selling at OBS April when selling to bloodstock agent David Ingordo and trainer Peter Eurton for a session-topping $550,000 Wednesday. Ingordo did his bidding by phone from the OBS office alongside Eurton, who will train the colt for an undisclosed client. EA Bloodstock's Catlyn Spivey, who was also bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, was the underbidder.
“He looks a lot like a horse we bought here a few years back called Kobe's Back (Flatter), very similar physical,” Ingordo offered, referring to C R K Stable's recent GII Palos Verdes S. and GII San Carlos S. winner, who is also trained by Eurton and who brought $480,000 at last year's OBS March sale. “The Gemologists have been very impressive looking and he's got a good pedigree. He had a standout breeze [in :10 flat]. We have very high hopes for him.”
Hip 564 is a half-brother to stakes winners Glitter City (City Place) and Here's Johnny (Colonel John), as well as the dam of GSW sophomore Toews on Ice (Archarcharch), whose juvenile full brother sold for $335,000 earlier in the session.
This was the third time through the sales ring for the gray colt, who was purchased by Global Thoroughbreds for $50,000 as a weanling at the 2014 Keeneland November sale and RNA'd for $60,000 the following September back at Keeneland.
“He belongs to a client, Global Thoroughbreds. They bought him as a weanling and we just prepared him for them,” said Becky Thomas, whose Sequel Bloodstock consigned the colt. “He's been great [to work with]. He's really a two turn horse that has so much class and quality that he can carry his speed. He's a Classic type horse. He's a special one.”
Thomas was the first to seek out the buyers and was all smiles after congratulating Ingordo and Eurton.
“I knew that he was going to do really well because he had all the right players that kept coming back and visiting him,” Thomas remarked. “I didn't know what he would bring, but when you get in that top echelon it's just a matter of who stops.” –@CDeBernardisTDN

Miller Goes 'Back to Basics'

For the third straight year, trainer Peter Miller will go home from the OBS April sale with an Ocala Stud-bred offspring of the unraced mare Back to Basics (Alphabet Soup) after securing Hip 517, a colt by Overdriven, for $525,000 on behalf of an undisclosed client Wednesday.
Miller purchased his first son of Back to Basics in 2014 for Richard Pell. That $132,000 OBSAPR buy was GSW & MGISP Calculator (In Summation), who was most recently a close second in the GI Carter H. at Aqueduct Apr. 9. Last year, the California-based conditioner returned to Ocala to purchase half-sister Gust (Kantharos) for $50,000 on Pell's behalf.
“I train his brother and his sister and they are both lovely animals,” Miller said of the :21 flat breezer. “He was awesome. His video was awesome. His presence was fantastic. He had everything that I look for in a racehorse. I'm a big fan of Tale of the Cat and Overdriven was a good horse, so we stepped it up. It was more than we wanted to spend, but we really wanted him.”
Miller added, “I had my eye on him since the preview. Ocala Stud had tipped me off at the March sale that Calculator's brother was a good one, so I was prepared a month ago. He previewed like the good horse that he is. I just hope he is another Calculator.”
As for Miller's stable star Calculator, the conditioner was pleased with the colt's latest efforts, but was unsure as to where he would start next.
“His performance in the Carter was excellent,” Miller commented. “He probably should have won the race. He was plus 30 feet compared to the winner [according to Trakus], so he gave up about three lengths in ground and got beat a head. He ran super. He just got outnodded. We are not sure where he will go next yet. Possibly something Derby week–the [May 7 GII] Churchill Downs or the [May 6 GII] Alysheba, but if not we will train him up to the [GI] Met Mile [June 11 at Belmont].” –@CDeBernardisTDN

Speightstown Filly to Rice

Trainer Linda Rice, whose 2015 OBS April acquisitions included a $900,000 colt by Bernardini, went to $440,000 to secure a filly by Speightstown from the Wavertree Stables consignment in Ocala Wednesday. The gray filly, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Alpha Kitten (Tale of the Cat), worked a furlong last week in :10 flat.

“She has a big, long stride on her,” Rice said of hip 469, who is a May 20 foal. “She is young and she's probably going to grow some more. I think Speightstown is a great stallion. She had a great workout and great presentation at the barn.”

Rice declined to disclose who she was bidding for Wednesday.

The Bernardini colt Rice purchased last spring is now named Seymourdini. Racing for Iris Smith Stable, the bay was a nine-length maiden winner at Aqueduct last November and he returned to take an optional claimer in Ozone Park Apr. 15.

Bred by Denlea Park, Tony Holmes and Watermark, the Speighstown filly RNA'd for $190,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Her dam Alpha Mama (Unbridled's Song), with this foal in utero, sold to Watermark for $100,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale. Alpha Mama is a full-sister to Grade I winner Marylebone. –@JessMartiniTDN

Ocala Stud Homebred Gets 'High' Praise

Mike Ryan came out on top after a spirited round of bidding to acquire a High Cotton filly, catalogued as hip 404, for $400,000 Wednesday afternoon.

“I'm not sure where she will go for training,” Ryan said. “We haven't figured that out yet. I bought her for an undisclosed client. He's a new guy. He's trying to develop a quality program with some quality fillies. The price speaks volumes of the filly. She sold herself.”

The bloodstock agent could not say enough good things about the filly, who breezed in :21.2, after signing the ticket near the back of the pavilion.

“I liked everything about her,” Ryan enthused. “I saw her two months ago on the farm and I'm very familiar with the family–the female line. I couldn't believe how much she changed in 60 days from the middle of February until now. I like the way she breezed.”

He continued, “She's a homebred filly. She's a very straightforward filly, terrific demeanor and disposition. She had the aura of an elite horse. Elite horses have an aura about them. They stand out and she stood out. I knew she would be expensive. I didn't think we would have to go that high, but obviously there were some really solid people under her. She's special. If she was by a proven sire you are talking north of $750,000.”

Hip 404 is a half-sister to a pair of graded stakes winners in Discreet Dancer (Discreet Cat) and Travelin Man (Trippi), as well as stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Sweet N Discreet (Discreet Cat). Her siblings accomplishments were another draw for Ryan.

“Three foals to race out of the mare and two of them are graded stakes winners,” the Irishman remarked. “They have run big numbers on the sheets, they are running twos and threes.”

In addition to his lavish praise of the filly, Ryan was also quick to compliment the job done by her breeder and consignor Ocala Stud, which stands High Cotton for a fee of $5,000.

“Ocala Stud, in my opinion, is right up on the top of the list of consignors,” Ryan commented. “I just love the way they raise horses and their program has been so successful for so long. They do it right. I went to the farm and saw their stallions and I was very impressed. I call it the Claiborne Farm South. I have watched them for years and admired their program, track record and everything about them.”

Ocala Stud's David O'Farrell was the first to congratulate Ryan after his purchase and was extremely pleased with the filly's sale.

“I didn't know that she would sell quite that well,” O'Farrell said. “She was an awful good filly. We never expect that type of result. She showed herself on the racetrack and she showed exceptionally well at the barns. She's a very classy filly. She never turned a hair and has a tremendous bottom side pedigree. She's just a very talented filly with a lot of pedigree going for her. I'm just very happy for the new owner. She was very well received and is just a quality filly.”

High Cotton was Florida's leading 2-year-old sire by winners last year and a sophomore filly by the sire named April Gaze has been gaining attention on the racetrack recently. Besting 'TDN Rising Star' Browse (Medaglia d'Oro) in a Gulfstream allowance Apr. 1, the bay returned just eight days later to take the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies S. at Tampa.

“High Cotton is a sneaky good stallion,” O'Farrell remarked. “He is a very capable horse. He had a Grade I winner at Saratoga in his first crop [in 2011 Hopeful S. winner Currency Swap]. He had a Grade II winner at Saratoga in his second crop [in 2012 Saratoga Special S. hero Spurious Precision]. This is by far his biggest and best crop of 2-year-olds to date, so we are expecting big things from him. Hopefully this filly will help him get off to a good start this year.” –@CDeBernardisTDN

Macho Uno Colt for Hartunian

Gary Hartunian, whose Rockingham Ranch is co-owner of recent G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up X Y Jet (Kantharos), picked up another speedy colt Wednesday in Ocala when trainer Peter Miller signed the ticket at $335,000 on hip 395. The juvenile, a son of Macho Uno, worked a furlong in a co-bullet

:9 4/5 during last week's under-tack show.

“Pretty much everything,” Miller said when asked what he liked about the colt. “He had a beautiful video, he's a pretty colt, correct, he galloped out nice and pretty much everything about him I liked.”

Of the price, Miller admitted, “Obviously, we'd have liked to pay a little bit less, but for the good colts sometimes you have to step up. I think he was one of the best colts in the sale.”

The 2-year-old is out of Wadena (Saint Ballado) and is half-brother to stakes placed Papa Turf (Yes It's True). He was consigned by David McKathan's Grassroots Training & Sales, which purchased him for $85,000 out of last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“We gave $85,000, so obviously we liked him–that's a lot of money for me to give for a horse,” McKathan smiled.

Of the speedy work, McKathan added, “It was the first :9 4/5 I ever had. I thought he'd work in :10 flat.”  –@JessMartiniTDN

Archarcharch Colt Jersey-Bound

A colt by Archarcharch will be joining the barn of trainer Joe Orseno after selling for $335,000 to Jonathon Green, bidding on behalf of his family's D.J. Stable. The youngster (hip 416), consigned by Randy Bradshaw, is a full-brother to graded stakes winner Toews on Ice. He worked a furlong in :10 flat during last week's under-tack show.

“The colt was outstanding,” Green said. “He was our number one choice from day one and we're really pleased to have him.”

Green said the juvenile's well-performing older brother was only part of the colt's attraction.

“It was nice to see the combination worked so well, but we really thought this colt stood out on his own,” Green said. “It was just gravy that the full-brother has done well.”

Green did his bidding sitting alongside Orseno, who trains last year's Sorority S. winner and 2015 OBS April graduate Hi Holiday (Harlan's Holiday) for the family.

“He'll go to Monmouth Park and hopefully we'll campaign him at Monmouth, maybe Saratoga, and hopefully on to the bigger and better races,” Green said of the dark bay colt. “We've been around for 30 years and this is probably the highest priced

2-year-old we've ever bought, so that tells you how confident we are in him.”

Founded in the 1980s by New Jersey natives Lois and Leonard Green, D. J. Stable was co-owner of Grade I winner Songandaprayer.

Bradshaw purchased the colt as part of a pinhooking partnership for $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“Jim Wells saw him first and we decided to partner with Everett Dobson and it's been a good partnership,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said everything has gone right with the juvenile since last fall.

“[In September], he was a small colt, but he was very well-made, so we rolled the dice. Luckily, the day that we bought him his brother won a stakes–so that was a really big update that just kept getting better. It's all just luck and the right things happening.”

Toews on Ice graduated in the Barretts Juvenile S. last September before adding the Speakeasy S. and GIII Bob Hope S. He was second behind fellow Bob Baffert trainee and GI Kentucky Derby hopeful Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity last December. @JessMartiniTDN

Ingordo Wins the 'War'

Bidding out back, David Ingordo beat out a determined competitior seated inside the pavilion to acquire a War Front colt, Hip 463, for $320,000 during the second session of OBS April Wednesday. The colt will go to trainer Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables.

“He's a lovely horse,” Ingordo commented. “I've seen a lot of War Fronts and he is a horse that is very well balanced. He's got plenty of size and leg for the stallion. He's well prepared and he's a horse that is going to get better and improve. He's not overcooked or anything.”

Bred by Team Block, Hip 463 is the first foal out of SW & GSP All for Thee (Elusive Quality). Consigned to this sale by Old South Farm LLC, the bay breezed a furlong in :10 flat during last week's breeze show.

“The breeze was very good,” Ingordo remarked. “He did it really easy. The day he breezed wasn't the fastest day of the track or anything, but he did a nice job. It's a homebred so he hasn't been through all the sales process before. His future is all in front of him.” –@CDeBernardisTDN