Spring Sale Another Record Setter

by Jessica Martini and J.M. Severni 

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, which featured its first-ever seven-figure juvenile Wednesday, concluded its four-day run in Ocala Friday and, for the third straight year, the sale enjoyed record-setting figures. Through four days, 676 horses sold for $53,711,400. The average of $79,455 was up from last year’s previous record by 7.4%. The median tied last year’s record at $45,000. In 2014, 770 horses grossed $56,965,000 and averaged $73,981. The four-day buy-back rate was 22%, compared to 18.2% a year ago. 

“We are really pleased with the way the sale ended up,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “It was a good run of four days of quality horses. Buyers got to buy some nice horses and once again we had a record-setting average.” 
Wojciechowski said the Spring sale continues to add to its reputation. 

“Since 2011, the gross has doubled, the average has gone up 2 ½ times and the median has gone up two times,” he said. “I think April has earned its reputation over the last three years and this year’s results solidify its position as the preeminent 2-year-old sale in the world–there were 10 countries and 35 states represented by people who bought horses at this sale.” 

During a buoyant session of selling Friday, 160 horses grossed $14,054,500. The session average was $87,841–up 20.7% from last year’s final day. The median rose 7.1% to $45,000. 

With 43 horses reported not sold, Friday’s buy-back rate was 21.2%. It was 22.5% during last year’s final session.

“The buy-back rates, ultimately, are going to be very comparable with last year and they were amazing numbers last year,” Wojciechowski said. “After we get done with post-sales, you can see the RNA rate from day one is already at 19%, so that number will probably creep down and the gross will creep up with the finishing up of business in the next day or two.” 

Trainer Linda Rice purchased Friday’s top-priced lot, a colt by Bernardini (hip 1100), for $900,000. It was the sale’s second-highest priced offering, surpassed only by the $1.9-million record-setting daughter of Tapit. Friday also featured the auction’s third-highest price, when trainer Mark Casse purchased a colt by Street Cry (Ire) (hip 1073) for $750,000. The top price at the 2014 sale was $725,000. 

In total, 14 horses topped the $400,000 mark in 2015. That figure was 12 in 2014. 

For the second year in a row, de Meric Sales was the auction’s leading consignor with 46 sold for $4,410,000. Alex Solis and Jason Litt, who purchased the record-setting filly Wednesday, were the sale’s leading buyer, with three purchased for $2,180,000.

Bernardini Colt Tops Final Session
by J.M. Severni 

Conditioner Linda Rice was back in action during the final session of the OBS Spring sale Friday, going to $900,000 to secure the session’s top-priced lot in hip 1100, a colt by Bernardini, on behalf of Seymour Smith. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni was the underbidder on the Niall Brennan-consigned colt. 

Seymour’s daughter-in-law Iris Smith was on hand for the bidding. 

“My father-in-law said, ‘Do your homework and figure out what horse we should buy.’” 

Smith is part of the female partnership that purchased other top-priced horses during the sale in a $410,000 Big Drama filly (hip 608) and a $420,000 Tizway filly (hip 488). The Bernardini colt, however, will run under Smith’s own name. 
“We tried to buy the [sale’s topping] Tapit filly and we didn’t get that done,” Rice explained. “So Iris went back home and discussed it and came back today to buy this colt. We’re very excited that we got him. Iris wanted to make a dream come true for [Seymour].” 

Rice acknowledged that the snappy work in :10 1/5 caught her eye. 

“His breeze was very nice, his motion on the track was terrific,” Rice stated. “His conformation was very nice. Bernardini is a good stallion and I thought he was the best colt in the sale.” 

Hip 1100 was bred by Besilu Stables and Three Chimneys Farm. The May 6 foal was born and raised at Mill Ridge Farm and RNA’d for $290,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. This is the fourth foal out of GSW Graeme Six (Graeme Hall), making him a half-sibling to SP Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}). Graeme Six produced an Unbridled’s Song colt in 2014. 

Besilu Stable’s bloodstock manager Fabricio Buffolo commented, “He is a May foal and progressed very well, getting better day after day. He was always a well-made colt, just needed a little bit more time.’

Brennan was impressed with the colt throughout his training and wasn’t surprised to see him fetch the $900,000 price tag. 

“He’s a beautiful colt, he was popular all week,” the consignor offered. “It was a little stressful waiting since he was one of the horses near the end on the last day. When you have to wait that long, you wonder if people have spent their money, even on an exceptional colt like this horse. I think people saw that earlier in the week when they did their looking and many of the top judges were on this horse. They saw what I’ve seen for a while. I think he’s that special. We’ve had good ones go through the program before and he’s certainly one that ranks up there with them. He’s only a May foal, he’s got a huge future ahead of him. He’s just a baby–what he’s doing is pure talent out there on the racetrack. I think he was even more impressive at home on our dirt track than he was here and I truly believe that next year he’s going to be a tough horse to reckon with and he’ll only get better with time.”

Golden Legacy Colt Shines at OBS
by Jessica Martini 

Golden Legacy Stables enjoyed its biggest success in the sales ring Friday at OBS when selling a colt by Street Cry (Ire) for $750,000 to trainer Mark Casse. Hip 1073 is out of Gharbiah (Bernardini), a half-sister to Grade I winner Honey Ryder (Lasting Approval), and was consigned by de Meric Sales. The gray shared the bullet furlong work of :9 4/5 during last week’s under-tack preview show. Bred by Darley, he RNA’d for $45,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. 

“It’s a Venezuelan partnership group,” Nick de Meric said of Golden Legacy. “They bought the training center at the old Plumley Farm and that is their headquarters of operations in Florida. They also having a training stable in south Florida.”

On behalf of Golden Legacy, De Meric sent three horses through the ring at Fasig-Tipton’s Florida sale in March, with two RNAs and a $150,000 Pulpit colt. Eight Golden Legacy juveniles went through the ring during the Spring sale. The group also sold a colt by Tapit (hip 868) for $245,000 and a Freud colt (hip 485) for $220,000 this week in Ocala. 

“I had some horses for them in south Florida and, as this business can be, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster for them this year,” de Meric said. “They have had some very bright spots before this horse and they also have swallowed some lumps. This is a really great outcome for them because they have been stoic through the difficult ones and they’ve enjoyed the big ones and this will make up for a lot of misdemeanors.” 

Long-time de Meric assistant Blas Perez is the farm trainer for Golden Legacy and his old boss gave him credit for the Street Cry colt’s popularity. 

“Blas has done an excellent job with all the horses he has sent me,” de Meric said. “He should definitely get credit for this horse because he’s done a masterful job of bringing him along.” 

Golden Legacy is involved in almost all facets of the racing game, according to de Meric. 

“They are doing a bit of everything, except standing stallions,” he explained. “They are racing, pinhooking and they are breeding a little bit. This will probably fund them up for future endeavors.” 

Speedy Harlan’s Holiday Filly Goes to Sadler 
by J.M. Severni

Hip 1032, a Harlan’s Holiday filly who breezed the co-fastest work of the under-tack show in :9 4/5, fetched $500,000 during the final session of the OBS Spring Sale. The horse will go to trainer John Sadler. Stonestreet’s John Moynihan was the underbidder. 

Nick de Meric purchased the filly for $95,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton July sale. She is the first foal out of the unraced Favoritism (Tiznow), who is a half-sister to GSP Chaste (Cozzene). She produced a Candy Ride (Arg) filly in 2014 and a Quality Road filly this year. 

“We knew she ought to do well, but you never let yourself think they’ll bring that much,” de Meric said. “We felt this time that she ought to do okay.” 

When asked about the market during the sale, the consignor said,” I think the market has been tremendous for the right horses. It’s been a little spotty in places in the lower end, but there’s tremendous demand for good animals, and you’ve just got to hope you’ve got some.” 

When reached by phone, Sadler said, “I was so impressed with her work. She looks like a filly with speed who will be able to run on well. We love Harlan’s Holiday and she was our top pick of the fillies at the sale.”