War Front Filly Leads OBS Wednesday

OCALA, Fl – Action ticked up during Wednesday's second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age, with a filly by War Front bringing the auction's top price of $425,000. Bloodstock agent Justin Casse did his bidding on hip 316 by phone from the Royal Ascot meeting on behalf of an unnamed client. The filly was consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds on behalf of her breeder, WinStar Farm.

During Wednesday's session four horses topped Tuesday's high-price of $180,000 and there were nine offerings for six figures. Through two sessions of the four-day sale, 292 horses have sold for $8,490,700. While up from Tuesday's opening-day figure of $25,084, the two-day average of $29,078 is off 21.8% from last year's two-day figure of $37,181. The two-day median is $15,000, down 21.1% from a year ago. There were 123 horses reported not sold for a buy-back rate of 29.6%.

“I think there was more action all the way through, it seemed like a better day,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “Even anecdotally there seemed to be more people around and there was a little more liveliness to it today.”

The second session in 2015 was topped by a $575,000 colt, who was one of four to sell for over $200,000.

“We made up some ground today and we still have another two days of selling and some quality horses both days,” Wojciechowski concluded. The OBS June sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10:30 a.m.

International Bid a Winner for Casse
Bloodstock agent Justin Casse, bidding by phone from Royal Ascot, secured a filly by War Front for $425,000 during Wednesday's second session of the OBS June sale. Casse was in Ocala for much of last week's under-tack preview of the auction and he acknowledged the filly stood out on the track when she worked in :10 flat.

“I was there all last week, until Friday morning, and I thought she had the most impressive breeze of the under-tack show,” Casse said by phone from England, while declining to name his client. “She was impressive for the whole breeze and down the backside”

The bay filly, out of graded stakes placed Forty Moves (Gold Fever), is a half-sister to multiple stakes placed Joe Tess (Macho Uno) and from the family of Grade I winner Cat Moves (Tale of the Cat).

“She looks very much like her sire,” Casse said. “She is very classy and I like her family–there is some activity there. She was our pick of the sale.”
Casse admitted Tuesday's tepid opening session of the June sale had him reconsidering a potential price tag on the filly.

“Watching the results of the sale, I know it was tough yesterday, but I knew the prices were going to improve today because the quality of the horses improved,” Casse explained.

“Yesterday was probably the weakest group. I thought there was a chance that I could get her for that price, but earlier in the week I thought maybe she'd bring closer to $600,000. As I was getting word of the lack of money at OBS, I thought there was a chance that we would get her for less than that, so I wasn't totally surprised. But she's a War Front who breezed in :10, so you don't know.”

The filly, who RNA'd for $110,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, was consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds on behalf of breeder WinStar Farm.

“She is very special, a rare offering really,” said Woodford's Matt Lyons. “She was a filly that didn't get sold as a yearling. She came to us and we could tell early in the breaking she had some talent. She was originally scheduled to go to April, but she popped a little splint and we had to give her time. We did right by the horse and she did right by us.”

Lyons knew his filly had attracted plenty of attention leading up to her sale Wednesday.

“I wasn't too worried [about the price]–all the right people were liking her. She had the support of all the people who were here and even people who weren't here. And the final price was comfortably above the reserve–we put the reserve in reasonably, like we always try to do.”

WinStar purchased Forty Moves, in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), for $310,000 out of the Ned Evans dispersal at the 2011 Keeneland November sale.

Candy Ride Colt Saluted at OBS
Bloodstock agent Nick Hines, known affectionately as 'The Sarge,' received a three-auctioneer salute from the stand after securing hip 484, a colt by Candy Ride (Arg), for $370,000 during Wednesday's second session of the OBS June sale. Hines did his bidding on the phone while standing along a back wall of the sales pavilion.

While the TVG commentator declined to name his client, Hines did reveal, “It's new money, fresh money, which is nice. And at this point it looks like he will go to California.”

The bay colt is out of La Maestranza (Storm Cat), a daughter of Grade I winner Cash Run (Seeking the Gold) and a sister to multiple group placed Great War Eagle. He worked a furlong in a co-bullet :10 flat during last week's under-tack preview.

“We are very excited about this colt,” Hines continued. “Obviously, in this type of sale, the good ones stand out. He is extremely athletic. On the day this colt worked, the track was on the slower side. It was at least a length or two slower than average and he was so fluid and his gallop-out time was phenomenal. He checked all the boxes.”

Reflecting on an apparent shortage of buyers this week in Ocala, Hines said, “There are various people that felt it was too much to come out for this sale–because it's hot, it's the end of the sales season–but as they say in the horse business, money never sleeps and nervous money never wins. We were prepared to go further.”

Consigned by Bobby Dodd, the juvenile was purchased by Brad Grady's Grand Oaks for $185,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Uncle Mo Colt to Dugan
A son of Uncle Mo, hip 476 will join the racing stable of Martha Dugan after bloodstock agent Michel Everett signed the ticket on Dugan's behalf at $350,000.

“He's the best sire we've seen in 50 years and this colt is pretty special,” Everett explained. “We are looking forward to putting him in training.”

Clearly thrilled with the purchase, Dugan said, “We are going to win the Derby with him next year.”

While no trainer has been picked out for the juvenile, who worked in :10 4/5, Dugan currently has horses in training in California with Peter Eurton and Jesse Mendoza.

The juvenile is out of Lady Mocha (Tale of the Cat), a full-sister to Grade I stakes placed Resplendency, and was purchased by Chris Drakos for $100,000 out of last year's Keeneland September sale. He was consigned by Danzel Brendemuehl's Classic Bloodstock.

“I thought he might bring a little more, but this market has been a little soft,” Brendemuehl admitted. “He's a Derby-type horse. He gets over the ground great and does everything right. He has a great mind and he's a very sound horse.”

Brendemuehl added the colt has taken time to come to hand.

“I actually broke him rather late,” she said. “He was a big colt, which probably was to his advantage. He didn't go as fast as people probably wanted him to go, but he's huge and it was probably his third lifetime breeze and I wasn't going to ruin him. There is life after the 2-year-old sales.”

Shackleford Colt to Cella
A colt from the first crop of GI Preakness S. winner Shackleford (Forestry) got Wednesday's session of the OBS June sale off to a quick start when selling for $260,000 to the bid of trainer Lynn Whiting, acting on behalf of Charles Cella.

“He was a grand individual,” Whiting said after signing the ticket on hip 310. “He was kind of the pick of the litter in my mind.”

Of the final price, Whiting admitted, “I thought we were going to have to pay for him. A colt like that, you can't get off easy.”

The youngster is out of Flashy Future (Bertrando) and is a half to stakes placed Fancy and Flashy (Zensational). He was consigned by RiceHorse Stables as agent for Mike Mulligan's Emerald Sales, which purchased him for $75,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale.

It was the juvenile's second trip through the OBS sales ring. He RNA'd for $71,000 after working in :10 1/5 at OBS April. The colt worked in :10 flat during last week's preview.

“A May baby sometimes takes another month or two to mature,” RiceHorse's Brandon Rice explained of the difference betweeen the two sales. “Mike Mulligan picks out good horses and this was one that was a little later-maturing and you have to listen to your horse. We wanted to be in April, a stronger marketplace clearly, and he breezed wonderfully and did everything right. We were unfortunate to have a P1 in the left front ankle that stopped a lot of buyers from confidently buying him and we said no problem we'll clean him up as we've done before, swim him, manage him and make sure he is healthy and the next few times we pointed him down the lane to breeze, he didn't forget a thing. He retained his fitness, he got more mature mentally and physically and he just did his job.”

Shackleford has already been represented by three winners from his first crop, including Arlington Park maiden winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Shackin Up. The stallion's early success increased the colt's appeal Wednesday, according to Rice.

“The sire was coming on fire,” he said. “This was my only Shackleford this season and this horse alone makes me believe in the sire. He was just a good training, good minded horse. I'll buy another Shackleford in a heartbeat.”

Of the colt's final price, Rice added, “When you buy a horse for $75,000 and you have a humble market, if you get $100,000, $125,000 or $150,000, it's a success. That's found money–next to zero, it's fantastic.”

Rice is looking forward to another couple of strong days of selling this week.

“He was our shining star, but we have some other horses up there that will be more than useful,” he commented.