Record-setting OBS Spring Sale concludes

Cover image courtesy of OBS Sales

Written by TDN America/Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

The Ocala Breeders' sales company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded its record-setting renewal with a frenetic day of bidding in Central Florida Friday.

The four-day auction produced its highest-ever gross when 723 horses sold for US$73,907,900 (AU$95,900,000). The average was US$102,224 (AU$131,330) and the median was US$50,000 (AU$64,200), both figures just off the records set in 2019 of US$108,903 (AU$140,000) and US$60,000 (AU$77,000).

“We went into the Sale with high hopes and certainly the Sale didn't let us down,” OBS Director of Sales, Tod Wojciechowski, said. “The buyers showed up and the sellers brought quality horses to market. We went into the Sale with high hopes and certainly the Sale didn't let us down. We are very happy with the result. Safe to say it exceeded expectations.”

A pair of juveniles by Spendthrift's super sire Into Mischief (USA) led Friday's session, with a colt bringing a final bid of US$875,000 (AU$1,123,600) from Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners and Robert LaPenta's Whitehorse Stables, and a filly going the way of Frank Fletcher for US$750,000 (AU$963,500).

Third time lucky

Tami Bobo and Fernando De Jesus's First Finds had already sent its promising Into Mischief colt (Hip 1039) through the sales ring at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale and this year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale before finding the youngster a new home when bloodstock agent Jacob West purchased him Friday at OBS for US$875,000 (AU$1,123,600). West was bidding on behalf of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta.

“This was the third time we were able to purchase the horse,” West confirmed. “He was for sale as a yearling and he was at the Miami Sale and now he's here. He made our shortlist and we didn't pull the trigger in September.

“We followed the horse in Miami. We had to give a little more money for him here, but he was physically one of the best horses in the Sale and I thought his breeze was unbelievable.”

The colt is out of Loveofalifetime (USA) (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and is a brother to multiple Graded-placed Into Mystic (USA).

“We really believed in the horse all year long and we went to Miami and thought we should have been able to connect the dots,” Bobo said.

Into more Mischief

Frank Fletcher, who has enjoyed Graded success with Frank's Rockette (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), added another daughter of the Spendthrift stallion to his stable when bloodstock agent Donato Lanni made a final bid of US$750,000 (AU$963,500) to acquire Hip 1099 from Randy Miles's consignment.

“I waited for her,” Lanni said after signing the ticket on the filly. “I hate saying it, but she did check all the boxes. She is by a prolific sire and she looks like she'll go two turns. She's just got class. She is a beautiful filly and a good mover. Frank Fletcher has been lucky with that sire. We're very happy we got her.”

The filly is out of Meta Mu (USA) (Street Sense{USA}) and was bred by Bloom Racing Stable. Jeff Bloom purchased the mare, carrying this filly in utero, for US$180,000 (AU$231,250) at the 2019 Keeneland January Sale.

Colt bound for France

An Irish-bred colt by Frankel (GB) (Hip 1209) is ticketed for a trip to France after selling for US$535,000 (AU$687,100) to the bid of bloodstock agent Hubert Guy late in the session.

“I bought him for a partnership of mainly French people,” Guy said. “He is going to go back to France to race on the grass which he is made for.”

The chestnut is out of the unraced Onshore (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and his third dam Kerali (GB) (High Line {GB}) produced the great Hasili (Ire).

“He is bred to go 2400 metres, but he looks like he has quite a bit of speed,” Guy said. “He did a grand piece of work. I couldn't believe it when I was clocking him. It was shocking. The breeze impressed me so much that I called a few guys to race over in Europe.”

The colt, consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, was bred in Ireland by Diamond Creek Farm. The original plan was to sell the youngster at last year's Tattersalls October Sale, but in a down market, bloodstock agent Mike Akers bought him back for 185,000 gns (AU$355,480).

Filly to join Clement barn

Fledgling bloodstock agent Joe Migliore made his second purchase of the Sale, going to US$425,000 (AU$546,000) to acquire a filly by Frosted (USA) (Hip 1033) on behalf of Robert Masiello and Steven Rocco. The juvenile will be trained by Christophe Clement.

“She was an absolute queen,” Migliore said. “She was the filly I was focused on the wholesale. I had to wait to the very end to go for her. I think Frosted is off to a much better start than people are giving him credit for and she showed herself to be an incredible mover on the track as well. I'm very happy to get it done.”

Consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales as agent for Bruno DeBerdt's Excel Bloodstock, the filly is out of multiple stakes winner Love Cove (USA) (Not For Love {USA}).

Astern filly a star

Ellen Alvarez and her husband Pablo had been impressed by what they had seen of the yearlings by Astern that they saw at the September auctions and made the decision to find a pinhooking prospect by the Australian stallion.

They purchased a filly for US$15,000 (AU$19,265) at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale and reaped the rewards when the dark bay (Hip 949) brought a final bid of US$340,000 (AU$438,876) from Larry Zap, as agent for Mike Mellen.

“I liked the Asterns I saw at Keeneland,” Ellen Alvarez said. “I was intrigued by them and thought I wanted one. When they pulled this one out, I quite liked her.

“She just needed to grow up a little bit and fill out. But the parts were there and the walk was there and she had really nice movement. We got really lucky with buying her for the price we did.”

The dark bay filly is out of Ivory Pearl (USA) (Pulpit {USA}), a daughter of Grade I winner Mea Domina (USA) (Dance Brightly {Can}).