by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis, TDN America
Cover image courtesy of Ocala Breeders Sale
With brisk activity at the top of the market, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training opened on Tuesday with a lively day of trade topped by a US$1.35 million (AU$1.9 million) son of Corniche. The colt was one of three to bring seven figures during the session. The entire 2025 March sale produced seven million-dollar juveniles.
“Certainly an excellent day,” said OBS president Tom Ventura. “We had a lot of activity in the barns during the week and expected that to translate in the auction ring, and it did. Hopefully, we can keep that going for the next two days. Everybody here is working hard trying to find a good horse and the sales results have shown that. You don't want to predict too much moving forward, we've got one day down and two to go. But very happy so far.”
During the session, 142 juveniles sold for US$22,969,500 (AU$32 million). The average of US$161,757 (AU$225,000) was up 19.0% from last year's opening session, while the median was up 5.8% to US$90,000 (AU$125,500). Both the average and the median were up from the cumulative 2025 figures of US$152,351 (AU$212,000) and US$70,000 (AU$97,600), respectively. With 62 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 30.4%.
“The market is very strong,” Legion Bloodstock's Kristian Vilante said after signing for the session topper, who was consigned by Pick View. “This is not the first horse we've tried to buy, but was the first horse we actually got to buy. The market is very strong and there is high demand for quality horses.”
There are two more days of selling to come.
Coolmore's Corniche makes a splash
With Tuesday's opening session of the OBS March Sale in Ocala already in full swing, hip 95, a colt by Corniche, drew a US$1.35 million (AU$1.9 million) final bid from Legion Bloodstock. It was the sole purchase by the operation on Day 1. During last Wednesday's breeze session, the top-priced juvenile of Tuesday's session breezed a quarter mile in :21 flat.
“We were trying to not leave here without him, we were hoping he wouldn't cost quite that much but that's what you have to pay for horses like that,” said Legion's Kristian Vilante, who signed the ticket.
“We were trying to not leave here without him (Hip 95), we were hoping he wouldn't cost quite that much but that's what you have to pay for horses like that.” - Kristian Vilante,
Consigned by Pick View LLC, the May 8 foal is out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court (Grand Slam), who was purchased by Speedway Stables for US$1.1 million (AU$1.5 million) in 2014.
“He's a beautiful colt, his dad was a champion,” said Vilante. “We've been following him since January. We saw him in January at Joe Pickerell's farm. He's been a standout all year.” The Speedway-bred colt was secured by Pick View for US$275,000 (AU$383,000) at last season's Keeneland's September Sale.
Represented by his first crop of juveniles, 2021 champion 2-year-old colt Corniche stands at Ashford Stud. The son of Quality Road stands for US$15,000 (AU$21,000).
“We bought a couple Corniches as yearlings and they're on Travis's farm and he loves them so far,” said Vilante. “We tried to buy a filly earlier in the day by Corniche. I think he stamps them, he's just putting out a beautiful horse. He should make it.”
Nyquist colt sells for US$1.2 million
Ramiro Restrepo of Marquee Bloodstock and Cam Dulgar of Morplay Racing partnered up to acquire a colt by Nyquist (hip 88) for US$1.2 million (AU$1.67 million) during the first session of the OBS March sale on Tuesday.
“We are working together to find ourselves a big horse,” Restrepo said after signing the ticket on the juvenile, who was consigned by Wavertree Stables.
Both of the new partners have experience on the Kentucky Derby trail. Marquee graduate Mage (Good Magic) wore the roses in 2023 and The Puma (Essential Quality) is on the road to Louisville after his win in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday. Morplay's No More Time (Not This Time) was second in the 2024 Tampa Bay Derby.
“No More Time made it to the Derby. He unfortunately ended up getting injured, but we got hooked,” Dulgar said. “The success we've seen with (2025 Eclipse champion female sprinter) Shisospicy (Mitole) has us extremely excited to pick up this colt and hopefully experience something similar. Right now, we are Derby Dreaming and just happy to hopefully have gotten a good horse.”
“We are Derby Dreaming and just happy to hopefully have gotten a good horse.” - Cam Dulgar
Hip 88, purchased by Ange Bloodstock for US$170,000 (AU$237,000) at last year's Keeneland September sale, worked a furlong in :9 4/5 during last week's under-tack preview. He is out of La Extrana Dama (Arg) (Catcher in the Rye {Ire}), a champion older mare in Argentina.
“He stood out on paper,” Restrepo said. “I love the Argentinian sturdiness. Obviously there are a couple champions in there. And Nyquist, what a season he had last year and the year before that. He stands above a lot of horses in this catalogue with that sire power. That's what we were chasing.”
First season sire Drain The Clock gets the third millionaire of the day
Juveniles from the first crop of Drain the Clock made plenty of noise on the OBS track during last week's under-tack preview and the Gainesway stallion was equally quick out of the blocks in the sales ring at OBS Tuesday when bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz went to US$1.1 million (AU$1.5 million) to acquire a colt (hip 132) from the de Meric Sales consignment. Lanz, who was bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stable, said the juvenile would stay in the USA and would be trained by Brad Cox.
“His (Brad Cox) horses are fast and can sustain speed, they gallop out very fast.” - Pedro Lanz
“His horses are fast and can sustain speed, they gallop out very fast,” Lanz said of the juveniles by Drain the Clock he saw work last week. “They are athletes. Incredible athletes. When you see them, they are sharp. And I think they can go the distance. I think this horse's stride is very long and they sustained their speed. So I think they can go long.”
Hip 132 is out of the unraced Making a Point (Freud) and worked a furlong last week in :9 4/5.
Lanz admitted he was prepared for the colt's seven-figure price tag. “In the morning before the sale, I didn't think he would bring that much, but after what I saw–I tried to buy a filly by Nashville and I couldn't, I told Prince Abdullah we have to go very strong to get him,” Lanz said. “I told him, 'If you want this horse we have to fight.'”
In another impressive pinhook across all the three top lots, the de Merics purchased the colt for US$145,000 (AU$202,000) at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings Sale.
Drain the Clock, winner of the 2021 GI Woody Stephens Stakes, had bullet workers on three of the four days of the under-tack preview for the March sale. The son of Mclean’s Music, a son of Distorted Humor, stands for US$10,000 (AU$14,000).
“I've been high on Drain the Clock,” de Meric said. “The two we have are both here. They can both run. They both look like they should be early. And looking at the stallion on paper himself, it makes sense for him to have early, fast 2-year-olds.
“I knew this was a nice horse and I am happy all the stars aligned for him. He's a beautiful horse, he vetted clean and did everything right.”
