by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis, TDN
Cover image courtesy of OBS Sales
With one more million-dollar juvenile bringing its three-day total to a record-tying seven, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded Thursday with its highest-ever gross and increases in both average and median from a year ago.
“Gratified, pleased and happy for the consignors,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said of the auction's record-setting results. The consignors bring the horses and the quality of the horses that they bring is what brings the prices. So I am happy for the consignors. I am pleased with the amount of trade that took place over all three days, domestically and internationally. We had involvement from a lot of different buyers, so we are very happy with that.”
Tod Wojciechowski | Image courtesy of OBS
Through three sessions, 439 horses sold for a gross of US$71,815,500 (AU$102 million), eclipsing the mark of US$71,473,500 (AU$101.4 million) set when 464 horses sold in 2023. The average of US$163,589 (AU$232,000) was up 7.4% from a year ago, while the median was up 7.1% to US$85,000 (AU$120,750).
From a catalogue of 816, a total of 566 horses went through the ring with 127 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 22.4%. It was 17.6% a year ago.
Unbelievable market conditions
A colt by Yaupon, consigned by Kings Equine, became the auction's seventh seven-figure juvenile when selling to Donato Lanni for $1 million (AU$1.42 million) on Thursday. That matched the record-setting number to hit that mark in 2025.
Two of those million-dollar juveniles were consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, which was the auction's leading consigner with 13 sold for US$7,730,000 (AU$10.9 million).
“It's been an unbelievable market,” Dunne said. “I don't know what drives it. But I know what causes it–a fast horse. And there is no shortage of appetite for that. At the end of the day, we may all be doom and gloom about our business, but one of the most exciting things that someone can do is still to own a winner. We get so tied up in the nuts and bolts of it, we forget the enjoyment that that gives the people. I think that's as important as any tax code.”
Hip 576 - Yaupon x Balbina colt | Image courtesy of OBS
Consignor Randy Miles said he saw plenty of positives in the March market.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Miles said of the sale. “I thought it was well attended. The good horses sold well and the middle of the road horses were traded, which is always good. In my consignment, we had action on every horse. It was up to me whether I sold the horse or not. The buyers were willing to buy.
“If we just look at racing alone, racing is doing very well. We have our hiccups, but racing is doing well. And everybody loves to come to March. It's the first 2-year-old sale. It seemed like the people who were here were excited to buy and bought multiple horses. I hope it carries on to April.”
Juveniles from the first crop of Grade I winner Drain the Clock set the track on fire during last week's under-tack preview and the Gainesway stallion delivered in the sales ring, topped by a US$1.1 million (AU$1.56 million) colt. Fellow freshman Corniche also had a million-dollar result with a colt selling for US$1.35 million (AU$1.9 million).
Randy Mile | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
The strength of the yearling market may have changed the type of horses pinhookers could afford a year ago, leading to a change in the make-up of the March catalogue, which featured a deep bench of first-crop sires. Last year's record-setting US$3 million (AU$4.26 million) March topper was one of eight by Gun Runner catalogued to the auction. None were catalogued by the leading sire this year.
“It's the same old song and dance, the ones they want they are paying up for and the other ones are struggling to get sold,” said S G V Thoroughbreds' Steve Venosa. “It was extremely hard to buy horses last year, so people are looking for maybe a little more depth in the pedigrees. With the smaller foal crop and as hard as it was to buy them (as yearlings), it's showing here. Maybe some people are waiting for the April sale.”
“It's the same old song and dance, the ones they want they are paying up for and the other ones are struggling to get sold.” - Steve Venosa
Bloodstock agent Justin Casse was active as both a buyer and seller at the March sale and was seeing opportunities ahead in what could be a tightening market.
“Going to the barns and talking to some of the consignors, they said they had to really work to get some horses sold,” Casse said. “That might concern me a little bit for April when there will be 50% more horses. I am looking forward to it since there is more opportunity.”
While Wavertree has for years been among the leading consignors in Ocala, the March sale–the first in recent memory to not include a consignment from the legendary Eddie Woods–also allowed some younger consignors to shine. Jesse Hoppel and Susan Montanye's SBM Training and Sales were both represented by their first million-dollar sales at the auction.
“A lot of the younger consignors are really starting to become a bigger and bigger part of the sales,” Wojciechowski said. “We've seen Nick de Meric stepping down a little bit and Tristan (de Meric) picking up the reins. We see Jimbo Gladwell, Joe Pickerell, SBM Stables, Jesse Hoppel, these younger consignors really starting to grow more and more within the industry. We always worry, are we going to be able to replace the consignors we have. It looks like we are in good hands.”
“We always worry, are we going to be able to replace the consignors we have. It looks like we are in good hands.” - Tod Wojciechowski
Yaupon colt heads to Breeders’ Cup trainer
Trainer Jose D'Angelo, coming off a career year in which he won two Breeders' Cup races, found success in the sales ring Thursday at OBS when bloodstock agent Donato Lanni purchased a son of Yaupon (hip 576) for US$1 million (AU$1.42 million). D'Angelo had acquired the colt for US$235,000 (AU$333,800) at last year's Keeneland September sale.
“I was looking to pinhook a horse and I saw him at Hunter Valley and I fell in love with him,” D'Angelo said. “He had everything that you are looking for in a racehorse.”
“I was looking to pinhook a horse and I saw him (Hip 576) at Hunter Valley and I fell in love with him, He had everything that you are looking for in a racehorse.” - Jose D'Angelo
D'Angelo purchased the colt in partnership with Hal Mintz and Seth Morris, but he had to do so remotely.
“I remember it was the same day Bentornato won at Churchill, so I bought him on the phone,” D'Angelo recalled with a smile. “I called my owners to help me get in there and they decided to pinhook and we were good.”
Bentornato won the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes last September before his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Hip 576 is out of Balbina (Lemon Drop Kid), a daughter of multiple graded winner Ready's Gal (More Than Ready). Consigned by Kings Equine, the bay worked a furlong during last week's under-tack preview in :9 4/5.
With a pair of graded-stakes winning graduates on his resume, D'Angelo isn't a stranger to pinhooking success. He purchased Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy) for US$55,000 (AU$78,000) at the 2022 Keeneland September sale and resold her for US$145,000 (AU$206,000) at the OBS March sale the following year. He also purchased Taxed (Collected) for US$27,000 (AU$38,000) at Keeneland in 2021 before selling the future graded winner for US$105,000 (AU$149,000) the next March.
Asked if he was surprised by Thursday's seven-figure result, D'Angelo said, “I was sure he was going to bring $1 million. He looks like a $1-million horse.”
