Cover image courtesy of OBS Sales
At A Glance
A Justify (USA) filly became the OBS June record holding when selling for US$1.4 million (AU$1.99 million). The previous record was set in 2025 at US$975,000 (AU$1.39 million).
After two of the three days of the sale, all metrics are up with the aggregate hitting US$18,883,000 (AU$26.9 million).
The average stands at US$53,798 (AU$76,500) and the median at US$27,000 (AU$38,400).
A filly by Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) became the highest-priced horse to ever sell at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training when bringing a final bid of US$1.4 million (AU$1.99 million) from Speedway Stables and the three-day auction continued to produce figures ahead of its record-setting 2025 renewal through its second session Wednesday in Central Florida.
Record trade with all metrics up
Through two days of trade, 351 juveniles have sold for US$18,883,000 (AU$26.9 million). The average stands at US$53,798 (AU$76,500) and the median at US$27,000 (AU$38,400). Last year's two-day renewal of the June sale produced a record average of US$51,107 (AU$72,700) and a record median of US$25,000 (AU$35,600) when 500 horses sold through the ring for a gross of US$25,553,500 (AU$36.3 million).
From 671 catalogued juveniles, 482 went through the sales ring with 131 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 27.2%–up from 17.1% a year ago.
“When I was asked before the sale what I thought about June, I said, 'We've had a great March and April, and I don't see that changing just because it's the June sale,'” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “June has become a sale in its own right and many of the consignors have said that they point horses to this sale.”
Tod Wojciechowski | Image courtesy of OBS Sales
The record-setting daughter of Justify was aimed at the June sale after a setback earlier in the year and, after watching her sell Wednesday, consignor Jesse Hoppel stressed the importance of the company's final 2-year-old sale of the year.
“Growing up in this industry, we kids were dragged here,” Hoppel said. “And there have been times when this sale was what turned our family from red to black for the year. This sale is really important for all of the 2-year-old consignors.”
Hoppel continued, “I've done well here year after year. Hopefully, it will continue.”
The seven-figure filly marked the second straight record-setting high-priced offering at an OBS sale following the US$10.5 million (AU$14.9 million) son of Flightline who sold at the April sale.
Hip 1056 - Flightline x Lucreza colt | Image courtesy of OBS Sales
“The quality of horses these guys are bringing to the market and the results that horses from June, and March and April have at the racetrack, people see that,” Wojciechowski said. “That's what's caused the upward spiraling effect of the 2-year-old market. And the quality of horse keeps stepping up, so (the record price) is not surprising.”
“The quality of horses these guys are bringing to the market and the results that horses from June, and March and April have at the racetrack, people see that.” - Tod Wojciechowski
'Absolutely amazing': $1.4 million Justify filly to Speedway
Marette Farrell outbattled Donato Lanni in a war of phone bids at opposite ends of the pavilion to acquire a filly by Justify (hip 428) for an OBS June record US$1.4 million (AU$1.99 million) on behalf of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stable. Farrell did her bidding on the phone with OBS's Andrew Fernung sitting in the back of the pavilion, while Lanni was on the phone with Wade Cunningham in the auction stand. Justin Holmberg, sitting directly next to Cunningham, egged his fellow auctioneer on several times during the bidding, but eventually there was no answer to Farrell's final, record-setting bid.
“She was absolutely amazing,” Farrell said of the filly. “As soon as I saw the breeze, all I wanted to do was go back to the barn to see her. And so many times you are disappointed when you see a phenomenal breeze like that. But when I went to the barn, she was everything I could have hoped for. She had size, muscle, presence, a great sense of mind.”
Hip 428 - Justify x Harbingerofthings filly | Image courtesy of OBS Sales
The gray filly is out of stakes winner Harbingerofthings (Rockport Harbor) and is a half-sister to graded winner and Grade I-placed Tell Your Daddy (Scat Daddy) and to graded winner Dynadrive (Temple City).
“She is by a phenomenal sire in Justify who we are real believers in,” Farrell said. “Peter Fluor loves Justify, so that was an added plus. And of course, she is a half to a Grade I-placed filly and a couple of other really good horses. It's Mindframe's extended family. Speedway Stable has a broodmare band now and these are the kind of fillies we want to add to the band. The ones that have brilliance.”
“She (Hip 428) is by a phenomenal sire in Justify who we are real believers in.” - Marette Farrell
Consigned by Hoppel, the filly is the first to sell for seven figures at the OBS June sale. The auction's previous high-priced record was set last year when a filly by Curlin from Mufajaah (Tapit) sold for US$975,000 (AU$1.39 million).
“I hated that we had to pay that much money,” Farrell admitted. “I knew she would be close to seven figures, but you can't walk away from a filly that is as phenomenal as her. Good horses come from everywhere. Peter and K.C. know that and they know when I make a call, I really believe in this horse and I've done my homework. And I truly believe that's a special horse. They want what we believe might possibly be the best and to me she was the best.”
Marette Farrell | Image courtesy of Fasig -Tipton
Farrell also credited her team for getting that homework done.
“I am so lucky to have a great team of people around me like Tescha Von Bluecher, Zoe Cadman, and Ashley Castrenze,” she said. “We work hard, but we also have a lot of laughs together.”
The rise and rise of Jesse Hoppel
Consignor Jesse Hoppel had his first seven-figure result when he sold a colt by Mo Town for US$1.05 million (AU$1.5 million) at the OBS March sale and he was quick to add a second when selling a filly by Justify for US$1.4 million (AU$1.99 million) at the OBS June sale Wednesday.
“We got really fortunate,” Hoppel said. “We are grateful that everyone believes in us enough to bid on our horses like that. She exceeded our expectations by far. She is a really nice filly. She's got a really nice family. Hopefully she is a raving success on the racetrack and goes on to be a good broodmare. All of those things I think are possible with that filly.”
“We are grateful that everyone believes in us enough to bid on our horses like that. She (Hip 468) exceeded our expectations by far. She is a really nice filly.” - Jesse Hoppel
The filly, who worked a quarter-mile in :20 4/5 in last week's under-tack preview, was targeted at the June sale after a setback earlier in the year.
“She was turned out with a bunch of fillies in a big field, just being a horse,” Hoppel said. “We raise horses natural, have them turned out and let them be a horse. Sometimes they come in with bumps and bruises. That's the risk you run. She had a big lump on her shin. What happened? I don't know. None of the fillies would say.
Jesse Hoppel | Image courtesy of OBS Sales
“To this day, she retains a slight profile on that shin. That's just the way the body reacts. It set me back. She would have been here in April or March and it set us back a little ways. She came out of it really well. She looks to be a great racehorse. And now she's doing great.”
Of the set back, Hoppel admitted, “It was a blessing in disguise. Sometimes it feels like you are being dealt a blow, but you're just setting up for a punch. It worked out like that.”
Hoppel and his father Pat purchased the filly for US$100,000 (AU$142,000) at last year's Keeneland September sale.
“We go after a lot of horses,” Hoppel said. “And sometimes they fall through the cracks. And that filly at Keeneland, she fell through the cracks. We were fortunate today.”
The OBS June sale concludes with a final session beginning at 10:30am on Thursday.
