BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A $1.45 million colt by Gun Runner led the way among a half-dozen seven-figures 2-year-olds that went before the auctioneers Wednesday on the second day of the four-day Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

With the $1 million Tapit colt that sold Tuesday at OBS, the seven juveniles have so far dropped the gavel for at least $1 million, surpassing the record five seven-figure juveniles that sold during the entirety of the 2022 OBS Spring Sale.

“Wow, great day,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “I said before the sale started that I’m always amazed how the consignors continually up the quality of the horses they bring and I think that was evidenced today by having six horses bring a million or more.

“I think as an industry we’re a glass half full kind of industry. We’re always waiting for the next big horse or we’re always waiting for the next big win. So I would never say that we never thought it could happen. We’re always hoping.”

Wednesday’s session sold 164 head for $26,128,500, an increase of just less than 1% compared to 177 horses bringing $25,894,500 on the second day of the OBS Spring Sale last year. The average of $159,320 was an 8.9% improvement compared to the $146,297 average on the corresponding day last year. The median decreased slightly from $68,000 to to $67,500. The buy-back rate Wednesday was 20.7% from 43 horses not selling among the 207 that passed through the auction ring.

Through the first two days, 324 horses have sold for $46,373,500. The $143,128 average price was a 2.6% increase compared to the $139,443 average through two days of the Spring Sale last year when 336 head generated gross sales of $46,853,000.

Cataloged as Hip 601, the Gun Runner colt was the third to last horse auctioned Wednesday and was purchased by Kerri Radcliffe as agent for Memo Racing. Consigned by Steven Venosa’s S G V Thoroughbreds LLC as agent, the bay colt is out of the Empire Maker mare Vanquished and is a half-brother to multiple Grade 2-winner Takeover Target and stakes-winning, graded stakes-producer Ladies’ Privilege. The colt worked an eighth mile in :10 flat at the under tack show.
(Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

“He’s a Gun Runner,” Radcliffe said. “It’s a little hard to get away from that. He was gorgeous horse, he breezed really well. Physically he’s lovely and he’s probably going to take a bit more time. We came here to buy nice colts and we got two.”

Venosa agreed that the Gun Runner colt was a standout.

“It’s hard to hide a good horse,” Venosa said. “And he’s a great horse.

“A horse like that with a stallion’s pedigree and a Breeders’ Cup horse under the first dam… he came up here and did everything he needed to do. He showed well all week, and I had a great team behind me that was able to help me get him here. I was never worried. You can’t hide horses like that, and people come, and he was rewarded. And he went to a person with a great eye for a horse.”

 

Hip 416, a $1.4 million colt by Into Mischief, went to Mahmud Mouni out of Raul Reyes’ Kings Equine as agent consignment. The bay colt is out of Silk Route, by Empire Maker and is a half-brother to stakes-winner Taraz. Silk Route, the dam of three winners from four starters, is a half-sister to stakes-producer Change Tack, graded-stakes-producer Overseen and graded stakes-producer Sharp Point. Second dam is Grade 1-placed, stakes-winner Jibe, a full-sister to Grade 1 and multiple graded stakes-winner Yashmak and a half-sister to Group 1-winner and European champion Commander In Chief and Group 1-winner Warning (GB). The colt worked a :9.80 at the under tack show.
(Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

“I liked this colt. I specifically came for this colt,” Mouni said. “We are lucky to get him at $1.4 million, it’s a fair price. I was unlucky in March for the horse who sold for $3 million, the Gun Runner colt. I tried to bid on him. This sale, we specifically came for this one and we got him. He’s a really, really nice horse.”

Mouni said the colt will remain in the United States and has not decided on a trainer.

 

K S I went to $1.3 million for Hip 585, a colt by Yaupon, a first crop sire and multiple graded stakes-winner of the Grade 1 Forego. Consigned by de Meric Sales as agent, the colt is out of Twitterpated, by Stormy Atlantic, a full-sister to Grade 1 and multiple graded stakes winner Stormy Lucy and graded stakes producer Elusive Luci. The colt worked breezed in :9.80 at the under tack session. He was a $285,000 purchase by de Meric Sales at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July Sale of yearlings.
(Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

Donato Lanni as agent for Zedan Racing put in the final bid of $1.15 million to purchase Hip 508 out of the Tom McCrocklin as agent consignment, a chestnut colt by Tiz the Law out of Taboo, by Forestry. The colt, who worked a quarter mile in :20.60, is a half-brother to stakes-winner Let My People Go, graded stakes-placed Der Lu and stakes-placed, stakes-producer Smartly Agree. McCrocklin purchased the colt as agent for $150,000 out of last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of yearlings.
(Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

Kerri Radcliffe as an agent for Memo Racing was busy again, buying Hip 378 for $1.05 million. The dark bay or brown colt by Nyquist out of the Distorted Humor mare Saucy Dame, a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Buffum, Grade 2-placed, stakes-winner Stormy West; stakes-placed and graded stakes-producer Renaissance Lady; stakes-placed Value Stream and stakes-producer Prima Beauty. Consigned by Harris Training Center LLC as agent, the dark bay or brown colt was a $135,000 purchase by HTC Voric Stables at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale. He worked a furlong in :10 flat at the under tack show.
(Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

“He was just gorgeous. Pure class by a stallion like Nyquist out of a Distorted Humor mare and bred by Stonestreet, which doesn’t get much better than that,” said Radcliffe, who added they have not decided which trainer the colt would go to. “Not surprised at the price.”

Robbie Harris, co-owner of Harris Training Center said the colt exceeded expectations.

“I had a $249,000 reserve on him, but I knew he was going to sell well,” Harris said. “People were telling me there was a lot of chatter about him that he was one of the top end colts. We loved him. I break 100 head every year and you always knew where he was any time he was on the track.”

 

Mahmud Mouni also purchased Hip 578, a chestnut filly by Tiz the Law that lit up the money board at $1.05 million from the consignment of Kings Equine as agent. The bay filly, who worked an eighth mile in :9.80, is out of the stakes-winning Cactus Ridge mare Tulsa Queen, a half-sister to stakes-producer Screen Saver. She was a $70,000 purchase by Laureles Racing at the 2024 Fasig Tipton October Yearlings Sale.
(Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

King’s Equine was the leading consignor Wednesday, selling two head for $2,450,000. The second leading consignor was de Meric Sales with eight head bringing $1,933,000. Tom McCrocklin was the third leading consignor, marketing three juveniles for $1,575,000.

“It feels great, I’ve had worse feelings than this,” Reyes said of his consignment’s outing. “I had a bad year last year and I really worked hard this year to be where I am. It’s very easy in this business to go up and down, and it’s hard to get up. I put a lot of effort this year into my business.

“[The Into Mischief colt] we had high expectations all year for him,” Reyes added. “He proved that he was a nice horse, and we knew he was going to be special. He did everything right and just has a really good mind. He’s a very serious horse and…the rest is history.”

Mahmud Mouni led all buyers Wednesday with the purchase of three 2-year-olds for $2,690,000. Kerri Radcliffe as an agent for Memo Racing followed with her two selections for $2,500,000. KSI’s lone purchase for $1.3 million rounded out the list of the top three buyers. 

The OBS Spring Sale runs through Friday with each session beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST. Hips 605 – 906 will sell Thursday.

Return to the April 16 issue of Wire to Wire