'It's been great' - $1.2 million More Than Ready colt tops Ocala Breeders' Sale

Million-dollar horses returned to the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale after a two-year dearth, with a seven-figure pair sold during the second session joining a day one duo to form a powerhouse quartet - as the market momentum felt in the Thoroughbred sales arena continued its swell.

A $1.2 million son of More Than Ready topped the sale when Kaleem Shah stepped up to the plate, while an American Pharoah filly and two colts by Into Mischief reached the upper echelon.

The cumulative gross rose 30.7 per cent as OBS reported 375 horses from 431 through the ring for final figures of $49,656,000 compared to 2021, when 325 horses changed hands of the 389 offered for receipts of $37,970,000.

The cumulative average of $132,416 was up 13.3 per cent over the 2021 average of $116,831, while the $75,000 median jumped 25 per cent compared to last year's $60,000. The 56 horses that went unsold over the two days represent an RNA rate of 13 per cent. Last year, 73 horses failed to meet their reserve to represent an RNA rate of 16.4 per cent.

During Wednesday's second session, OBS reported 169 horses sold from 204 offered for gross receipts of $22,111,000. The average was $130,834 and the median was $70,000. There were 35 horses that failed to meet their reserve to represent an RNA rate of 17.2 per cent.

These figures will continue to be adjusted due to post-sale transactions.

Day two figures from 2021 reflect 145 horses sold of the 186 through the ring. Final receipts of $18,437,000 were recorded with an average price of $127,152 and a median of $70,000. Forty-one horses failed to sell to represent an RNA rate of 22 per cent.

A total of six horses reached $500,000 or more this year during the sale's second session. Seven-figure horses were last seen at this sale in 2019, when Chestertown sold for $2 million to L.E.B for West Point, Masiello, and Siena Farm, and Pellar Tate brought $1.2 million from OXO Equine.

"The first day was great, followed by another successful second day today. The gross was up from both days and just nearly past the record for this sale," OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said. "It was a lot of fun having four $1 million horses."

The sale-topping More Than Ready colt stood out early in the day and had plenty of eyes on him as he strode into the ring, having breezed a cool :09 4/5 at the sale's under tack show on March 11.

Consigned by Wavertree Stables as hip 318 and bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, the colt out of Broad Spectrum has a half brother by Carpe Diem, who is twice stakes-placed at three. Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne snatched the pinhook up for $120,000 from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"There are always a few select horses everybody seems to be on every year, and this year was no different. Most of the big players were there; I was just fortunate to get these horses," Shah said on Wednesday evening.

Charlie and Susan Chu's Baoma Corp secured the American Pharoah filly for $1 million through agent Donato Lanni from consignor Top Line Sales. He was bred in Kentucky by Torie D. Gladwell and E.V.S. Corp. The filly will be headed to trainer Bob Baffert for the Chus.

A year ago, Lanni purchased now Grade 1 winner Eda for the family from Eddie Woods for $550,000. The filly by Munnings recently won the 2021 Starlet Stakes and Santa Ysabel Stakes, all on the West Coast with Baffert.

A repeating theme echoed among the consignors was the ability to sell horses for more than was planned, exceeding expectations for the first juvenile sale of the season.

"The market has been great this week. There are buyers for $30,000 horses and buyers here for million-dollar horses," said Becky Thomas of Sequel Bloodstock. "[The sale] has been outstanding. It's very well attended, and I feel like there is an uptick in activity for this sale this year. There are a lot of people here, a lot of traffic everywhere you look, and buyers across the board."

"I felt good with the horses we had catalogued to the sale. Having watched them train the last couple of weeks leading up to the breeze show, I was very impressed with the quality the consignors brought," Wojciechowski commented. "Both the breeze show and sale were well attended, being crowded both days. It was a recipe for success having good horses and attending buyers."

Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori was the sale's leading buyer, securing seven juveniles to take back to Japan for various clients for total receipts of $3,550,000. Eddie Woods was Wednesday's leading consignor with 15 head sold for $3,351,000 and emerged as the sale leader with 24 juveniles sold for $6,393,000.

"It's really good here," trainer Larry Rivelli said. "You would never know what's going on in the world here. You think it might be down since the market is down, but it's different here. I have been doing this for 20 years, and I am still surprised."

Consignors were thrilled with the activity on the grounds despite the schedule being shifted after a tornado came through Ocala. The sales pavilion remained full throughout both days of selling, and seven different individuals accounted for the top 10 prices of the sale.

"The weather threw us some curveballs. Fortunately, we were able to catch those curves," said Wojciechowski. "We made up the difference in our scheduling, gave the buyers extra time yesterday. It worked out pretty well for what we were given."

"It's the same old story," Dunne commented. "The market is strong at the top. The middle seems solid as well. We had a good day yesterday, and obviously, a great day today."

Fifteen of the top prices across both days were for horses by freshman sires Bolt d'Oro, Cloud Computing, Good Magic, Mendelssohn, Mor Spirit and West Coast.

"The market is hot right now, and the momentum we saw last year in the yearling market has continued into this sale at least," Wojciechowski commented. "Hopefully, it continues through the spring."

"You don't necessarily need a horse that will work in :09 4/5. But they need to have the right movement. They need maturity and need to be handling their training well; no shins or ankles or anything," Thomas said. "They need to do everything well and be efficient. They need to be able to have a good, strong gallop out [in their breezes]."

The next OBS Sale will be the Spring Sale from April 19-22, with an under tack show taking place from April 10-16.

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