Lanni locks in $2 million Good Magic for Zedan on day two at OBS

The second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale on Tuesday saw fireworks at the end of the day. A bidding duel between trainer Steve Asmussen and agent Donato Lanni kept climbing, reaching a fever pitch at $2 million for a son of Good Magic.

"We really liked this colt, everyone saw what he did, and if you come to the sales long enough, you see a few horses do what he did," Lanni said. "It was pretty extraordinary, his breeze, how he came back from his breeze, and how he handled himself all week. We are here to buy the top-end horses, and I believe he was one of them."

Bidding on behalf of Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stable from the press box, Lanni was victorious with his final blow, alongside Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The colt was consigned as hip 546 by Top Line Sales, agent, and breezed an immaculate :9 3/5 during the under tack show last week. 

"This game is not easy by any means," Tori Gladwell of Top Line Sales said. "Every day, you wake up just knowing something's not going to go right, and you just pray. We have good luck, good faith, and a good team behind us. [We're] very blessed. We had Princess Noor and Arabian Knight; hopefully, this colt's better than both. We sell a good product, and hopefully, they showcase themselves well. That's all we try to do is sell a good, sound, fast product that people like." 

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto, the colt sold last year for $190,000 during the Keeneland September Yearling Sale to Bishop Bloodstock, a Gladwell family pinhooking partnership. The colt is the first foal out of the winning Uncle Mo mare Hoppa.

"We took a shot buying that horse at Keeneland; he's a little light on page, but physical, he's an 11-plus. That horse is amazing on the shank, and Good Magic was just so-so when we purchased the horse," Gladwell said. "We took a little bit of a risk, and it panned out; Good Magic's hot right now. The horse just bloomed into an amazing athlete. 

"He's just an average-sized horse, has a huge stride, and does it so effortlessly. He's a machine on the track; watching him progress will be fun. He galloped out extremely fast, and you don't even want those babies going that fast, but he does it so easy; it comes naturally to him."

Top Line Sales was the session's leading consignor, with six horses sold for a gross of $3,360,000. Eddie Woods pulled in second with gross receipts of $2,910,000 for 12 horses sold. Lanni was the Day 2 leading buyer with his single purchase.

"I expected him to cost a lot, good horses command good prices, and he was a standout," Amr Zedan told BloodHorse over the phone. "He demonstrated an amazing breeze, looked the part, and most importantly, Bob fell in love with him. Donato flagged the horse and Bob loved what he saw; we huddled up, and the rest is history."

Zedan added: "It's challenging to find this quality of horse, and our motto is we stop when we own them. Good horses demand a premium and that's what it takes to get winners. Let's hope he demonstrates that on the racetrack and makes us all proud. Our program and dream are the Kentucky Derby."

At the close of the second session, OBS reported 151 horses sold of the 206 on offer for gross figures of $25,178,000, which is suitable for an average price of $166,742 and a median of $90,000. Fifty-five horses failed to meet their reserves, representing an RNA rate of 26.7 per cent.

"It's a March sale record, another $2 million horse," Tod Wojciechowski, OBS director of sales, said. "Consignors are not afraid to bring a good horse here; they know they can get the money for them."

During the second session last year, 169 horses were traded of the 204 through the ring for final figures of $22,111,000. An average price of $130,834 and a median of $70,000 was recorded. Thirty-five horses failed to sell, representing an RNA rate of 17.2 per cent.

There were nine horses to sell for $500,000 or more during the second session; of those nine, there were eight distinct buyers. Cumulatively over the past two sessions, 293 horses of the 399 through the ring have sold for a gross of $46,044,500, suitable for an average of $157,148 and a median of $85,000. Of the horses offered, 106 went unsold to represent an RNA rate of 26.6 per cent.

During the two-session sale last year, 374 horses changed hands of the 431 on offer for a gross of $49,271,000, at an average price of $131,741 and a median of $75,000. Fifty-seven horses failed to meet their reserves to represent an RNA rate of 13.2 per cent.

While 200 horses have expanded the OBS March Sale with a third day of selling, OBS president Tom Ventura doesn't credit the day's success to the cancellation of the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale.

"I think that there are a few horses in here that may have gone to Gulfstream, but we have 800 horses in this sale which is 200 more than last year," said Ventura. "The pinhook average is nearly identical to last year, so we may have a horse or two, but at the end of the day, there were only 35 horses that sold at Gulfstream last year and less than 100 catalogued. So yes, we may have picked up a horse or two from that which we're grateful for, but I think the March sale stands on its own merit."

After two days of selling, Top Line Sales sold nine individuals for receipts of $5,125,000 to be the cumulative leading consignor. Lanni remains the leading cumulative buyer with his single purchase of $2 million.

"It's been a tremendous sale, the quality individuals…it's strong for the good ones," agent Mike Ryan commented. "If you have a quality horse, you will do well. Otherwise, it's not so good."

The sale concludes on Wednesday with hips 557-833 heading through the ring beginning at 11 a.m.

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