$670,000 Curlin filly tops penultimate day of the OBS Spring Sale

The penultimate session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale ended slightly earlier than its predecessors on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the day was not without its high notes.

Once again, the buying bench at the Florida auction house showed there is tremendous depth in the market as the economy slowly recovers to pre-pandemic levels. In total, OBS reported 155 horses sold during Thursday's session for $14,491,000, while the average was $93,490 and the median $50,000. The 36 unsold horses represented an RNA rate of 18.8 per cent

During last year's delayed renewal, OBS sold 163 horses during the third session for receipts of $11,151,000 at an average of $68,411 and median of $40,000.

Cumulative totals through Thursday report 540 horses sold for gross receipts of $54,310,000 at an overall average of $100,574 and median of $50,000. The 98 unsold horses represent an RNA rate of 15.4 per cent.

"There's still plenty of activity," said OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski. "Maybe we had a natural ebb and flow of horses in the catalogue, but there was still plenty of activity and a lot of horses sold well throughout the day."

The top seller on the day was Hip 830, a bay filly by Hill 'n' Dale Farms stallion Curlin purchased for $670,000 by Pete Bradley's Bradley Thoroughbreds on behalf of an undisclosed partnership. Bred in Kentucky by John Oxley, the filly is out of Grade 2 winner Funny Proposition.

The filly was the fourth purchase of the sale for Bradley. During the opening session he purchased an Empire Maker filly (Hip 207) for $310,000 from the consignment of Julie Davies and an Into Mischief filly (Hip 226) for $120,000 from Stephens Thoroughbreds. Bradley's other purchase came on Wednesday, when he went to $30,000 on a Liam's Map colt from Top Line Sales

"Ciaran [Dunne of Wavertree Stables] said it the other day that even the lower end of this market is more than surviving," said Bradley. "There are people there for $30,000 to $50,000 horses which we really need to see.

"This is as strong as I've seen this market and given what this world has gone through, it's still awash in money. This sale has been great for the guys who pinhooked this year, and people in this business have guts and short memories. That always helps in this game."

While many international buyers were unable to attend the auction due to Covid-19 restrictions, Wojciechowski said he was not surprised to see local buyers out in force purchasing horses at all levels this year.

"Somebody had asked me about the lack of Korean buyers here because of the changes in what their government allows them to purchase," said Wojciechowski. "I said that I felt we had the capability of picking up that slack domestically, and it certainly has borne out that way."

The second-highest seller of the day was Hip 644, a colt by Claiborne Farm stallion Flatter out of the Grade 3-placed Co Cola. Consigned by de Meric Sales, the chestnut came into the session bearing possible Classic connections, as his full-sister, Search Results, currently sits atop the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 150 qualifying points toward the race at Churchill Downs.

Bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle signed the ticket in the name of an undisclosed client and MyRacehorse.com for $625,000. The colt will join the stable of Tom Amoss.

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