Records across the board as OBS June Sale draws to successful conclusion

Following the opening session of this week's OBS June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age, Todd Wojciechowski, director of sales for OBS, said that the June sale is "all grown up." This year's three-day auction, which concluded on Friday, backs up that claim.

Once viewed as the last stop in the two-year-olds in training sale season, the June sale has generated a pipeline of graded stakes-winning graduates in recent years, and as the quality of the stock on offer has improved, so, too, has the auction's popularity with both sellers and buyers.

Fuelled by a competitive marketplace at the top-end of the market and steady trade throughout, this year's June sale established new records across all key economic indicators.

For the entire sale, 560 juveniles changed hands for a sale record $24,492,950, surpassing the previous record of $23,608,500 set in 2015.

The average price was a record $43,737, eclipsing the previous mark of $39,612 recorded in 2015. The median price of $20,000 also equalled a sale record. The overall buy-back percentage was 18 per cent; it was 20.2 per cent last year.

In Friday's final session, a total of 162 horses sold for gross receipts of $8,344,950, a 29 per cent increase over last year's third session that saw 183 horses sell for $6,468,700.

Friday's average price of $51,512 marked a 45.7 per cent spike over the sale average of $35,348 at the corresponding session a year ago. The median price was $25,000; it was $15,000 in the same session in 2020. The buy-back percentage on Friday was 18.2 per cent, compared to 16.4 per cent a year ago.

"It was another solid day of trade," said Wojciechowski. "It seemed like there was some urgency by the buyers. It felt like they wanted to get a horse bought today.

"I'm glad the momentum carried through all three days. I'm happy for our consignors. The consignors certainly had a rough go of it last year, and their fortitude and willingness to keep pressing forward paid off for them this year.

"The sale was solid at the top and there was some good strength below it. It was a good horse sale. We're happy."

Topping the sale at $425,000 was a filly by Practical Joke who sold to Gary Young, agent for Amr Zedan during the sale's opening session on Wednesday.

Bred in Kentucky by White Fox Farm, the filly is out of the stakes-placed Medaglia D'Oro mare Devious D'Oro, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Devious Intent and to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Pioneer Spirit.

Previously purchased by Billy Williams for $45,000 out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the filly breezed a quarter-mile in :21 1/5, a bullet work in the second under tack preview.

Showing the way in Friday's session was a grey or roan filly by Frosted consigned by Silvestre Chavez Thoroughbreds, agent, who was purchased for $410,000 by Mike Ryan, agent.

Bought for owner Jeff Drown, the filly is out of the Smart Strike mare Saratoga Summer and is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Summersault and to stakes-placed Singular Sensation.

The filly was previously purchased by de Meric Stables for Backstretch Farms for $115,000 as a weanling at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

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