'He was worth taking a chance on' - $1.2 million Justify colt tops day one of the OBS March Sale

Seeing Saturday Dreams through the ring on day one of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $1,200,000 was close to the heart for Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, who sold the Justify colt's dam 11 years ago.

"We sold his mother as well and paid the exact same price for her ($250,000) and sold her for $700,000," said Randy Hartley, who runs the Ocala-based consignment along with Dean DeRenzo. "We found [Saturday Dreams] at Keeneland [2022 September Yearling Sale] and when the hammer fell at $250,000 I was like, 'Did we just get that colt?' because I didn't think we'd be able to buy him."

Out of the Grade 3-placed mare Zinzay, who produced Grade 1-placed stakes winner Moon Over Miami, the sale-topping colt consigned as hip 215 went to the partnership of Maverick Racing (the racing arm of WinStar Farm) and Siena Farm. Hartley says his price was not entirely surprising after seeing how potential buyers responded to him in the days ahead of the sale.

Hartley said: "From day one, he was just a special horse. He's like our sleeper, you don't notice him in the barn [when he was training at home before the sale]. The other ones are rearing up and playing and he's like, 'Okay when are we going out.' He's always serious and just a class horse. He's done everything right.

"I felt like he was going to bring a million because everyone loved him at the barn and he walks out and stands like a statue. His vetting was perfect and even at the end of the day when he showed and walked so much and was out all day, he just kept trucking. He didn't slow down."

Along with his superb ground manners, the dark bay or brown colt, who was bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, clocked an eighth in :10 flat and galloped out in :32 1/5 during the under tack show. Winstar's president and CEO Elliot Walden said he was the clear standout from the catalogue. 

Walden said: "We felt like he was the best horse in the sale. He's by Justify, I think the whole package of how he breezed and his pedigree, he was worth taking a chance on... He's going to go back to WinStar and we'll figure it out from there."

Though Hartley will miss having the talented colt at his farm, he smiled as he spoke about the bright future that he hopes is in the cards for the young horse.

"He's a super athlete and we couldn't be more happy than for WinStar to have him because we sell very few horses," said Hartley. "For us, we have to try to get them in the best hands so they can go on to become the best that they can be.

"We're excited and we do get attached to them, [but] when they leave our farm and go to WinStar it's like, 'Moving on up!' I couldn't be happier and I hope he does well."

For all the latest North American racing and bloodstock news, visit Bloodhorse