Record-Sped Horses Boost Interest in the OBS Spring Sale of 2024

The Ocala Breeders' Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale organizers are hopeful that the 2024 edition can maintain some of the momentum from last week's head-turning breezes on the track and a roster of colts and fillies by a long list of successful stallions. Of course, not every year can produce a record sale.

On Tuesday, April 16, at noon, the four-session Spring Sale sale gets underway. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, sessions begin at 10:30 a.m. The later start time on Tuesday was implemented to provide purchasers additional time for inspection in the wake of the weather-related postponement of OBS's fifth breeze session from April 11 to April 12 and the subsequent rescheduling of sessions.

Sixty-nine of the 840 juveniles offered in last year's four-session Spring Sale sold for $90,405,000 total, or an average of $129,335 and a median of $65,000. The average exceeded the 2022 sales high mark, the median matched the 2022 standard-setter, and the gross almost equalled the record set in 2022.

"We anticipate a successful sale," stated Tom Ventura, president of OBS. "With the figures we received last year, we kind of raised the bar. While a similar market is anticipated, annual double-digit growth is not realistic. We experienced great success following the pandemic, with things consistently getting better. Though I believe the excellent horses are here, I believe that things have somewhat subsided."

Positive purse trends in Kentucky, New York, Florida, and other states, according to Ventura, who observed a lively barn area on Monday, are contributing to the surge in desire.

"I don't know if a buyer of a million-dollar horse is trying to maximize the horse's maiden win—they're looking to win the big Saturday races—but for the horses bringing mid-level prices, purse improvements for those owners are very important," Ventura stated. "It's a quicker chance to get out (even on the investment)."

There was a lot of excitement during under-tack sessions, which contributed to the energy surrounding the barns. A daughter of legendary champion Tiz the Law's first crop clocked a track record of 20 1/5 seconds for a quarter-mile on April 9. The filly, who was bred in Kentucky by CHC Inc., is consigned by agent Tom McCrocklin and will be sold as Hip 365 on Wednesday, April 16. The bay filly is a half-sister to grade 3-placed winner Urban (by Quality Road) and the stakes winner Moonlight Girl.

Consigned by Highgate Sales, McCrocklin paid $170,000 to purchase the filly Tiz the Law at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

A McKinzie filly then equalled that record effort on April 14 when she finished a quarter-mile in 20 1/5. The filly out of the winning D'wildcat mare D'fashion, consigned by agent Eddie Woods and bred in Kentucky by Brent and Beth Harris, is being presented as Hip 1143 (April 14 session). She is a half-sister to graded races-placed multiple stakes winner Strategic Dreams. From as many starters, D'fashion has produced five champions.

A Gun Runner—Perfect Wife colt by Majesticperfection, who sold for $2.2 million from the consignment of de Meric Sales to agent Donato Lanni, would lead the way among previous year's standouts who produced those impressive results. Since then, Collmus has been the colt's name.

Collmus hasn't been in a race yet, but the sale has already produced several successful graduates. Among them is Nysos, a two-time grade 3 winner who made headlines when he won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) on February 3 at Santa Anita Park by a 7 1/2-length margin. He was acquired from the Best A Luck Farm consigned by Lanni for the current owner Baoma Corp. for $550,000.

Regarding this year, McCrocklin stated on Monday that while the volume of people coming to his barn was encouraging, he was worried that the enthusiasm might not be genuine.

McCrocklin stated, "My barn has had off-the-charts traffic." I'm on an island at my own consignment, and it's 2:40 p.m. and I haven't had lunch yet. From what I've heard, the internet connection is a little sketchy. In my view, it's going back to its roots—the sport of kings. The greatest will command a higher price, and there will be fierce competition at the top, while everyone else is struggling to survive."

Ventura hopes that the variety in this sale will encourage buyers to delve a little deeper, even if that top-heavy pattern has been evident at many sales in recent years. He estimated that the catalog listed 160 sires.

"In a deal like this, that's the kind of diversity you want. The draw is that, according to Ventura. "The size of this bunch of horses was somewhat mind-boggling. We will be trimming some of our 1,200 animals based on scratches, but even so, we will have a sufficient number of horses so that anyone visiting our facility can be sure to obtain a quality horse within their budget."

In the sale this year, 1,208 2-year-olds were cataloged. As of Monday at 1 p.m. ET, 271 players had been out. The scheduled sessions are Tuesday, 1-302; Wednesday, 303-604; Thursday, 605-906; and Friday, 907-1208, in order of hip number.