OBS OCTOBER SALE RECAP

Big Gains for OBS

Abbie Road Colts Top Both

More thoroughbred yearlings sold for more gross sales for higher averages at this year’s two-day Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale held Oct. 12-13, when compared to last year.

For the Selected Yearling Session on Oct. 12, 99 horses sold for a total of $4,498,500, up 32.4% compared with 86 yearlings bringing $3,397,000 a year ago. The average price was $45,439, up 15% compared with $39,500 last year, while the median price was $32,000, rising 14.3% compared with $28,000 in 2020. The buyback percentage was 26,1%; it was 36.3% a year ago.

For the Open Session on Oct. 13, 276 yearlings sold for a total of $5,173,500, compared with 258 bringing a total of $2,811,900 a year ago. The average price was $18,745, up 72% compared with $10,899 in 2020, while the median price was $15,000 double the $7,500 figure a year ago. The buyback percentage was 18.1% compared with 21.3% a year ago.

Cumulative figures saw 384 head sell for $9,887,500 compared to last year when 344 yearling brought $6,208,900, an increase of 59.2%. The cumulative average went from $18,049 a year ago to $25,749 this year—a jump of 42.68%.

“The market has been good since the Spring with the 2-year-old sales and then the yearling sales have been good in Fall so it continued here,” OBS president Tom Ventura said. “That was good to see. The purses at a lot of racetracks have risen and I think there is opportunity with tracks that may not be on the high end offering competitive purses and that is an important piece of the puzzle to attract new investors.

The star consignor for the sale was Lisa McGreevy and her Abbie Road Farm, who consigned the top selling colts on both days for $170,000 each. For the sale, Abbie Road Farm was the second leading consignor with 38 head generating $1,211,500.

Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield lead all consignors with $1,361,000 from 38 head.

Elusive Thoroughbreds was the leading buyer having purchased four head for $383,000. The second leading buyers were Nick and Jaqui de Meric, who purchased seven yearlings for $377,000 in the name of their de Meric Sales as an agent.

Topping the Selected Session was Hip 67, a son of Midnight Storm consigned by Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm as an agent. The dark bay or brown colt sold to Elusive Thoroughbreds for $170,000. The dark bay or brown colt is out of stakes-winning Unbridled Energy mare Sterling Madame, a half-sister to stakes-producer Blushing Royale.

The Open Session top seller was Hip 442, a son of Ransom the Moon also consigned by Abbie Road Farm as an agent, that went to Redwings for $170,000. The dark bay or brown colt is out of Bold Lady, by Aikenite, a half-sister to Grade 1-placed, stakes-winner Mambo in Seattle.

Both horses were pinhooked by brothers Israel and Alex Chavez, who purchased the Midnight Storm colt for $27,000 and the Ransom the Moon colt for $11,000, both as weanlings at Keeneland November. They have their training operation based locally at the Ocala Horse Complex.

“My brother and I have been working in this business for years but went out on our own two years ago so this is very exciting,” Alex Chavez said. “I want to thank Lisa McGreevy and her entire team

October Yearling Sale

Sessions

for doing such a good job.”

Hip 4, a Florida-bred son of Journeyman Stud leading Florida sire Khozan consigned by Beth Bayer as an agent, went to Elusive Thoroughbreds for $125,000. The bay colt is out of Karen’s Wildcat, by Wildcat Heir, from the family of stakes-winner Pleasant Dilemma. The colt was bred in Florida by Stonehedge LLC.

Finisterre Racing paid $125,000 for Hip 121, a Florida-bred son of Kantharos consigned by Summerfield as an agent. The bay colt, a half-brother to graded stakes winning OBS Yearling Sale graduate Happy Farm, is out of Gospel Girl, by Holy Bull and was bred by Rustlewood Farm.

Hip 22, a daughter of Kantharos consigned by Danielle Loya’s Silver Oaks Farm as an agent, was sold to Al London for $120,000. The chestnut filly, a full sister to graded stakes winning OBS graduate and Pleasant Acres Stallions’ resident stallion Bucchero, is out of Meetmeontime, by General Meeting.

Hip 69, a Florida-bred daughter of Practical Joke consigned by Beth Bayer as an agent, was purchased for $110,000 by de Meric Sales as an agent. The bay filly is out of T’as d’Beaux Yeux, by Desert Party, a half-sister to graded stakes-placed, stakes winning OBS-graduate Doctor Chit. The filly was bred by Nature Coast Thoroughbreds.

Several Florida-based stallions represented by their first crops had successful showings in Ocala Stud stallions Awesome Slew and Girvin; Bridlewood Farm resident Tunwoo; and Bucchero, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions.

“That’s promising, because you have these young sires in the pipeline that are throwing some athletic looking horses,” Ventura said. “That is exciting to see.”

Hip 406, a Florida-bred filly by Awesome Slew sold for $100,000 to RiceHorse as an agent. Consigned by Camelot Acres Racing and Sales as an agent, the bay filly is a half-sister to stakes-winner Hear My Prayer and out of the stakes-winning mare Additional Prayer, by Songandaprayer. She was bred in Florida by Janet Erwin.

Hip 318, a Florida-bred daughter of Tunwoo consigned by Stuart Morris as an agent, went to Eddie Plesa as an agent for Karl & Cathi Glassman, for $85,000. The dark bay or brown filly, out of stakes winner Savingtime, by Kantharos, is a half-sister to OBS Yearling Sale graduate Outfoxed, winner of the $400,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes My Dear Girl and $200,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Susan’s Girl at Gulfstream Park. She was bred in Florida by Susan and Charles Chu’s Baoma Corporation, owners of Tunwoo.

A gray or roan filly by Bucchero sold for $75,000 to Albert Davis from the consignment of Danielle Loya’s Silver Oaks Farm as an agent. The filly is out of the stakes-winning Value Plus mare Sliver of Hope, a half-sister to stakes-winner Sweet Redemption and stakesplaced Silver Summation and sold has Hip 61. She was bred in Florida by Southern Chase Farm Inc. and Karen Dodd and Greg Dodd.

Girvin was represented by a $75,000 filly who was the first to pass through the auction ring as Hip 1. Consigned by Summerfield as an agent, she went to Finisterre Racing. She is out of Joe’s Gift, by Sky Mesa, a half-sister to stakes-place Durango and stakes-producer Magic Spell. The filly was bred by Brad Grady and Misty Grady.

The next item on the OBS agenda is the 2022 Winter Mixed Sale, including the Horses of Racing Age section, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 25-26. ■

Hip No. 4 ■ Judit Seipert Photo