Leading Florida sires well-represented in two-day offering
By MICHAEL COMPTON
Special to Wire to Wire
Following on the heels of a Keeneland January horses of all ages sale that posted huge gains, OBS looks to keep the momentum going this week with its winter mixed sale. As the first major auction of 2012, Keeneland concluded its four-day sale with an increase in average of 53.2 percent and a 100 percent gain in median price from one year ago.
OBS officials will look to keep the beat rolling. The two-day winter mixed offering kicks off today at 11 a.m. with a consignor preferred session, featuring hip numbers 1-110, followed by a new horses of racing age section to include hip numbers 111-264. On Wednesday, hip numbers 301-572 are slated to sell in the open session.
Horses in the new racing age section of the catalog include 35 newly-turned 2-year-olds and 119 older horses. Hip No. 145 is Lady Clara, a daughter of Hard Spun out of the stakes-winning Exbourne mare Victorica, who most recently finished third in the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct. She is consigned by Gayle Woods, agent.
Those on the lookout for broodmares will find mares in foal to a strong group of stallions. Among the proven Florida sires represented in the sale are Stonewall Farm Ocala’s Leroidesanimaux (BRZ), Vinery’s Pomeroy and D’wildcat, Ocala Stud Farm’s Montbrook and High Cotton, Bridlewood Farm’s Put It Back, Journeyman Stud’s Awesome of Course and Wildcat Heir and Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds’ With Distinction.
Leroidesanimaux, who stands for $22,500, was represented in 2010 by Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Animal Kingdom, as well as graded stakes winners Always a Princess, Leroy’s Dynameaux, Sarah’s Secret and Una Cabeza.
Among Pomeroy’s numerous 2011 stakes winners were multiple graded stakes winner Pomeroys Pistol, the blazingly fast Flashpoint and Positive Response. Pomeroy stands for a $10,000 fee. D’wildcat had eight stakes horses last year. Among his best progeny are Telis, a champion in Mexico, Authenicat, D’Funnybone and D’Wild Ride. D’wildcat stands for $6,500.
Montbrook, who stands for $7,500, is a perennial leading Florida sire. He is Florida’s leading sire of stakes winners (47) and graded stakes winners (15), as well as Florida’s leading sire of stakes horses (82). His top runners include Eclipse champion and Florida-bred champion Big Drama, Monteration, a champion in Puerto Rico, Shake You Down and 2011 standouts Tackleberry and Shadowbdancing.
High Cotton, one of the country’s leading freshman sires in 2011, was led by promising 2-year-old Currency Swap, winner of the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and stakes-placed Tarpy’s Goal and Angel’s Tune. He stands for $5,000.
Put It Back is the sire of three South American champions in Requebra, Skypilot and Nitido. He is also represented by Back on Top, a champion in Trinidad and Tobago, Black Bar Spin, a multiple stakes winner in Japan, as well as multiple stakes winners In Summation and Jessica Is Back. He was represented last season by the promising Luke of York, winner of Keeneland’s 75th Anniversary Stakes. Put It Back’s stud fee is $5,000.
Awesome of Course has made his share of headlines in the last two years. His best runner, Awesome Feather, remains undefeated in her career. After sweeping Calder’s Florida Stallion Stakes as a juvenile in 2010 for her breeder Jacks or Better Farm, she went on to capture that year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs. She returned in fine form in 2011 racing in the silks of Frank Stronach, annexing the Le Slew Stakes and the Gazelle Stakes (G1).
Awesome Feather is not alone in attracting attention to her sire. Fort Loudon swept his division of the Florida Stallion Stakes last year before an unplaced effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at season’s end. Awesome of Course, who stands for $5,000, is also the sire of stakes winners Honey Honey Honey, Awesome Belle and Redbud Road.
Wildcat Heir is Florida’s leading stallion each of the last two years. His offspring vaulted him to the top of many statistical categories in 2011, including earnings, stakes winners, stakes wins, winners and wins. His 2-year-old Vexor, captured the Nashua Stakes (G2) last year. He stands for $10,000.
With Distinction, a son of Storm Cat and a leading sire of juveniles, closed out 2011 on a strong note. He was represented last year by stakes winners Decisive Moment, For Oby and Italo. His 2012 stud fee is $7,500.
Additional Florida sires with mares in foal include Get Away Farm’s Imperialism, Winding Oaks Farm’s Graeme Hall, Ward Ranch’s Bring the Heat, and Lambholm South’s Leading the Parade to name a few.
Other stallions featured include Scat Daddy, Tale of the Cat, Rock Hard Ten, Langfuhr and Mizzen Mast.
Among the new, young sires with mares in foal are Hartley/De Renzo’s Cool Coal Man, as well as out-of-state sires Lookin at Lucky, Tiz Wonderful, Munnings and Noonmark.
Cool Coal Man, a son of Mineshaft—Coral Sea, by Rubiano, earned $929,728 in his racing career. He was a stakes winner at ages three, four and five and he retired with 10 wins from 30 starts. Winner of the 2008 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), Cool Coal Man stands for $5,000.
The 203 newly-turned yearlings in the sale are highlighted by such Florida sires as Journeyman Stud’s Wildcat Heir, Ocala Stud’s High Cotton, Hartley/De Renzo’s With Distinction, and Winding Oaks’ Graeme Hall. Others include Mr. Greeley, Congrats, Hard Spun, Discreet Cat, Harlan’s Holiday, Bluegrass Cat, Pollard’s Vision, Rockport Harbor and Freud.
Florida stallions with yearlings in the sale include Journeyman Stud’s Circular Quay and Cowtown Cat, Bridlewood Farm’s In Summation, and Get Away Farm’s Two Step Salsa. Other stallions with yearlings in the sale include War Pass, Street Boss, Pioneerof the Nile, Dunkirk, Einstein (BRZ), Cowboy Cal and Kodiak Cowboy.
Last year’s winter mixed consignor preferred session saw 117 head sell for a gross of $1,458,400. The average price was $12,465. A total of 192 head changed hands in the open session, bringing a gross of $917,600, good for a $4,779 average. Gross and average for both sessions showed gains from the 2010 session totals.
Leading buyer last year was Antoine Douaihy, who bought 12 horses for $107,300. FHMB signed for one horse, the sale topper, at $100,000 and was the second-leading buyer. The sale topper was a colt by Congrats named I’m Buyin. Andy Cant, agent, consigned the topper.
George and Karen Russell’s Rustlewood Farm was the third-leading buyer last year, signing for three head for $52,500.
Sales results are available on the OBS website at www.obssales.com, updated hourly during each session. Results of Monday’s optional under tack show will be posted on the OBS website as well and videos will be viewable on the sales grounds.
Photo by Louise Reinagel - 2011 OBS Mixed Sale topper Hip No. 69 Florida-bred Congrats colt out of Toasttofriendship.
