BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A $2 million filly by Nyquist had things buzzing Wednesday at Ocala Breeders Sales during the second day of their annual March Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Surpassed only by Brant, a son of Gunner Runner who last year sold for $3 million to Donato Lanni as an agent for Zedan Racing during the March Sale, Wednesday’s Nyquist filly joins Muth in 2023 and Chestertown in 2019 in the OBS March $2 million club since 2001.

She is one of six 2-year-olds this year to sell for at least $1 million during the first two days of the three-day March Sale and the second by Nyquist. Last year, seven juveniles dropped the gavel with seven-figure price tags during the three-day March Sale.

Consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables as agent and cataloged as Hip 372, the bay filly was purchased by bloodstock agents Killora Stud/Linton for Boyd Racing. She is the second foal out of the Lucky Pulpit mare Smooth and Savvy, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Smooth Like Strait.

“She was just an absolute queen. The whole week she was so professional,” Hannah Jennings of Killora stud said of the Nyquist filly. “Obviously her stride was fantastic on the track. And physically she’s everything we could ever want.

“Nyquist is one of our favorites. He’s an elite horse and Ciaran [Dunne] sold two Grade 1 winning Nyquist fillies out of OBS, so hopefully she can be the third.”

At previous OBS auctions, Dunne has sold Grade 1-winners Tenma and Cavalieri, both daughters of Nyquist. 

“She’s a beautiful physical, she put in an unbelievable work,” Dunne said of Hip 372. “She vetted clean and you know, if you can’t sell her, you just need to quit selling.”

The filly was purchased last year for $300,000 by Forest Bloodstock at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Hip 416, a son of Into Mischief from Susan Montayne’s S B M Training and Sales as agent consignment, fell just a few bids short of the $2 million mark when Frank Fletcher Racing Operations went to $1.85 million. It was, however, the first time Montayne sold a horse for seven-figures.

“He’s by one of the leading sires of our generation,” bloodstock agent Donato Lanni said after signing the ticket. “Bill Mott is going to get him and Bill really liked him. So he got a pretty good endorsement. Frank [Fletcher] likes to run at Oaklawn and he looks like a dirt horse. I’m happy for Frank, he’s been in the business a long time and he’s very game.”

Out of the graded stakes-placed Will Take Charge mare Sweet Diane, the bay colt is a half-brother to stakes-winner Miss Martini and last year was purchased for $75,000 by Tami Bobo of Ocala at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“I truly thought the horse would bring over $ 1 million. Not to sound boastful but this horse has trained like the big horse all year,” Bobo said. “Susan [Montayne] named the horse King Kong early on in the training season. Every week she was diligent in sending breeze videos and this horse continued to show up and continued to show up.

“For her to sell her first million-dollar horse and for us to do that together, it means the world to me.”

Also breaking the seven-figure barrier Wednesday was Hip 299, who was purchased for $1.04 million by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni for Susan and Charles Chu’s Baoma Corp. The Chus are recognized locally for standing Valiant Minister and Tunwoo at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida.

“Beautiful horse who breezed exceptional,” Lanni said of the colt. “His breeze was beautiful and he came out of it really well. He’s going to Bob [Baffert]. Bob and …Baoma have been very lucky here over the years. We’re glad to get him.”

Consigned by Jesse Hoppel as agent, the dark bay or brown colt is by Mo Town out of the Into Mischief mare Reckon, a half-sister to Hug, a stakes-winner in Japan. Antigo bought the colt as a weanling at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $40,000.

It was also the first million-dollar horse for Hoppel.

“I grew up on these sales grounds… it’s unreal,” Hoppel said. “I’ve had a lot of horses I thought were really good but… me and my dad [Pat Hoppel] sat there yesterday and dad sat there and looked at that horse and said ‘I don’t think I’ve ever brought a horse to this sale that is this good before’, and I said, ‘I know I haven’t.’

“It would be easier if I told you what I didn’t like about [the colt], it wouldn’t be much conversation.”

Hip 440 sold for $850,000 to Zedan Racing Stable out of the Global Thoroughbreds as agent consignment. The bay colt is by Tiz the Law out of the Uncle Mo mare That’s Her M. O., a half-sister to stakes-placed Saint Dynaformer and stakes-producer Calculation.

The top-selling Florida-bred on the day sold for $800,000 to Mo Speed Racing out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment. Hip 343 is a bay filly by Upstart out of the stakes-winning mare Shananies Song, by Eltish. The filly is a half-sister to Grade 2-winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Favorable Outcome, multiple Group 3-winner Mouheeb, Grade 3-placed runners Beguine and Bellamentary and graded stakes-producer Scamper.

Duncan Racing bought the filly as a weanling for $60,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. McCrocklin bred the filly in Florida with Carolin Von Rosenberg DVM, both of Ocala, Florida.

The top selling Florida-bred eligible for the new $1 Florida Sire Racing Incentives program was Hip 537, a filly from the first crop by Ocala Stud’s Roadster out of the Trippi mare Alotofappeal that sold for $275,000 to Adelphi Racing Club/LJSS Thoroughbreds/Reeves Thoroughbreds. Consigned by Ocala Stud, the gray or roan filly is a half-sister Grade 3-winning Florida-bred Epona’s Hope, Florida-bred stakes-winners King Cab and B C’s Train, graded-stakes-placed Florida-breds Talk Logistics and Schivarelli, and stakes-placed Florida-breds Sonoma Crush and Big Rings. The filly was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and Edward Weist of Ocala and William J. Terrill of Hyde Park, New Jersey.

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association announced a new $1 million Florida Sire Racing Incentive Program for 2026, providing win incentives to owners and breeders of FSS-eligible 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Each 2-year-old winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming or stakes race at either track during calendar year 2026 will earn a $25,000 racing incentive paid directly by the FTBOA – $20,000 to the winning owner and $5,000 to the breeder.

Roadster was also represented by Hip 320 that brought $425,000 on a final bid from Lee Ackerly Racing. Consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock as agent, the dark bay or brown colt is of the stakes-placed mare San Antonio Stroll, by Stroll and is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Damon’s Mound. 

Wednesday’s session sold 143 head for $28,012,000 for an average of $195,888 and median price of $95,000. There were 42 horses that did not sell Wednesday. Cumulative numbers for Tuesday and Wednesday reflect 297 juveniles generating $51,526,500 in gross sales for an average price of $173,490 and a median of $90,000. Those numbers compare to 280 sold on the first two days of the last year’s March Sale, bringing $40,499,000 and an average of $144,639. Last year’s two-day median was $70,000.

Wavertree tops all consignors through the first two days with sales of $6,125,000 from 10 head. Top Line Sales has marketed 14 head for $3,750,000 while de Meric Sales has revenues of $3,672,000 from 15 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.

Killoa/Linton as an agent for Boyd Racing leads all buyers with their one $2 million selection while MorPlay Racing LLC/Marquee Bloodstock has taken two juveniles for $1.9 million. Frank Fletcher’s lone purchase of $1,850,000 ranks third, above Pedro Lanz as agent for KAS Stables having spent $1.8 million on two horses.

Check Florida Sire Eligibility: 2026 March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale

Return to the March 11 issue of Wire to Wire