BY BROCK SHERIDAN
A filly by Kentucky Derby-winner Nyquist led the action on Friday, the final day of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale, selling for $850,000 to Donato Lanni as agent for Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp.
On the last day of the four-day auction, 140 juveniles sold for $19,666,500 compared to 168 selling for $22,781,000 on the final day of the OBS Spring Sale last year. The average price increased to $140,475, a 3.6% increase compared to the $135,601 average last year on the final day. The median price increased slightly from $65,000 last year to $66,000 Friday.
For the entire four days, OBS sold 630 head for $81,994,000 compared to 699 horses generating $90,405,000 during last year’s OBS Spring Sale. The average price this year was $130,149 compared to $129,335 while the median price jumped from $65,000 last year to $70,000 this year.
Hip 915 is a dark bay or brown Nyquist filly out of the Tapit mare Amagansett and is from the family of multiple Group 1-winner Misty for Me (Ire) and Group 2-winner Ballydoyle (Ire). The filly worked an eighth mile in :9.80 at the under tack show last week.
Kimmel & Sallusto as agent purchased Hip 995 for $725,000 from the consignment of Caliente Thoroughbreds as agent. By first crop sire McKinzie, whose Grade 1 wins included the Whitney, Pennsylvania Derby, Malibu and Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity, the bay colt is out of Bernadreamy, by Bernadini. Bernadreamy is a half-sister to stakes-producer Bubbles and Babies and the colt worked a quarter mile in :21 flat.
Selling for $700,000 was Hip 1005, a bay colt by Twirling Candy out of Bite the Stars, by Flatter. Bite the Stars is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Stanford; Grade 3-placed, stakes-winner Hedge Fund and stakes-producer Save a Rose. Marquee Bloodstock as agent selected the bay colt out of the Global Thoroughbreds LLC as agent consignment after he worked an eighth mile in :9.80.
Also bringing a final bid of $700,000 was Hip 1075 from the Niall Brennan Stables as agent consignment. The bay filly purchased by 30 Year Farm LLC is by Practical Joke out of Choir, by Pulpit, a half-sister to stakes-placed Gin Riki. She worked a furlong in :10 flat at the breeze show.
Hip 920 went to D. J. Stable LLC and Robert Cotran for $685,000 from the consignment of Paul Sharp as agent. The bay colt is by Uncle Mo out of Grade 1-placed, Grade 3-winner America, by A.P. Indy, a half-sister to graded stakes-producer Paris Bikini. The colt is a half-brother to multiple Grade 3-winner First Captain and galloped during the under tack show.
Bradley Thoroughbreds put in a final bid of $675,000 to acquire Hip 974, a filly by first crop sire McKinzie out of the Speightstown mare Bay Harbor, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Grace Adler and Grade 2-placed Virginia Key.
Hip 1093, a Florida-bred colt by Not This Time – ©Judit Seipert Photo
The top-selling Florida-bred on the day was Hip 1093, who went to Emerald Sales as agent for $450,000. The bay colt is by Not This Time out of Completed, by Verrazano, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Separationofpowers and stakes-winner Empire of War. Consigned by de Meric Sales as agent and bred in Florida by Bridlewood Farm, the colt worked an eighth mile in :10 flat.
Cumulative totals reflect that de Meric Sales was the leading consignor with 45 head generating $8,950,000 in sales. Wavertree was the second leading consignor selling 36 juveniles for $6,359,500.
Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Three Amigos partnership led all buyers with the purchase of three 2-year-olds for $2,175,000 while Donato Lanni ranked three times in the top five for various clients. Lanni for Frank Fletcher Racing purchased three head for $2,175,000 while Lael selected four juveniles for $1,930,000. Donato Lanni as agent for Michael Lund Peterson bought the sale topper for $1,900,000 to rank fourth among buyers while Lanni bought three 2-year-olds for $1,875,000 for Zedan Racing Stable to round out the top five.
OBS will conduct their June Sale of Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age June 11-13. The under tack session will run June 3-8 starting at 7:30 a.m. EDT each day.
