BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Bulmaro, a colt by Medaglia d’Oro dropped the gavel at $650,000 to lead the Thursday session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company June Sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age. Thursday was the third and final day of the record-setting auction that saw its first seven-figure 2-year-old sell Wednesday when Speedway Stables bought a Justify filly out of the Jesse Hoppel consignment for $1.4 million. The single transaction designated Speedway as the sales leading buyer.

Cumulative totals reflect 559 head grossing a record $28,528,500, eclipsing the previous record gross sales of $27,177,000 for the 2022 June Sale. The average price of $51,035 was also a record, jumping 1.7% above last year’s record $50,243 average. The $25,000 median price equaled last year’s record median price. The buyback rate was 20.6% for the entire sale. A total of 11 horses brought at least $300,000, three more than the eight juveniles that sold for at least $300,000 last year. 

Thursday’s 2-year-old session sold 173 juveniles for $8,869,500 for an average of $51,269 and a median of $21,000. 

Thursday’s Horses of Racing Age Session sold two head for $23,000 with one not selling.

“I think it’s been a banner year for us with the records that we’ve set through all three sales and ending up on a high note with the June sale,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “Very excited and very happy with the results on the year. I still think there were a lot of horses that got sold, period and we sold a lot of horses at a lot of different price levels. I know sometimes you always want to see more at different levels, but there was plenty of trade of horses.”

Thursday’s top selling colt, Hip 824, was purchased by Donato Lanni as agent for Amr Zedan’s Zedan Racing Stables and was consigned by Marcial Galan as agent. The dark bay or brown colt is out of the winning Desert Party mare Scarlet Emerald and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Naughty Lottie. Scarlet Emerald is a half-sister to graded stakes and multiple stakes-producer Brooke’s Valentine and graded stakes-producer Gallant Miss.

“I’ve sold like 200 horses in my life,and this is the highest,” Galan said. “Me and my wife are about to cry. We work really hard. But we’re really happy with this. He gave us the result we wanted. That was the last horse and we’re ready for vacation now.”

Lanni as Zedan’s agent was the day’s leading buyer with the lone purchase.

“He looks fast. He looks like one that will go on,” Lanni said of Bulmaro. “All year for the good horses, there have been a lot of strong bidders. Every year seems to get stronger and stronger. I think there is a lot of money out there and people want to have fun.”

D. J. Stable purchased Hip 827 for $400,000. The dark bay or brown colt is a son of Medaglia d’Oro out of the stakes-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Season Ticket, a full sister to Grade 3-placed, stakes-winner Belichick, Grade 2-placed, stakes-winner Broken Game, stakes-winner Season Ticket and stakes-placed Wickenheiser. The colt was consigned by 30-30 Ranch.

Also bringing $400,000 was Hip 876, a filly by Vekoma consigned by Jesse Hoppel as agent. John Kimmel and Nick Salusto as agents for Miguel Clement signed the ticket on the daughter of winner Sonora, by Discreetly Mine, a half-sister to stakes-winner La Concerto and stakes-placed Game Token.

Hoppel led all consignors Thursday and for the entire sale. On Thursday he sold seven 2-year-olds for $791,000 and marketed 18 during the three days for $2,543,000.

“I’ve done well here year after year. Hopefully, it will continue,” Hoppel said.

Hip 995 sold for $310,000 to MorPlay Racing from the consignment of First Call as agent. The chestnut colt is by first crop sire Cyberknife out of stakes-winner Vertical Vision, by Pollard’s Vision. The colt is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes-winner and graded stakes-producer Vertical Oak, stakes-placed runners Payne and Root Cause and graded stakes-produceer Becky’s Best.

Hip 974 went to Steven W. Young as agent for $285,000. The bay colt by Practical Joke was consigned by Kings Equine as agent and is out of Tryingtolookpretty, by Mineshaft, a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Visually.

The top-selling Florida-bred on the day was Hip 903, a daughter of Omaha Beach purchased by Legion Bloodstock as agent that went for $200,000. Consigned by Scenic Sales as agent, the dark bay or brown filly is out of the stakes-placed Smart Strike mare Strike Red, a full sister to stakes-placed Red Strike and a half-sister to Grade 3-placed, multiple stakes-producer Scarlet Butterfly. Bred in Florida by Mario Bencomo and Mario Lennox Bencomo’s New Horizons Bloodstock in Morriston, the filly is a half-sister to stake-placed Secrets Told and five other winners.

The next live sale on the OBS calendar is the October Yearling Sale taking place Oct. 6-7.

OBSOnline will also hold a “Second Chance” digital auction featuring horses that were either unsold or breezed and scratched from the OBS June Sale. The online auction will take place June 26-30 with entries closing June 23.

Check Florida Sire Eligibility: 2026 OBS June 2-YR-Olds in Training and HRA Sale

Return to the June 18 issue of Wire to Wire