BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Ocala Breeders’ Sales officials saw two seven-figure juveniles pass before the auctioneer Wednesday afternoon, topped by Hip 570, a $2.3 million filly by first crop sire Jackie’s Warrior, the champion male sprinter of 2021. The $2.3 price is a near record for the Spring Sale and a record for a filly. The overall Spring Sale record is held by the $2.45 million paid for Conquistador, a son of Tiznow, in 2017. It equals the $2.3 million final bid on an Uncle Mo colt, Arabian Knight, sold during the 2022 Spring Sale.
A few minutes later during the second day of the four-day auction, a chestnut colt from the first crop by multiple Grade 1-winner Cyberknife sold for $1.2 million. Wednesday’s million-dollar duo join an Epicenter colt that brought $1.95 million Tuesday at OBS.
The entire day was on the upswing with the average price increasing to $172,446 compared to the second day average of $150,068 on the corresponding day last year. Gross sales amounted to $25,522,000 from 148 sold compared to last year when 183 juveniles sold for $27,462,500. The median price jumped from $60,000 during Wednesday’s session last year to $77,500. The RNA rate came in at 27.8% compared to 11.6% a year ago.
Dermot Farrington signed the ticket on Hip 570 on behalf of Mrs. Fitriani Hay. Alex Cole, racing manager for Hay, said the filly was headed to the barn of trainer Wesley Ward.
“We wouldn’t spend that sort of money if there was any flaw,” Cole said.
Consigned by Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo’s Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds as agent, the filly is out of the Grade 3-winning Indian Charlie mare Brazen Persuasion, dam of stakes-placed Ruggs. Brazen Persuasion is also a half-sister to Grade 3-placed, stakes-winner Thankful and stakes-winner Behold de Buy. Hartley/DeRenzo was the leading consignor on the day with this lone 2-year-old while Farrington topped all buyers with two purchases for $2.58 million.
“It means a lot, this is home,” DeRenzo said. “We sold the first million-dollar horse [at a 2-year-old auction] here at OBS and she is the highest priced filly. We are part of OBS. It feels good to do it at home.
“We thought she was the best filly in the sale, and we thought we had the best colt in the sale,” DeRenzo said. “We were pretty confident about it because those kind of horses don’t come around very often. They stand out like a sore thumb. We were confident she would do really well.”
Hartley/DeRenzo consign Hip 1056, a popular son from the first crop by Flightline and scheduled to sell Friday.
Hip 576, a colt by Cyberknife – ©Judit Seipert
West Point Thoroughbreds, Mike Talla, LEB, and John Sadler as agent signed the ticket on Hip 576. Consigned by de Meric Sales as agent, the chestnut colt is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Broadway Show, a half-sister to stakes-winning, stakes-producer Super Allison.
“He was so stretchy. We’re looking for two-turn colts and we just liked him a lot,” Sadler said. “We thought his video was excellent. You would always like to buy everything for a little less, but he was a nice prospect.”
The colt helped de Meric Sales rank second among all consignors Wednesday with five head selling for a total of $1,905,000. West Point, Talla, LEB and Sadler were the second leading buyers on the day with the purchase of the Cyberknife colt.
Hip 312 was purchased by Keith Plaisance for $725,000 out of the Britton Peak as agent consignment. The bay colt is from the first crop by multiple Grade 1-winner Life is Good out of the Grade 3-winner Tiz Breathtaking, by Tiznow. Tiz Breathtaking is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed, stakes-winner Matador, stakes-placed My Cousin Martha and stakes producer Shyama.
Britton Peak rounded out the list of top three consignors, selling four head for $1,825,000.
Alex and JoAnn Lieblong went to $650,000 to get Hip 437, a chestnut filly by Omaha Beach consigned by Harris Training Center as agent. The filly is out of Alma Llanera, by Distorted Humor, a half-sister to multiple group stakes-winner Campanologist, graded stakes-producer Armilla, stakes-producer Dubai Soprano and multiple graded stakes-producer Peace Bell.
Hip 596, a Florida-bred colt by Roadster – ©Judit Seipert
The top-selling Florida-bred on the day was Hip 596, a son of Ocala Stud’s first crop sire Roadster, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and an earner of nearly $1 million. Consigned by Ocala Stud, the gray or roan colt was purchased by Shunsuke Kubota for $625,000. He is out of the Lope de Vega (Ire) mare Candy Store (Ire), a Group 3-winner in Italy and is a half-brother to stakes-winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Vive Veuve and stakes-placed Peanutbetterbombe. Candy Store is also a half-sister to Group 3-winner The Conqueror and stakes-placed Spring Love.
Bred in Florida by Speedway Stables, the colt is eligible for the $1 million Florida Racing Incentives Program, offering $25,000 to any 2-year-old winner of the maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming or stakes in 2026 at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Paid directly by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, the incentive will be split $20,000 to the owner and $5,000 to the breeder of each winner.
Hip 375 went to Flanagan Racing on a final bid of $625,000. The chestnut filly is from the first crop by champion male sprinter Jackie’s Warrior out of the Nyquist mare Well Remembered, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed, stakes-winner Audrey’s Time and Grade 1-placed, stakes-producer Silverpocketsfull. She was consigned by Scott Kintz’s Six K’s Training and Sales as agent.
Michael T. Hall’s Breeze Easy went to $550,000 to acquire Hip 499, a gray or roan colt by Essential Quality and consigned by Five Point Thoroughbreds as agent. The colt is out of the Tiznow mare Back Up the Brinks, a half-sister to stakes-winning, graded stakes-producer Student Body.
Hip 517 also sold for $550,000 out of the consignment of Paul Sharp as agent when KSI outlasted all other bidders. The bay colt is by Tapit out of Grade 3-winner and Grade 1-placed Florida-bred mare Be Fair, by Exchange Rate, dam of Grade 2-winner And Tell Me Nolies. Be Fair is also a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning Florida-bred millionaire Macho Again.
Clay Scherer as agent was the third leading buyer, selecting four juveniles for $780,000.
The OBS Spring Sale continues Thursday and Friday with each session set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Hips 611 – 916 will sell Thursday and Hips 917 – 1220 go Friday.
Check Florida Sire Eligibility: 2026 Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale
Return to the April 15 issue of Wire to Wire
