BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Resolute Bloodstock purchased a daughter of Twirling Candy for $400,000 Thursday to top the second day of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale of Two Year Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age. The auction will continue Friday with one session selling 2-year-olds followed by a session featuring horses of racing age.
The average price of the juveniles sold rose slightly again Thursday compared to the corresponding day last year as 191 juveniles averaged $35,824, a 2.3% increase over the $35,006 average last year on the second day of the June Sale. The median remained constant at $20,000. Gross sales Thursday were $6,911,900. Last year, 216 juveniles sold for $7,561,200 on the second day. The buyback rate Thursday was 22.8%.
Selling as Hip 509, Brown Candy is a daughter of Twirling Candy consigned by Tom McCrocklin as agent. She is a bay filly out of Cashmere, by Cowboy Cal and is a half-sister to Grade 1 Preakness-winner Rombauer and stakes-placed Cono. Cashmere is a half-sister to Grade 3-winner California Flag, Grade 3-winner and graded stakes-producer Cambiocorsa, Grade 3-placed Shadow Raider and stakes-producers Demo Memo and Cosmopolitan. Brown Sugar worked a quarter mile in :20.40 at the under tack session.
Hip 624 dropped the gavel at $310,000 on a final bid by Tom Durant. Consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, the bay filly is by Justify out of Etching, by Paynter, a half-sister to Grade 3-placed, graded stakes-producer Allez Marie and stakes-placed Kentucky Reign. The filly worked an eighth-mile in :9.80 at the under tack show.
Hip 387 was purchased by Arnold Benneth for $195,000 out of the Blas Perez Stables consignment. The gray or roan colt is by first crop sire Vekoma out of After the Rose, by Pioneerof the Nile and is from the family of leading sire Tapit. The colt worked an eighth-mile in :10 flat at the breeze show.
The top selling Florida-bred was Hip 687, who sold for $165,000 to Gatsas Stable. Consigned by Ocala Stud, the bay colt is Ocala Stud stallion Adios Charlie out of Glamalert, by Vindication, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Swift Temper, stakes-winning and graded stakes-producer Croisiere and stakes-producer Bobbin Robin. The colt worked a quarter mile in :21 flat at the under tack show.
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and Centaur Farms Inc., the colt is eligible for the $1.2 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series of 2-year-old stakes to be run later this year at Gulfstream Park.
The Florida Sire Stakes also offers several stakes for older horses each year and eligible Florida Sire Stakes runners compete for purse bonuses in selected stakes and overnight races throughout the year at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.
Robert Meier purchased Hip 535 for $150,000 out of Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables Inc. consignment. The gray or roan colt is by Twirling Candy out of Conquest Serenade, by Unbridled’s Song and is from the family Grade 1-placed, stakes-winner Fatal Bullet. He worked a quarter mile in :21 flat during the under tack show.
Hip 379 sold for $140,000 to Kim Valerio as agent out of the de Meric Sales as agent consignment. The dark bay or brown colt is by Central Banker out of Adira, by Quality Road. His third dam in Grade 3-winner Vegas Prospector and he worked a furlong in :10.40 at the breeze show.
Two other Florida-breds sold for six figures in Hip 425 and Hip 700.
DiBello Racing Stable LLC purchased Hip 425 for $130,000 from the consignment of Sennebec South Farm as agent. The colt is by Justify out of Ashlee’s Lady, by Gilded Time and is a half-brother to Grade 2-winner and graded-stakes-producer Yara, stakes-placed Gotta Get Paid, graded stakes-producer Petunia Face. The colt was bred in Florida by Jean E. White and Justify Syndicate.
Hip 700 went to D. J. Stable for $120,000. Consigned by de Meric Sales as agent, the colt is by Flatter out of Gospel Girl, by Holy Bull and is a half-brother to Grade 3-winner Happy Farm and stakes-placed runners Corey, Good Fight and Top Blue. He was bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm Inc.
Tom McCrocklin was the leading consignor Thursday, marketing five head for $572,000. Ocala Stud sold seven 2-year-olds for $318,500.
Resolute Bloodstock led all buyers with the lone purchase for $400,000.
The final day of the June Sale is Friday and begins at 10 a.m.
