OBS January: Hard Spun filly Tuesday topper at $240,000

Second-crop sire Hard Spun added some punch to the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s January winter mixed sale, which opened Tuesday with a session that combined 110 consignor-preferred horses and a 153-horse racing-age section.

The consignor-preferred session sold 64 horses for $1,159,000, resulting in an average price of $18,109 and a $15,000 median. The racing-age section sold 71 horses for an aggregate $997,200, for a $14,045 average and $6,500 median. 

The reformatting to include a racing-age segment made year-to-year comparisons difficult. Last year’s consignor-preferred session sold 117 horses for $1,458,400, and average price of $12,465, and a median price of $9,000.

Hard Spun’s 3-year-old daughter Lady Clara, third in the Jan. 7 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct, brought $240,000 from Hard Acre Farm as the session topper. The dark bay or brown filly is out of stakes winner Victorica and is a half-sister to group-placed stakes winner King Hesperus. Gayle Woods, agent, was the consignor.

During the consignor-preferred session, an $87,000 Hard Spun yearling filly drew the highest price when she sold to Kaizen Sales, agent. The bay daughter of graded-placed Alarming Prospect, by Darn That Alarm, had obvious pedigree appeal as a half-sister to Grade 2 winner French Park. Montgomery Equine Center, agent, consigned the Jan. 24 foal.

The consignor-preferred session’s most expensive male was Hip No. 62, a $67,000 yearling Congrats colt out of the stakes-producing Carson City mare Evil Eyed Czarina. Tristan De Meric signed for the chestnut colt, an April 13 foal. Perrone Sales, agent, was the consignor. The colt is a half-brother to 2011 stakes winner Imperial Czar.

The Kaizen agency returned as consignor to sell the consignor-preferred portion’s top-priced broodmare, $60,000 Above It. WinStar Farm bought the unraced 5-year-old mare in foal to Scat Daddy. Above It is by Holy Bull and is a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Grade 3 winner Primitive Hall, as well as to Grade 3 -placed stakes winner Earth to Jackie and stakes winner Strength and Honor.

After the consignor-preferred lots, the session continued without pause with the horses of racing age, Hip Nos. 111-264.

The auction was to continue Wednesday with an open session.