$1.9 million Tiz the Law filly tops second session at OBS spring sale

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training began heating up Wednesday, with a bullet-working filly by freshman sire Tiz the Law fetching $1.9 million to lead a session that posted big year-to-year gains.

OBS reported that 171 juveniles sold on Wednesday, in the second of four sessions overall, for gross receipts of $25,841,500. In last year’s second session, 189 horses sold for $24,022,000.

After a $775,000 Caracaro filly led the opening session on Tuesday, five horses surpassed that price Wednesday, led by the Tiz the Law filly. Bolstered by those sales, Wednesday’s average price finished at $151,120, rising 19 percent from $127,101 in the comparable session of the 2023 sale. The year-to-year median spiked 25 percent, to $75,000 from $60,000.

Wednesday’s buyback rate was a solid 19 percent. Figures under 20 percent are generally celebrated in what has been a selective and polarized marketplace.

The Tiz the Law filly was purchased by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen. Petersen is a prominent client for trainer Bob Baffert, who continues to stock up this sale season. The $1.8 million Win Win Win filly who topped the OBS March sale last month is bound for the trainer’s barn for Zedan Racing; the Caracaro filly who led Tuesday’s opening session at OBS April was purchased by the “Three Amigos,” Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Lanni, who typically purchases for Baffert’s clients, has signed for four of the top eight prices at the midway point of the OBS April sale; the Three Amigos have signed for two in the group.

:: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.

New York-bred Tiz the Law, by Constitution, was a Grade 1 winner during his juvenile campaign, taking the Champagne Stakes. As a 3-year-old, he added Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby, the pandemic-adjusted Belmont Stakes, and the Travers Stakes, and was second in the Kentucky Derby. He now stands at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky. Last year, his 77 yearlings sold averaged $94,955, against his introductory stud fee of $40,000. His 2-year-old average price is $338,500 through Wednesday, with 10 sold on the season.

Tiz the Law’s session topper, consigned by Tom McCrocklin, distinguished herself by blitzing a quarter-mile in 20 1/5 seconds during last week’s under-tack preview show on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack. According to OBS, that tied a track record.

The filly, bred by China Horse Club in Kentucky, is out of the stakes-placed Sky Mesa mare Moonlight Sky, whose first starter is Grade 3-placed Urban. Moonlight Sky is a full sister to Grade 3 winner Sky Girl and a half-sister to champion Abel Tasman. McCrocklin picked the filly up for $170,000 out of last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale.

“She’s a special filly,” McCrocklin posted on social media after the sale.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.