American Pharoah filly tops first day of Ocala Breeders' Sales 2-year-old auction at $650,000

A filly by American Pharoah sold for $650,000 to lead the opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale of 2-year-olds in training on Tuesday, with the session posting declines as it opened a juvenile sale season with a shifting landscape.

The market was expected to show restraint during OBS March due to the evolving coronavirus pandemic, which has affected the business world at large, with the stock market dropping, and has forced the cancellation or postponement of other early-season juvenile auctions. The OBS March auction, which was already in the midst of its pre-sale under-tack show as cancellations began rolling in last week, elected to proceed, with the company increasing sanitation measures around the auction pavilion and increasing its phone bid capacity for buyers unable or unwilling to attend.

OBS reported 134 horses sold on Tuesday for gross receipts of $12,550,500. The opening session of the 2019 renewal had 144 horses reported sold for $22,134,000. That session was led by Chestertown, who sold for a sale-record $2 million, meaning this year’s renewal was already fighting an uphill battle in terms of figures, even without the health crisis.

The session's average price was $93,660, a drop of 39 percent from $153,708. The median price was $50,000, down 40 percent from $83,500. The buyback percentage was 44 percent, compared to 30 percent.

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was last year's leading freshman sire, and has stakes performers around the globe, including Hyacinth Stakes winner Cafe Pharoah in Japan. His OBS March session leader is now also headed to Japan, with Katsumi Yoshida purchasing the filly from the consignment of Wavertree Stables, as agent.

The filly breezed a quarter mile in 20 2/5 seconds during the under-tack preview show for the sale, standing alone with the fastest time at that distance. The filly is out of the winning Songandaprayer mare Megalicious, dam of stakes-placed My Sweet Stella, and the second dam of stakes winner Snapy Gal. Megalicious is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Abbondanza.

For hip-by-hip results from Tuesday's session, click here. The OBS March sale concludes with a second and final session on Wednesday.