Larry Best has become known as a prominent buyer at auctions across the board over the last five years. But Best, who breeds and races as OXO Equine, is now poised to make an impact as a commercial breeder as well. About one year after selling his first homebred yearling, he will bring one of the most anticipated lots in the catalog to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale – a colt by reigning leading sire Into Mischief and out of reigning Broodmare of the Year Indian Miss. Best made his debut as a seller at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale when a Candy Ride colt he bred was purchased by James Bernhard for $350,000. Best found himself bursting with pride after the hammer fell, rushing over to congratulate the new owner. “Everybody congratulates me when I buy a horse, and this was the first opportunity I’ve had to congratulate someone as the breeder, and now I know how it feels,” Best said. “We got a fair value for the horse, and you hope they do well. It feels so good to actually breed a horse that someone values. It feels right, so I’m going to balance my portfolio out, and it’s part of my strategy.” Best made his intentions to build a high-class broodmare band known in 2019 – the same year he was honored with OwnerView’s New Owner of the Year award – when he spent a sale-topping $5 million for Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize at the Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale. He continued to make major purchases over the ensuing years, as he retired his colorbearers Instilled Regard, Instagrand, and Rowayton to stud and sought to support them. Best now boards his band of roughly 50 mares – including Blue Prize, fellow Grade 1 winners Cambier Parc and Concrete Rose, and graded stakes winners Beau Recall and Finite – at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., where he also stands his stallions. The Taylor family’s operation will continue to consign his young stock as agent, as the number of foals makes it infeasible for Best to race all of them as homebreds. One of the jewels of Best’s broodmare band is a mare who never won a race herself. Indian Miss, a 13-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie, is the dam of five winners from six starters, including Eclipse Award champion sprinter Mitole and classic-placed Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie. Earlier this year, Indian Miss was named Kentucky’s Broodmare of the Year at the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders’ annual awards ceremony. The award is considered the national honor for a broodmare. “Indian Miss is one of the most remarkable mares that I have ever had the pleasure to work with,” Katie Taylor of Taylor Made said. “Not because of an imposing stature, flawless conformation, or royal race record. Indian Miss is remarkable because she is the embodiment of the ideal broodmare. She is quiet and kind, devoted to her foals, and a consistent producer. . . . She outproduces herself time and again.” Indian Miss was bred by the late Ed Cox Jr., who bred both Hot Rod Charlie and Mitole. Best purchased the mare for $1.9 million out of the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale from the consignment of Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales, as agent, while she was carrying the current Into Mischief yearling. Indian Miss delivered that Into Mischief colt in January 2021. She was bred to Best’s first-year stallion Instagrand, a son of Into Mischief, and produced that colt earlier this year. Taylor spoke highly of both colts. “Larry’s wisdom in purchasing this [mare] has resulted in her becoming the crown jewel of an already pretty impressive broodmare band,” Taylor said. “I’m eager to see these amazing colts join Hot Rod Charlie and Mitole on the track.”