City Zip colt brings $800,000 as OBS June sale closes

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. June sale of 2-year-olds and horses of racing age brought the market back to earth after a record-setting edition last year but still continued a historic run when the most expensive offering in the auction’s history, an $800,000 City Zip colt, sold on Friday.

The four-day sale closed with 594 horses sold for $18,574,400, a 21 percent decline from the 2015 edition, where 596 horses brought a record $23,608,500.

The average sale price declined 26 percent from a record $39,612 to $29,159, and the median dipped 28 percent from $18,000 to $13,000. The buyback rate decreased from 25 percent to 24 percent.

At the top of the market, 11 horses sold for $200,000 or more, trailing the 21 to meet or exceed that threshold in 2015. The 33 horses who sold for six figures finished behind the 55 to do so last year.

Frank Fletcher purchased the sale-topper and OBS June record-holder, an $800,000 City Zip colt out of the Grade 3-placed Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah.

Bred in Florida by Farm III Enterprises, the bay colt is a sibling to two winners from as many foals to race: Sarah's Big Day and Iphone Addiction, both by Big Brown. The colt is from the family of Italian classic winner Bahadir and is the first foal out of Successful Sarah to bring a six-figure bid at public auction. This sale was his first time through the sale ring.

The colt breezed a quarter-mile in 21 1/5 seconds over the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack surface during the presale under-tack show. He was consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds as agent.

The record-high price at OBS June has been a hot potato in recent years, with the record being broken or tied four times in 2015 alone. Last year’s sale-topper, a Candy Ride colt later named Valiant Minister, had held the record at $680,000.

Eddie Woods was the sale’s leading consignor by gross, with 16 juveniles sold for $1,094,500. His group was led by the sale’s third-most-expensive offering, a $375,000 Distorted Humor colt out of the A.P. Indy mare Supercharger, making him a sibling to Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Grade 3 winners Brethren and Cyrus Alexander.

Nick Hines was the auction’s leading buyer, with nine purchases totaling $878,000, led by a $370,000 Candy Ride colt.

The juvenile portion of Friday’s closing session saw 145 horses sold for $5,237,000, down 3 percent from last year’s Day 4 gross of $5,417,100 from 131 sold.

The average sale price declined 13 percent from $41,352 to $36,117, while the median fell 13 percent from $15,000 to $13,000. Friday’s buyback rate finished at 26 percent, down from 27 percent during last year’s corresponding session.

The portion for horses of racing age saw 16 entries sold for $146,500, down 74 percent from 2015, when 13 horses changed hands for $568,000. The average sale price fell 79 percent from $43,692 to $9,156, while the median fell 65 percent from $12,000 to $4,250. The buyback rate finished at 16 percent, compared with 38 percent in 2015.

Seth Wilkey purchased the racing-age session-topper, going to $35,000 to secure Man the Helm, an unraced 3-year-old Super Saver colt out of the winning Johannesburg mare Miss Shipley.

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