Hard Spun colt brings $430,000 on Day 1 of OBS sale

A Hard Spun colt sold for $430,000 to lead the way as the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training posted gains in average and median in its first of four sessions.

The sale company reported 148 horses sold, including private sales, for a total of $14,243,500 during Tuesday's session. With fewer horses sold, the gross marked a decline of 10 percent from 168 sold for $15,904,000 during last year's first of four sessions. The buyback rate also contributed to the lower gross, finishing at 30 percent compared to 20 percent in last year's opener.

The average price for the day was $96,240 compared to $94,667 in the 2018 opener, a gain of 2 percent. The median price rose 13 percent to $58,500 from $52,000.

Timothy Hills, acting as agent for Patrick Welsh, purchased the session-topping Hard Spun colt from the consignment of Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables. The colt had breezed a quarter mile in 21 seconds on the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack surface during last week's under-tack preview show.

The colt is out of the stakes-winning Pulpit mare Katerbug, the dam of three winners from five starters. Her dam, the stakes-placed Storm Cat mare Miss Kate, also produced stakes winners Outplay and Raconteur, both bred, like Katerbug, on the A.P. Indy sireline.

Miss Kate is out of Grade 1 winner Dream Deal, making her a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Clear Mandate, dam of Grade 1 winner Strong Mandate and two other stakes winners. Dream Deal produced two other stakes winners, and Japanese champion To The Victory also appears on this colt's catalog page.

For hip-by-hip results from the session, click here.