Liam's Map colt hammers for $1.2 million at third session of OBS spring sale

A colt from the first crop of Liam's Map sold for $1.2 million as the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training headed toward its finale with strong figures that will threaten last year's records.

OBS reported 160 horses sold for a total of $17,789,000 during Thursday's session, the third of four overall. Despite fewer horses sold, that marked a 10 percent gain in gross from 180 sold for $16,224,500 at the corresponding third session last year. The session's average price was $111,181, up 23 percent from $90,136 in 2018, while the median price was $62,000, up 13 percent from $55,000 a year ago. The buyback rate was 24 percent compared with 17 percent last year.

To this point of the sale, 479 horses have sold for a gross of $36,604,000, resulting in an average price of $113,555. That is a 19 percent gain in average from $95,746 at this point of the sale last year. Last year's four-day auction finished with a record average price of $98,203.

The sale-leading Liam's Map colt was purchased by Robert and Lawana Low from the consignment of Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, as agent. This is the first crop for Liam's Map, whose multiple Grade 1 victories included the 2015 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The son of Unbridled's Song's sale-topper breezed a quarter mile in 20 4/5 seconds on the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack surface during last week's under-tack preview.

The colt is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Amazement, whose dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Wonder Again. The latter is the dam of Group 3-placed stakes winner Red Raven. Graceful Darby and Tribulation, both winners of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, appear on the catalog page, as does Japanese champion Grass Wonder.

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