OBS June sale offers value, second chances
The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. concludes its annual trio of 2-year-olds in training sales with its June sale, which through the years has produced some diamonds in the rough for savvy horsemen.
The OBS June sale is billed as an open sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age, but juveniles dominate. Accounting for supplemental entries, there are 1,074 juveniles and 13 older horses cataloged for the three-session sale, which begins Tuesday.
Those panning through the catalog may find gold. Although the catalog likely won’t produce the seven-figure fireworks seen at the more heralded OBS March and April sales – the sale-toppers at the past five editions of the June sale have brought an average of $680,000 – it has produced its fair share of stellar runners, at bargain prices. Recent graduates include two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner and Eclipse Award champion Stormy Liberal; Grade/Group 1 winners Bella Sofia, Medina Spirit, War Like Goddess, Yaupon, and Zenden; and graded stakes winners Adare Manor, Anothertwistafate, C Z Rocket, and Webslinger. Those 10 horses were purchased for an average of $207,200, with half not cracking six figures on the bid board.
Two members of that esteemed group of graduates showcase a key facet of the OBS June sale: The auction provides a showcase where young horses who are late bloomers can stand out, after not being ready for previous sales or being overlooked earlier in the season. Yaupon, by Uncle Mo, was a $485,000 buyback at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale before selling for $255,000 about 2 1/2 months later at OBS June. He went on to win 6 of 8 starts for Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt, with four stakes wins highlighted by the Grade 1 Forego. He is now a popular young stallion.
More recently, Webslinger, by Constitution, was a $45,000 buyback at OBS April, then sold to D. J. Stable for $50,000 in June 2022. He was a stakes winner last year and has not missed the board in five starts this year, with consecutive wins in the Grade 2 American Turf and Audubon Stakes.
Some of the standouts at the under-tack preview show for OBS June will be looking to follow this pattern. A Malibu Moon colt who is one of nine tied for the bullet furlong at the midway point of the breeze show, and a Chitu colt who holds the bullet quarter-mile, were both buybacks at the OBS March sale. With improved ontrack performance following additional months of development and, perhaps, more advantageous catalog placement, both are looking for a breakthrough.
The Florida-bred Malibu Moon colt, from the penultimate crop of his classic sire, breezed a furlong in 10 1/5 seconds during the March under-tack preview on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack; two juveniles tied for the bullet at that sale, at 9 3/5 seconds. He went through the ring as Hip No. 17 early in the first session of the sale, a position some consignors view with trepidation, believing the marketplace needs time to warm up. He failed to meet his reserve, with a high bid of $155,000.
Consignor Gene Recio, acting as agent, now has the colt ready for OBS June, and he zipped a furlong in 9 4/5 seconds. This time the colt, who is from the immediate family of graded stakes winner Derwin’s Star, is Hip No. 356.
The statebred colt by Florida stallion Chitu was Hip No. 10 at the same OBS March sale session as the Malibu Moon colt and was a $70,000 buyback after breezing in 10 seconds flat. Now named Esperon, the colt has developed enough to work a quarter-mile for OBS June. He zipped that longer distance in an eye-catching 20 1/5 seconds for Silvestre Chavez Thoroughbreds, as agent. The full brother to two winners is Hip No. 347 in this sale.
In addition to these two Florida-bred bullet workers, another standout young Florida sire is showcased among the nine juveniles who shared the 9 4/5-second bullet through three of six sessions of the breeze show. A Bucchero filly, consigned by Halcyon Hammock Farm, as agent, and a Bucchero colt, consigned by Hector Barajas, were bred in Florida.
Bucchero, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions, was third on Florida’s 2022 freshman sire earnings list behind breakout success Girvin, who has since moved to Kentucky, and Awesome Slew. Bucchero equaled Awesome Slew with 11 individual winners.
Also in the group are a filly by Bucchero’s sire, Kantharos; a filly by four-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief; and one more filly, by Jimmy Creed. Colts by Courageous Cat, Hard Spun, Malibu Moon, and Mo Town rounded out the top nine.
The breeze show was to continue with its final three of six sessions through Saturday.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.