OBS spring: Median continues to grow in third session

Following two days that blew out a record pace, the third session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. spring 2-year-olds in training sale held fairly steady on Thursday, but still showed growth in the median sale price, led by a $725,000 War Front colt.

Thursday’s session finished with 175 horses sold for revenues of $16,047,500, down 11 percent from last year’s third-session gross when 182 horses brought $18,006,500. The third day of last year’s auction was easily the strongest of the 2017 sale, boosted by a trio of seven-figure horses.

The average sale price declined 7 percent to $91,700 from $98,937, while the median increased 13 percent to $55,000 from $48,500. Thursday’s buyback rate finished at 19 percent, which is a strong number, but could not match the other-worldly rate of 7 percent during last year’s third session.

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No horses passed the seven-figure point on Thursday after three did so during last year’s third session, but the three horses that passed the $500,000 threshold tied the comparable day of trade in 2017. The number of transactions at the $250,000 price point and above went unchanged at 15, while six-figure sales rose slightly to 49 from 45.

Thursday’s sale-topper was Battle of Algiers, a War Front colt who sold to Katsumi Yoshida of Japan’s Northern Farm for $725,000 in the closing offerings of the session.

The bay colt is out of the Lahib mare River Belle, who is a Grade 2 winner in the U.S. and a Group 3 winner in England. She is the dam of four winners from six foals to race, including Grade 3 winner Strathnaver, U.A.E. stakes winner Siyaadah, and English stakes-placed Soho Dancer.

Bred in Kentucky by Lofts Hall Stud, Battle of Algiers is from the family of Italian Group 3 winner Dancing Table, and Italian 1,000 Guineas-placed Kiralik.

Battle of Algiers breezed a quarter-mile in 21 1/5 seconds during the pre-sale under-tack show over the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack surface.

Niall Brennan consigned Battle of Algiers, as agent. The colt was offered at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale, but he finished under his reserve with a final bid of $275,000.

Battle of Algiers is the second foal by War Front and River Belle to be well received at auction. Full brother Middle Kingdom sold to China Horse Club for $1,246,502 at the 2015 Tattersalls October yearling sale.

Tom McCrocklin finished as the day’s leading consignor by gross, with six horses sold for revenues of $1,345,000. Leading the way was an Arch colt who sold to Marc Keller for $410,000.

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan was the session’s leading buyer, with two purchases totaling $760,000. He signed for the day’s second-most expensive juvenile, a $650,000 Candy Ride filly.

Despite mild declines in gross and average on Thursday, cumulative returns were still safely ahead of last year’s record-setting auction.

A total of 533 horses changed hands through the first three days for a combined $51,550,500, outpacing last year’s three-day gross of $47,793,700 from 534 sold by 8 percent. The gross through three days trails the final revenues from the four-day 2016 renewal of the OBS spring sale by just $460,000.

The average sale price tracked 8 percent ahead to $96,718 from $89,501, while the median was up 22 percent to $55,000 from $45,000.

The OBS spring sale concludes Friday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.

To view the full results from Thursday’s session, click here.