Quality Road filly tops strong opener at OBS spring sale

The opening session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. spring 2-year-olds in training sale outkicked a record pace by average and median sale prices on Tuesday, topped by an $800,000 Quality Road filly.

A total of 150 horses changed hands during the leadoff session for revenues of $14,933,000, according to figures reported by OBS shortly after the close of business, down 5 percent from last year’s first day of trade when 185 juveniles brought $15,675,700.

The average and median sale prices finished at record highs in 2017, and both figures showed gains this year through the first quarter of the sale. The average rose 17 percent to $99,553 from $84,734, while the median grew 21 percent to $55,000 from $48,000.

While those returns saw healthy spikes on Tuesday, the session also featured a significantly higher buyback rate, finishing at 29 percent after closing at 17 percent last year.

Two horses sold for $500,000 or more, tying with the opening session of last year’s sale. Horses sold for $250,000 or more dropped to 14 from 17, while six-figure transactions fell slightly to47 from 50.

Frank Fletcher Racing secured the session-topping Quality Road filly, whose $800,000 hammer price made her the highest-priced first-session offering in the history of the OBS spring sale.

The dark bay or brown filly is the third foal out of the placed Medaglia d'Oro mare Betty Brite, whose first two foals are unraced.

Bred in Kentucky by John Gunther, Eurowest Bloodstock, and Celebre Investments, the filly's third dam is the legendary Cee's Song, who produced Horse of the Year Tiznow, Grade 2 winners Budroyale and Tizdubai, and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Tizbud. Cee's Song is also the granddam of Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow, Grade 1 winner Paynter, and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Awesome Patriot, among others.

The filly breezed a quarter-mile in 22 seconds flat during the pre-sale under-tack show over the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack surface.

Eddie Woods consigned the filly, as agent. She was offered at last year's Keeneland September yearling sale, but she finished under her reserve with a final bid of $190,000.

Tuesday's transaction made the filly the most expensive foal out of Betty Brite to sell at public auction, surpassing the Awesome Again filly Oh Bette, who brought $125,000 as a weanling at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Woods was the session’s leading consignor by gross, with 11 horses sold for revenues of $2,040,000, led by the day’s most expensive horse.

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong were the day’s leading buyers, with two purchases totaling $900,000. The Arkansas-based Lieblongs bought the day’s second-most expensive horse, a $550,000 colt from the first crop of Strong Mandate.

The OBS spring sale continues daily through Friday, with each session beginning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.

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