Stewart continues buying spree at OBS March sale

John Stewart emerged last fall as a major new player in the Thoroughbred marketplace, purchasing everything from weanlings to broodmares with the goal of developing a full-scale breed-to-race operation in Kentucky. While waiting for his homebreds and young stock to mature, he also has recently made moves to acquire active racehorses in the private sector. He will now also likely have several juveniles active this year, as he was again among the leading buyers at a major-market auction, with acquisitions for his Resolute Racing string at OBS March led by a $1 million Authentic colt.

This is the first crop for Spendthrift Farm stallion Authentic, the 2020 Horse of the Year after winning the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic. His seven-figure colt distinguished himself by breezing a furlong in 9 4/5 seconds at the under-tack preview show, among a large group of juveniles tied for the second-fastest furlong.

“We are really excited about our purchases at OBS, especially this [Spendthrift stallion] Authentic colt, who was bred by the fantastic team at Gainesway,” Stewart posted on the social media site X. “Both farms do am amazing job, and this colt is a great example of the quality Kentucky horse farms are capable of producing.”

Stewart, who added that his general manager Gavin O’Connor was “like a kid in a candy store” over this colt, has headquartered his own operations in Kentucky, purchasing a former Shadwell property in Midway.

Overall, Stewart purchased five juveniles at OBS for a total of $2,375,000, including an American Pharoah filly for $525,000 and a Munnings filly for $500,000. He was the sale’s third-leading buyer by gross, as Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori bought 10 horses for $2,695,000, and Donato Lanni signed for two horses for Zedan Racing, including the sale-topper, for $2.5 million.

Stewart’s new juvenile purchases will carry the Resolute colors this year, joining a racing string that grew by two recently. Stewart purchased the 3-year-old filly Pounce for $370,000 to top the Fasig-Tipton February digital sale. She promptly won the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes. A few weeks later, Stewart reached a deal to privately acquire Sweet Rebecca, an impressive maiden winner on March 10. Pounce is trained by Mark Casse, while Stewart announced his intention to place Sweet Rebecca with Chad Brown.