Trade off to a swift start at first session of OBS June

A trio of fast-working juveniles helped get the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. June sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age off to a swift start during Wednesday's opening session.

A Scat Daddy colt sold for $650,000, a Cairo Prince filly sold for $375,000, and an Uncle Mo colt sold for $370,000 to lead the way at the session, which posted gains compared to the 2017 edition of the auction. Each of those juveniles starred at last week’s pre-sale breeze show, establishing or tying the fastest times for a furlong, quarter mile, or three furlongs, respectively, on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack surface.

All three of those prices topped last year’s official OBS June sale topper, according to the auction company’s records, a $320,000 juvenile by Midnight Lute. Powered by that trio, Wednesday’s trade finished with a total of 171 horses sold for gross receipts of $6,460,500, according to figures reported that evening. The average sale price for the first of three sessions was $37,781, tracking ahead of the 2017 final average of $35,733 for what was then a two-session sale. The median price finished at $20,000, compared to a final figure of $19,000 in 2017. The buyback rate for the opener was 22 percent.

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The session leader, purchased by Carlo Vaccarezza, is from the final crop of Scat Daddy, whose commercial popularity was soaring even before his son Justify completed his Triple Crown sweep last Saturday.

The colt, from the consignment of Top Line Sales, as agent, breezed a furlong in 9 4/5 seconds, making him one of six to tie for the fastest move at that distance during the four sessions of the breeze show. The colt is out of the Gone West mare Satulah, who is out of Grade 3 winner War Thief, making her a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Boss Lafitte and stakes-placed Sandsarita. This colt failed to meet his reserve at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale, with a high bid of $385,000, and was entered but withdrawn from the OBS March juvenile sale.

Next on the leaderboard came the Cairo Prince filly, who sold to the Baoma Corp of Susan and Charles Chu. The filly, from the first crop of her well-regarded freshman sire, worked a quarter-mile in a bullet 20 2/5 seconds for consignor Price Thoroughbreds, agent. She is out of the winning Bates Motel mare Motel Lass, the dam of stakes winners Stormin' Lyon and Quick Flip.

Mo Mississippi, an Uncle Mo colt consigned by Gayle Woods as agent, was purchased by Exline-Border Racing LLC, via Marette Farrell, as agent. The colt worked three furlongs in 32 2/5 seconds to lead the horses who worked that distance. The colt is out of the Artie Schiller mare Mississippi Queen, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and stakes producer Asi Siempre.

The OBS June sale continues through Friday, with sessions beginning at 10 a.m., Eastern. For sortable results, click here.