Two go for seven figures at OBS juvenile sale's second session

A $1.5 million Not This Time colt and a $1.3 million Flatter colt led the way in Wednesday’s trade as the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of 2-year-olds in training moved past its midway point with solid figures.

OBS reported that 144 horses sold in Wednesday’s session, the second of three overall, for gross receipts of $25,488,000 compared with 162 horses grossing $26,294,000 in last year’s second of three days. The session’s average price was $177,000, jumping 9 percent from $162,309 a year ago, while the session-to-session median price was unchanged at $87,500. The buyback rate was 32 percent, compared to 21 percent in 2023.

Through two of three sessions of OBS March, three juveniles have broken the seven-figure ceiling; five did so in the entire three-session sale last year. After a $1.2 million Tapit colt from the ongoing dispersal of the late Robert Lothenbach led Tuesday’s opener, a $1.5 million Not This Time colt and a $1.3 million Flatter colt finished atop the leaderboard on Wednesday.

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In contrast to the Tapit colt, who galloped during last week’s under-tack preview show on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack, the Not This Time and Flatter colts were among the stars of the breeze show, each going a furlong in 9 4/5 seconds, part of a logjam of juveniles tied for the second-best time.

The Not This Time colt was purchased by Pro Racing Stable, and will be trained by Jose D’Angelo. The trainer currently handles No More Time, by the same sire, who won the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis and finished a close second in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby to keep himself on the Kentucky Derby trail. Not This Time has ascended to be a top 10 sire each of the last two years, with champions Epicenter and Up to the Mark representing him in those respective seasons.

This colt, a May foal, was consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, and rewarded the pinhook partners’ faith that he could find a higher ceiling in the marketplace despite being a hefty yearling buy. The colt, out of the winning War Front mare Pammy Whammy – dam of stakes-placed Pammy’s Ready – was a $900,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase from breeder Rockingham Ranch.

“A lot of leg, May foal, and he just looked like he'd develop into a really super horse,” Hartley said at the time of that purchase.

The Flatter colt is from the penultimate crop by his successful sire, who died in May 2022. Ramiro Restrepo signed the $1.3 million ticket in the name of his Marquee Bloodstock for the colt, who was consigned by Sequel Bloodstock for breeder Gentry Stable. The colt will be trained by Gustavo Delgado.

The Flatter colt is out of the winning Midnight Lute mare Napier, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Obligatory. This is a deep Juddmonte family responsible for Grade/Group 1 winners Country Grammer, Etoile Montante, Sightseek, Tates Creek, and others.

The OBS March sale concludes with the third and final session on Thursday. For hip-by-hip results thus far, click here.

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