War Front filly sells for $425,000 at OBS

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. June sale of 2-year-olds and horses of racing age hit its halfway point on Wednesday with a continued decline in numbers but a new top-priced horse in a $425,000 War Front filly.

Wednesday’s session closed with 146 horses reported sold for $4,828,400, down 19 percent from the previous year’s second session, where 158 horses brought $5,931,300.

The average sale price fell 12 percent from $37,540 to $33,071, while the median dropped 25 percent from $20,000 to $15,000. The buyback rate finished at 28 percent, up from 24 percent during last year’s corresponding session.

At the top of the market, four horses sold for $200,000 or more, tying the number to do so during last year’s second session. Nine horses sold for six figures on Wednesday, trailing the 13 from the same session in 2015.

The new sale-topper was a War Front filly who sold to Justin Casse, as agent, for $425,000. The bay filly, named Black Canary, is out of the Grade 3-placed Gold Fever mare Forty Moves, whose three winners from six foals to race include multiple stakes-placed Joe Tess. She is from the family of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hootenanny and Grade 1 winner Cat Moves.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Black Canary was offered at last year's Keeneland September yearling sale but finished under her reserve with a final bid of $110,000.

She was consigned at the OBS June sale by Woodford Thoroughbreds, agent, and breezed an eighth of a mile in 10 seconds flat over the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack surface during the presale under-tack show.

The hammer price makes Black Canary the most expensive foal out of Forty Moves to sell at public auction, surpassing Joe Tess, a son of Macho Uno who brought $225,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September sale.

Woodford Thoroughbreds finished the session as the leading consignor with six horses sold for $562,000. Casse’s lone purchase made him the day’s leading buyer.

At the end of two sessions, 292 horses have changed hands for $8,490,700, trailing last year’s halfway-point gross of $11,488,900 from 309 sold by 26 percent. The average sale price declined 22 percent from $37,181 to $29,078, while the median fell 21 percent from $19,000 to $15,000.

The sale continues through Friday, beginning each day at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.