Yaupon juveniles make a splash at OBS breeze show

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training generally has the biggest catalog of the season, and, fittingly, the leaderboard for the under-tack preview show was crowded as it concluded.

After seven days, a total of 27 juveniles shared the fastest furlong, the traditional yardstick, breezing in 9 4/5 seconds on the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack. Another six were tied for the best quarter-mile, at 20 2/5 seconds. They are among the total of 1,207 juveniles cataloged for this sale, which takes place over four sessions from April 15-18.

While few different sires were represented by multiple workers in the bullet groups, freshman Yaupon rose to the top. The Grade 1-winning stallion, who stands at Spendthrift Farm, was represented by two of the fastest-furlong workers, a colt consigned by de Meric Sales and a filly consigned by Rivera Training and Sales; and two in the quarter-mile group, a colt consigned by Hoppel LLC and a filly consigned by Tom McCrocklin.

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“The Yaupon colt, he has a really smooth way of moving," Jesse Hoppel told OBS. "He has a lot of balance and he’s everything we want in a horse."

Yaupon’s first crop of weanlings in 2023 averaged $130,889 – against an introductory stud fee of $30,000 – from 36 sold at public auction. He has continued to improve that average, which was more than four times his introductory fee. Last year, his average was $165,349 for 129 yearlings sold, and thus far this year, he is averaging $233,438 from 16 2-year-olds sold.

Independence Hall, also among this year's freshman sire class, was also represented by multiple bullet workers, with a filly in the furlong group and a colt in the quarter-mile group.

Maximus Mischief had two colts who shared the bullet furlong, while Win Win Win has a colt and a filly who each worked in 9 4/5. They were the only other stallions with multiple representatives. Also sharing the bullet furlong were colts by By My Standards, Complexity, Essential Quality, Galilean, Into Mischief, Leinster, Shancelot, and Silver State; and fillies by Army Mule, Authentic, Curlin, Good Magic, Justify, Kantharos, Munnings, Not This Time, Rock Your World, Temple City, Tiz the Law, and Upstart.

Also sharing the fastest quarter-mile were colts by Maclean's Music and No Nay Never and a filly by Mitole.

Longer works are rarer at under-tack preview shows, but three juveniles worked three furlongs this week, with a filly from the first crop of Charlatan going the best, in 33 4/5 seconds. A Connect colt was the only half-mile worker, going in 47 3/5 seconds, while a handful of juveniles only galloped.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

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