Led by a $300,000 Yaupon colt, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s June sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age opened with strong figures Tuesday.
OBS reported 222 horses sold in Tuesday’s opening session of the traditional breeze-up market finale, for gross receipts of $9,758,500.
True session-to-session comparisons for this sale will be difficult, with final figures more of a true marker. While last year’s sale had more than 1,000 lots cataloged over three days, this year’s sale was condensed into two sessions, with just more than 850 horses cataloged, prior to outs.
Still, Tuesday’s session showed encouraging gains in the average and median figures. The average was $43,957, up from $37,755 in the 2024 opener. The median jumped to $26,000 from $20,000.
Tuesday's buyback rate was 26 percent.
“Good solid day,” OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “It felt like horses were moving and changing hands and there was good depth of buyers. Given the strength of the market coming in, we were hopeful and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”
The session-topping colt from the first crop of Yaupon was purchased by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. from consignor Julie Davies, as agent. The colt made the most of his second trip to an OBS sale. He was entered at the company’s March sale and turned in a swift furlong breeze in 9 4/5 seconds on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack but emerged from the breeze with a minor issue.
“Unfortunately, he got a tiny flake in his ankle, so we had to take it out,” Davies said. “We figured he had done it once, so he should do it again.”
Indeed, the colt again breezed in 9 4/5 seconds during last week’s under-tack preview show for the June sale.
“A lot of people liked his breeze and liked him on the shank,” Davies said. “He’s very classy, so he came out like he owns the place. He’s got a good mind to him, and he just presents himself well.”
Joseph said it has not been determined yet which of his clients the colt would eventually race for.
“If I like them, I buy them and then I worry about selling them after,” Joseph said. “I had seen this horse in March and obviously, he worked fast there. He came back and duplicated it and for me, if he can duplicate that time, that means you’re pretty good.”
This is the first crop for Grade 1 winner Yaupon, who already has a stakes winner in Astoria Stakes victress Sassy C W. This colt is the first foal out of the winning Into Mischief mare After the Party. The mare is out of stakes winner Defy Gravity, making her a half-sister to stakes winner Green Destiny and stakes-placed Owen’s Leap.
Defy Gravity is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Callback, and Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Grade 1 winner Girolamo appear on the catalog page.
For hip-by-hip results, click here.
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