Led by a $1.9 million filly by first-crop sire Tiz The Law purchased by Donato Lanni, agent for Michael Lund Petersen, the four-day Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training showed steady strength throughout the April 17 second session.
All told for the robust session, 171 head changed hands for gross sales of $25,841,500, compared to 189 horses sold for $24,022,000 in the corresponding session in 2023. The average price was $151,120, up from an average price of $127,101 a year ago. The median price came in at $75,000, a 25% increase over a $60,000 median last year. Forty horses did not meet their reserves on Wednesday, producing a buyback rate of 19%.
Cumulative totals through the first two days show 324 horses sold this year for gross receipts of $46,428,500, on par with the 364 horses that sold for $46,768,000 over the first two sessions in 2023.The cumulative average this year is $143,298, compared to $128,484 a year ago. The cumulative median price is $80,000 so far this year; it was $65,000 at this juncture last year.
"It was an excellent day," said Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales for OBS. "As I said yesterday, there are plenty of good horses left to be sold, and obviously that was bore out today. Quality horses sell well, and we're fortunate to have a group of high-quality horses. It was a good day. Hopefully, we can continue on the next two days."
Leading the way on the consignor front in the second session was de Meric Sales, which sold 10 head for $3,165,000. Tom McCrocklin followed very closely behind, selling eight horses for $3,164,000. Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, with Donato Lanni as agent, led all buyers for the day, spending $2,175,000 for three horses.
Topping the sale through the first two days is the $1.9 million Tiz the Law filly who sold as Hip 365. Consigned by McCrocklin, the popular youngster turned heads during the under tack preview, zipping a quarter-mile in a track record-tying :20 1/5.
Acquired by McCrocklin for $170,000 out of the Highgate Sales consignment at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the filly is out of the stakes-placed Sky Mesa mare Moonlight Sky, a half sister to 2017 champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman and a full sister to graded stakes winner Sky Girl CHC bred the session topper in Kentucky, and she will be trained in Southern California by Bob Baffert.
Two colts claimed the co-second-highest price of the session, and the sale through two sessions: Hip 371, a colt by American Pharoah who sold for $925,000 to Donato Lanni, agent for Frank Fletcher Racing Operations; and Hip 603, an Into Mischief colt consigned by Scanlon Training and Sales, agent, which sold to Naohiro Sakaguchi at the tail end of an active day of commerce.
