By Sarah Mace
Building on solid returns during Sessions 1 and 2 of the three-day Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2023 June Sale of Two-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age, the contingent of New York-bred juveniles saved the best for Thursday’s third and final day, when the price tags of no fewer than six juveniles landed in six-figure territory, topped by an Arrogate colt who brought $375,000.
Noteworthy also at OBS June, which took place Tuesday through Thursday, June 13-15, is that New York-based sires were prominent among the top sellers. The top filly and colt in Session 1 were sired by Central Banker and Courageous Cat, respectively. Numbering among the half-dozen six-figure horses on the final day were youngsters by Redesdale and Solomini.
Overall, of 78 New York-bred juveniles to go through the ring over the three sessions, 70 successfully changed hands (including nine private sales) for a strong RNA percentage of 10.3%, which outperformed the 16.1% buyback rate for the full population of the sale.
Total New York-bred sales amounted to $2,428,200. The average New York-bred price came in at $34,689 and the median was $17,000. The overall sale average was $37,322, while the median was $20,000.
The New York-bred star of OBS June—also the second top-priced juvenile overall on the third day of trading—was Hip 868, currently named Victory Avenue. Bred by Epic Racing and foaled at Rockridge Stud on April 15, 2021, the dark bay or brown Arrogate colt turned in a co-bullet eighth in :10 flat on Friday, June 9 for consignor Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds LLC, Agent. Marquee Bloodstock, Agent signed the ticket for $375,000. Breeze video.
Unveiled as a yearling at the 2022 Keeneland September sale, where Hartley/DeRenzo picked him up for $150,000, Victory Avenue is the second foal out of Epic Scataway, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of Scat Daddy. Her first foal, sophomore Epic Miss Justice, is twice placed after three starts. Epic Scataway produced an Accelerate colt on February 8, 2023.
The colt’s third dam is multiple stakes winner and graded stakes performer Unbridled Sidney, an earner of more than $650,000. Graded winners Prospect Bay and Caller One appear under the fourth dam.
The top-selling New York-bred filly at OBS also changed hands in the concluding session. Supplemental Hip 1079 is a half-sister to Howdyoumakeurmoney, a New York-bred filly by Freud who won the Presque Isle Debutante Stakes as a juvenile. Consigned by Grade One Investments LLC, Agent VI, the sale filly was hammered down to Legion Bloodstock, Agent, for $135,000 after turning in a sharp eighth in :9 4/5 in the final under-tack session on June 10. Breeze video. Walking Video.
The filly’s dam, Exclusively Yours, has produced another winner in addition to the stakes horse. She is a Kentucky-bred winner out of Elusive Quality who currently has a yearling filly by Win Win Win. She is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner General Charley, who won 17 races and earned over $500,000, and stakes winner Truly Lucky. The filly’s third dam is stakes winner Last Blood.
The third-leading New York-bred seller, Hip 853, is a daughter of second-crop New York sire Redesdale, a son of Speightstown who stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for a 2023 stud fee of $2,500. The bay filly was bred by Hidden Lake Farm, where she was foaled on February 19, 2021.
The youngster clocked a panel in :10 flat in the final under-tack session for consignor Harris Training Center LLC, Agent 1, and was purchased by e5 Racing for $115,000. A pinhooking success story, the filly was purchased as a yearling by C-G Stables for $8,000 at the 2022 OBS Winter Mixed sale. Breeze video. Walking video.
The filly’s dam is unplaced runner Elba’s First, by Tiz Wonderful, whose family sports considerable black type in the first two generations. Second dam Bay Barrister is a stakes winner and dam of Touched, who went on to produce Grade 2 winner Indian Firewater. Third dam, stakes performer Pas Who, is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Four Flings and stakes winner Bishops Fling, and a producer of two more stakes winners in addition to Bay Barrister: Go to the Ink (who went on to produce the dam of $670,000 earner Cautious Giant) and Pas by Pas. Elba’s First currently has a yearling by Maximus Mischief and no foal in 2023.
A pair of dark bay or brown colts each brought $110,000 on Friday. First, Hip 745, by New York-based first-crop sire Solomini, fired a co-bullet eighth in :10 flat before going to NY Bound for $110,000. Bred by Fergus Galvin & J. Johnson, he was foaled at Sugar Maple Farm on April 4, 2021. Breeze video. Walking video. The colt, consigned by Britton Peak, Agent, was another successful pinhook, selling previously to Thoroughbred Acadiana at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale for $25,000.
The Solomini colt is out of Cheyenne Autumn by Indian Charlie, and a half-brother to Firecrow, by Maclean’s Music, who won the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico in course-record time. His third dam is multiple graded stakes winner Missed the Storm, by Storm Cat, who captured the 1993 renewal of the Grade 1 Test Stakes. Cheyenne Autumn has a pair of winners from five foals to start. She produced a full brother to the sale colt in 2022 and delivered a colt by Complexity in 2023.
Solomini, a chestnut son of Curlin, stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for a 2023 stud fee of $6,500. Solomini’s offspring have been especially well-received over the course of the juvenile sales season, with 12 colts selling for an average price of $130,167.
Matching the $110,000 price tag of the Solomini colt and offered a few hips earlier was Hip 721 by Vino Rosso, who issues from the immediate family of Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming. One of three horses to breeze a quarter in :21 1/5 at Friday’s session of the under-tack show, the colt was consigned by Ocala Stud, Agent and purchased by Bruce Brown, Agent. Breeze video. Walking video.
Bred by Sparks View Farm LLC and foaled at Keane Stud, the colt brought $100,000 from St. Elias Stables when unveiled as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton New York Mixed sale. Sparks View Farm purchased his dam Caragh Queen at the 2020 Keeneland January sale for just $8,000.
Caragh Queen has produced a winner in England from two foals to start, but the pedigree page really sparkles under the second dam, graded winner Above Perfection. Caragh Queen is a half-sister to Always Dreaming, in addition to multiple graded stakes winner Hot Dixie Chick and graded winner Positive Spirit. Hot Dixie Chick went on to produce Grade 1 winner and $1.8 million earner Pauline’s Pearl, and stakes winner and sire Union Jackson.
Completing the sextet of New York-bred juveniles to bring six figures on Thursday was Hip 970, a filly by second-crop sire Free Drop Billy who went to Zap/Murphy for California Racing Partners & Ciagli for $105,000. The filly sold previously to Ronaldo Rodas at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed sale for an affordable $11,000, and was consigned by OBS by Sweet River Thoroughbreds, Agent II. She breezed a panel in :9 4/5 on June 10. Breeze video. Walking video.
Bred by Cheryl Prudhomme & Dr. Michael Gallivan and foaled at their Shamrock Hill Farm in Fort Edward, the filly is out of Hedy Hopper, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of Victory Gallop purchased by Gallivan at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York Fall Mixed sale for $5,000. A half-sister to stakes performer Mr. Kringle out of stakes performer South Wing, Hedy Hopper’s family features stakes winners Lord Langfuhr, graded winner Dr. Kiernan and stakes winner Majesty’s Time. She has gone on to produce four winners from five foals to start and currently has a yearling colt by Flameaway.
In addition to the final-session standouts, a handful of interesting New York-breds found new owners in the opening two sessions.
The New York-bred topper at Tuesday’s first day of trading was Hip 165, a bay filly bred by Mr. & Mrs. Brian Guy Rice and sired by leading New York stallion Central Banker, who stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for a 2023 stud fee of $7,500.
Foaled at her sire’s home base on February 16, 2021, she breezed a sharp eighth in :10 1/5 on the first day of the under-tack show (Tuesday, June 5) before being purchased by Emerald Sales, Agent for K E M Stables for $80,000. The filly was consigned by Woodside Ranch, Agent I for what would be her first date with the auctioneer. Breeze video. Walking video.
The filly is the first foal out of Moroccan Temptress, an unraced daughter of Temple City purchased by Bryan Rice for the modest price tag of $10,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. Out of stakes performer Moroccan Rose, by Carson City, Moroccan Temptress is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Needs Supervision, an earner of over $370,000. The filly’s third dam is Rose of Wendover, also a multiple stakes winner. Moroccan Temptress had her second foal on March 5, 2023, a colt by Galilean.
Tuesday’s top colt was a bay youngster by Questroyal North’s Courageous Cat who turned heads when he fired a bullet eighth in :9 4/5 on the first day of the under-tack show for consignor G. A. Thoroughbred Sales. K.O.I.D. Co., Ltd. purchased the colt, who was offered as Hip 51, for $72,000. Breeze video. Walking video.
Bred by Barry R. Ostrager, the colt was foaled on May 12, 2021 at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater and, like the Session 1 filly topper, had had not previously been offered at public auction.
The colt’s dam Laur Net was a successful and well-traveled race mare by Strong Hope with eight wins to her credit from 43 starts, and nearly $240,000 in purse earnings. Second dam Lady Lionel, by Lucky Lionel, is a stakes winner. Laur Net has produced four foals, including a Mitole colt in 2023, none of whom have raced yet.
The new York-bred standout of OBS June’s second session on Wednesday was, like the male topper on Day 1, bred by Barry R. Ostrager and foaled at Hidden Lake Farm. Hip 682 is a bay filly by Unified who is the most recent foal out of Kentucky-bred stakes winner and graded stakes performer Black Escort.
The filly was purchased by Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock for Starry Night Racing for $70,000 after covering an eighth of a mile in :10 flat at the Thursday, June 8 under-tack session for consignor Ordonez Thoroughbreds, Agent. Breeze video. Walking video.
The April 23, 2021 filly’s dam Black Escort, by Southern Halo, has produced five winners from nine foals to start, topped by stakes-placed runners Miss Melinda and Black Snowflake. The family of the second dam contains a number of stakes performers and stakes producers in France.
The final stop on this year’s round of juvenile sales will be Fasig-Tipton Midlantic June, a single-session sale to take place on June 28 at 3 pm at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The under-tack show will be conducted the day before on Tuesday, June 27, beginning at 8 am.
