For Immediate Release
On the heels of a record setting auction in March that produced the highest-priced horse in Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company history, the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training begins its four-day run on April 15.
Boasting a catalogue of 1,207 entries, the OBS Spring auction runs through April 18 with each session beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. Hips 1-302 will sell April 15 with Hips 303-604 going April 16. April 17 will offer Hips 605-906 with the sale concluding April 18 with Hips 907-1207.
The full catalogue can be viewed on the OBS website.
During the seven-day under tack show, a total of 27 juveniles worked an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 to share the top time at the distance. Six youngers threw down the fastest quarter mile by breezing in :20 2/5:
- Hip 181 bay filly by OBS grad Yaupon consigned by Tom McCrocklin out of the Malibu Moon mare Moon Over Mag Bay, who is out of stakes winner and OBS grad Believe In Charlie. The filly hails from the female family of Grade 1 winner and OBS grad Nany’s Sweep.
- Hip 363, a chestnut filly by OBS April grad Mitole consigned by Tom McCrocklin. The filly is out of the winning stakes placed Big Drama mare Sadie Be Good, an OBS grad who has had two of her three foals to race become stakes placed.
- Hip 619, a dark bay colt by Independence Hall out of the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Waltzing consigned by Wavertree Stables. Waltzing is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Dancing Solo as well as Grade 1 placed Dancing. The mare is also out of a full sister to Grade 1 winner Voodoo Dancer.
- Hip 875, a bay colt consigned by Hoppel LLC by OBS grad Yaupon out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Chestnut Street, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Saratoga Snacks.
- Hip 1017, a bay colt by Maclean’s Music consigned by Hoppel LLC and out of the winning mare Embur’s Zip, who is by OBS grad City Zip. Embur’s Zip herself is out of Canadian champion Embur’s Song and is from the female family of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Exaggerator.
- Hip 1053, an Irish-bred bay colt by No Nay Never consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock. The colt, who is out of the Speightstown mare Fixed Gaze, is a half-brother to multiple Group 3 placed Fixette (IRE), who is the dam of French stakes winner The Fixer (IRE).
The OBS April exercise will look to build off momentum from last month when the OBS March Sale posted year-to-year gains in gross and average. The sale also saw a total of seven horses sell for seven-figures or more during the three-day auction – the most ever for an OBS March sale – highlighted by the sale of a son of Gun Runner for a record $3 million.
“We had a great sale in March so I’m hoping it continues,” said consignor David Scanlon of Scanlon Training & Sales. “I think the market will be a little bit of the same. The good horses are always going to do well. I think we’ll be hustling as we get down to the lower middle but if we can fill in those spots, I think we’ll have a great sale. It’s nice here because we get the foreign buyers that help us in the middle and lower markets.”
The Gun Runner colt who topped the March sale was consigned by veteran Eddie Woods, who is set to retire following the April auction.
“We’ve been ready for it, it’s not like we decided last night,” Woods said of his swansong consignment. “It’s the end but it’s good. We’re ending well. You always want to go out on your own terms, and we are, rather than withering away. The March sale was a nice thing to have happen, and we have some nice ones at this sale. Hopefully we finish up with a bit of a bang.”
Graduates of the OBS Spring sale have won more than 100 stakes races in each of the last three years. Ten graduates from the April sale have won Grade 1 races since 2024 with the latest being Dark Saffron, who was purchased at last year’s auction and captured the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen April 5 on the undercard of the Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan Racecourse, becoming the first 3-year-old and eighth OBS grad to take the race.
Success at the highest level has been a trend for those who stand out at the April sale. For three straight seasons from 2020-2022, the sale toppers at the Spring auction went on to become Grade 1 winners: Princess Noor (2020); champion Corniche (2021), and Arabian Knight (2022).
Notable OBS April graduates include champions Mitole, Midnight Bisou, dual classic winner I’ll Have Another, Blind Luck, and Kitten’s Joy. Graduates out of the 2024 Spring sale include Grade 1 winner and Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Tenma, multiple Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick, Saudi Derby winner Golden Vekoma, and graded stakes winners May Day Ready, Mo Plex, and Vixen.
Cavalieri, unbeaten winner of the Beholder Mile (G1) on March 8, is another notable OBS April graduate having sold at the 2023 edition of the auction.
The sale will be streamed live via the OBS website as well as the DRF, TDN, BloodHorse, Pastthewire, and Hipismo.net websites.
OBS will again offer online bidding during the April Sale. Buyers may go to the OBS website and register to gain bidding approval, then access the OBS Bidding Screen with their credentials. For complete information on registration and online bidding please go to the OBS website: obs-internet-bidding.
The iPad version of the catalog can be accessed via the Equineline Sales Catalog App. The App allows users to download and view the catalog, receive updates and results, record notes and provides innovative search, sort and rating capability. For more information and downloads go to: equineline.com.
Sales results will be available on the OBS website, updated frequently during each session of the Sale. In addition, the latest news regarding OBS graduates, sales schedules, nominations, credit requests, travel information and other news relevant to OBS consignors and customers is also available. E-mail should be addressed to obs@obssales.com.
Current information about OBS sales, consignors and graduates is now also available via social media sites Facebook and “X”.