For Immediate Release
A juvenile sales season filled with milestone results reaches its conclusion this week as the 2026 OBS June Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale aims to put a stamp on a record-setting year when it begins its three-day run June 16. A total of 981 horses including supplemental entries are catalogued for the sale, which runs through June 18.
Sessions will begin each day at 10:30 a.m. ET with Hips 1 – 302 plus supplements 303 – 327 selling June 16 followed by Hips 351 – 652 plus supplements 653 – 671 June 17. The June 18 session will sell Hips 701 – 1002 and supplements 1003 – 1028 along with Horses of Racing Age Hips 1051 – 1053 plus supplements 1054 – 1056.
The full catalogue can be viewed on the OBS website.
The OBS June sale looks to carry on the momentum generated by record results put forth at this year’s OBS March and April exercises. After the March sale produced a record sale gross and equaled the OBS March record with seven horses crossing the million-dollar threshold, the April sale established OBS benchmarks across the board as it finished with a record gross, average, and median, highlighted by the sale of Zedan, a son of Flightline who sold for an all-time OBS mark of $10.5 million.
Last year’s June auction was its own showcase of market strength, establishing new sale marks for overall average and median while Feminism, a chestnut filly by Curlin consigned by Caliente Thoroughbreds, established a record sale price when she sold for $975,000. Given the way market trends have gone, those on the ground expect more of the same to unfold over the next few days.
“It’s not hard to sell a good horse. So, I assume all our good horses will stand out and everyone else’s good horses will stand out and they’ll sell just fine,” said consignor Jesse Hoppel of Hoppel LLC. “We won’t have to worry about those. Everybody gravitates to the same ones, so it’s the horses in the middle (where it is tougher).
“They’re still useful horses. They maybe don’t have the most fashionable pedigree or conformation wise maybe they’re not perfect. People find an excuse and they pass on those horses but those horses, a lot of them go on to become really good racehorses.”
An example of such came out of last year’s June sale in the form of graded stakes winner Crude Velocity. Sold by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock to Bill Childs for $250,000, the son of Beau Liam has gone on to capture the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs May 2 before finishing second in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Saratoga Race Course June 6.
Crude Velocity equaled the OBS track record last year when he worked a quarter in :20 1/5.
“I think (the sale) is going to be strong,” said Ramirez, who is consigning Hip 925, a dark bay or brown filly by Highly Motivated that is a half sister to Crude Velocity. “The good ones are going to sell no matter what. The middle market will be a little tough, but I think it’s going to be good. As long as they’re good and sound, there are going to be people here to buy them.”
Among the standouts during the five-day under tack show were Hip 876, a dark bay or brown filly by Vekoma consigned by Hoppel LLC, and Hip 220, Global Leader, a daughter of Uncle Mo consigned by Tom McCrocklin, both of whom breezed in :20 2/5 to tie for the fastest quarter mile works.
Six OBS June graduates have won graded stakes thus far through 2025-26 including Crude Velocity, El Potente, Elysian Field, Roll on Big Joe, Sultana, and Queen Maxima. Other OBS June graduates who have won stakes races this year are Doncho, winner of the Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 6, and Bay Shore and Swale Stakes victor Solitude Dude.
Other notable OBS June graduates include multiple Grade 1 winner and Eclipse Award finalist Adare Manor, Grade 1 winner and sire Yaupon, and Grade 1 winners War Like Goddess, Zenden, and Bella Sofia.
Two OBS June graduates have the distinction of capturing consecutive Breeders’ Cup races: Goldencents (2012 OBS June) took the 2013-14 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and Stormy Liberal (2014 OBS June) won the 2017-18 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). Stormy Liberal also earned the Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Male in 2018.
The June 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 June 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”.