The female families cultivated by Ocala-based Glen Hill Farm over the decades have become synonymous with quality, particularly within their home state. During the opening session of the 2026 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. October Yearling Sale, that quality once again shone brightest at their homebase auction grounds.
Just minutes after the first hammer dropped Oct. 6, the pace was set for the two-day OBS October Sale as Hip 12, Glen Hill’s homebred bay filly by Girvin, elicited a final bid of $190,000 from agent Marette Farrell on behalf of CJ Thoroughbreds to lead Tuesday’s session.
Yearling Sale. (OBS/VidHorse photo)
Seeing one of their own atop the sales results at the October auction is something Glen Hill is accustomed to. At the 2025 edition of the sale, Glen Hill sold three of the top six offerings including Medinah, a daughter of OBS graduate Into Mischief that brought a sale-topping price of $275,000.
Offered and bred by Glen Hill Farm, the Girvin filly is out of the winning Curlin mare Jewish Guilt and is a half sister to stakes winner Unwritten Rule. In a sale that especially values top physicals, this filly checked that box. The fact she is also by the late Girvin, who passed away suddenly at Airdrie Stud in August, was another driving factor prompting Farrell to stretch.
“I thought she was an outstanding physical for starters. We’re big supporters of Girvin and were very sad for Airdrie that he unfortunately passed away,” said Farrell, who said the filly would be kept by CJ Thoroughbreds to race. “He was really a stallion on his way up. CJ Thoroughbreds, who we help with, had room for one more and really wanted to get a filly. We were very lucky last weekend that they had a filly called Revenge of Sis who was third (in the Grade 1 Frizette) so I think everything fell into place. I’m delighted to get her. We’re thrilled.”
The filly’s female family inspires its own share of confidence. Jewish Guilt is out of the stakes winning Florida-bred Wildcat Heir filly Coco’s Wildcat and hails from the family of Ivanavinalot, dam of Hall of Famer Songbird.
“It’s an old Florida family, that’s why we bought into it,” said Craig Bernick, president of Glen Hill Farm. “It’s actually the same family as Songbird if you look hard at the pedigree. We had shares in Curlin and we like buying mares by Curlin out of fast pedigrees. We’re confident that if you bring good horses, they’ll find them anywhere. I’m happy with the price but not surprised by it.
“(The Girvin filly) is a well-bred filly but she is also a very good-looking filly. She looks like she’ll stand training and hopefully run at 2.”
The Girvin filly highlighted a rain-soaked opening session that produced gains in both average and median over the corresponding session last year with the gross tracking just a tick behind the 2025 results. At the close of business on Tuesday, the total receipts of $3,525,000 from 129 head sold were barely down from the $3,562,600 generated by 160 head produced during the first session in 2025. The average increased to $27,326 over $22,266 last year with the median increasing from $15,000 in 2025 to $20,000 during Tuesday’s session.
The RNA percentage for Tuesday came in at 32.1 percent compared to 25.9 percent last year.
“We sold one today for $190,000 and one for $25,000. It’s that type of sale,” said Bernick. “It’s a good sale and a lot of buyers are here. If you have a nice horse, they’ll buy it. That’s what they’re looking for.”
Demand for first-crop sires is a hallmark in the yearling marketplace, a fact that showed itself when Hip 120, a bay colt by Pappacap, brought the session’s second-highest price when selling to Willow Creek Ranch for $120,000. Consigned by Colin Brennan Bloodstock at Highlander Training Center, the colt is out of the Honor Code mare Quiet Talk and is a half brother to multiple stakes placed winner Just Be Quiet.
“This guy was exceptional. Just in a league of his own especially compared to the Pappacaps I’ve seen,” Brennan said. “He stood out as a man among boys in my opinion. I thought he was one who presented himself well here, he was really well received and obviously it showed with the result.”
A total of four horses sold for six-figures during Tuesday’s session including Hip 144, a bay filly by Mandaloun who went for $115,000 to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr./ Stephen Rousseau, and Hip 175, a bay colt by Leinster that sold for $100,000 to Dew Sweepers.
Consigned by JM Horse Land Stables, the Mandaloun filly is out of the Street Sense mare Sense When and is a half sister to graded stakes winner and OBS October graduate Nic’s Style, who is campaigned by Rousseau.
The Leinster colt was consigned by Abbie Road Farm (Lisa McGreevy) and is out of the Munnings mare Stifled Heiress, making him a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner and OBS graduate Mad House.
The OBS October Yearling Sale continues Wednesday at noon ET with Hips 251 – 439 plus supplements 440 – 464 set to go through the ring. For full results, visit obssales.com.