Fueled by the appeal and aptitude of Florida-based connections, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. wrapped up the 2026 edition of its October Yearling Sale with gains in average and median as the two-day exercise concluded Oct. 7.
Despite mother nature being less than welcoming with rainy conditions drenching the sale grounds both Tuesday and Wednesday, the buying base persevered in producing results that highlighted added strength in the middle and lower sections of the market. With 42 fewer horses sold and 69 fewer horses catalogued, the overall gross of $6,775,500 generated by 267 head was down from the $7,509,700 produced in 2025 when a total of 309 horses changed hands. At the close of business Wednesday, the average came in at $25,376 compared to $24,303 in 2025 while the median improved from $15,000 last year to $17,000 this sale.
The rate of horses not sold for the sale came in at 26.2 percent compared to 25.5 percent in 2025.
A commonality linking both October sessions was the fact they were highlighted by those carrying the banner for one of Florida’s signature industries. The sale’s highest priced offering came on Tuesday when Hip 12, a homebred filly by Girvin consigned by Ocala-based Glen Hill Farm, sold for $190,000 to agent Marette Farrell on behalf of CJ Thoroughbreds. On Wednesday, Florida-bred Pappacap had his turn in the spotlight as Hip 339, a bay colt by the Walmac stallion, topped the session when he sold to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. for $140,000.
Yearling Sale. (OBS/VidHorse photo)
Bred and consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield, the Pappacap colt ended up as the sale’s second highest priced offering and added to the appeal of his first-crop sire. Tuesday’s session saw Hip 120, another bay colt by Pappacap, bring the sale’s third-highest overall price when he sold for $120,000 to Willow Creek Ranch, and Joseph pointed to the stallion stamping his offspring with top physical attributes as a reason behind his decision to stretch for the newest member of his stable.
“Obviously Pappacap was precocious. He won at Del Mar (the Best Pal) and was second in the Juvenile and then he carried on to run in the Florida Derby against (Joseph trainee and OBS graduate) White Abarrio, so we’re very familiar with the horse,” said Joseph, who led all buyers for the October Sale with 12 head purchased for $522,000. “He was a solid horse, and you feel like he’ll make a stallion. We’re banking on it because we’ve bought a lot of them. We bought them because to the eye, they fit the look that we want.
“This colt is the most expensive one I’ve bought this sale,” Joseph continued. “We liked him a lot…and obviously there was competition to get him. It was deservedly so because this horse is a really nice horse, very smooth with the way he carried himself. It seems like he’s going to continue to get better.”
The Pappacap colt is out of the winning Uncaptured mare Bosworthy, a half sister to stakes winner and producer It’s High Time and multiple stakes winner Let Them Watch, an OBS October graduate.
“We knew that people liked him but you never know what people are going to pay. Obviously, we’re very happy with what he brought,” Francis Vanlangendonck said. “There were a lot of people interested in him and he looked just like his mother, and she could really run. We were going to sell him as a weanling but decided to wait and put him here, hoping he would stand out and that they would like the Pappacaps.
“I did the breeding (for Pappacap)…so we were very involved with him, went to all his races with his owners. But people really like Pappacaps because they’re all really athletic. This colt brought more than we thought, which is fabulous. We’re thrilled.”
The session’s second-highest priced horse was another product of the stellar Glen Hill Farm breeding program. Hip 311, a bay filly by Oscar Performance out of the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Aspening, sold to owner Gary Barber for $100,000.
The Oscar Performance filly is a half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes placed Aspenite and hails from the female family of Glen Hill’s graded stakes winners Diversy Harbor, Keertana, and Snow Top Mountain.
“It’s a good family. I thought she was a nice horse. (Trainer) Mark Casse saw her for the first time today and loved her,” said Craig Bernick, president of Glen Hill Farm. “I told a few people the reserve was $100,000 and (Casse) bought her. I would have thought she would have made more but the main thing is she’s going to a very good trainer and a very good owner. We still have the mother; we have the sister and a lot of the family. They made a good buy and she’s going to a good person.”
In addition to being responsible for the session topper, Pappacap had the day’s third-highest price horse when Hip 272, a bay colt by the stallion, sold to NdM Bloodstock for $80,000. Consigned by Potrero Stables, the colt is out of the winning Unbridled’s Song mare True Love Is Yare and is from the female family of Grade 1 winner and producer Tranquility Lake.
For Wednesday’s session, the gross receipts of $3,093,500 from 129 head sold was slightly down compared to the 149 sold for $3,947,100 during last year’s corresponding session. The session average came in at $23,981 compared to $26,491 in 2025 with a median of $15,000 compared to $19,000 last year.
Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm led all consignors by gross for the October sale with 42 head sold for $816,500.
The next sale on the OBS calendar takes place in 2027 when the January Winter Mixed Sale takes place Jan. 26. Entries for the Winter Mixed Sale close Nov. 19 and the supplemental deadline is Jan. 14.
For full sale results, visit obssales.com.