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For Immediate Release

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company 2025 June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale has been consolidated to two days and will now be held June 17-18.

In addition to reduction in dates for the live sale, the under-tack show has also been trimmed and will be held over five days from June 10-14. The sale sessions will begin at 10 a.m. ET with the under-tack show starting at 7:30 a.m. each day.

Supplemental entries are now being taken.

For more information and updates, visit obssales.com.

For Immediate Release

Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds figures his partnership has been doing business with Steven Venosa for the better part of three decades and credits the longtime consignor with helping prep some of the best horses who have carried his operation’s yellow and black silks.

The fruits of that relationship were magnified inside the OBS pavilion during the final session of the 2025 Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale when West Point Thoroughbreds, in partnership with Spendthrift Farm and St. Elias Stable, secured what Finley hopes will be yet another success story when they went to $1.5 million to land a colt by Tiz the Law and top the bellwether juvenile auction that produced year-over-year gains in gross and a record average.

The four-day OBS Spring action was one packed with fireworks as a total of nine horses sold for seven-figures or more, including six that sold during the second session alone. Few had a better week than Venosa, however, as his S G V Thoroughbreds consignment produced the sale’s top two prices.

Prior to selling Hip 1094, a dark bay or brown colt who worked in :10 flat during the under tack show, he led Hip 601 up during Tuesday’s session and watch the bay Gun Runner colt sell for $1.45 million to Kerri Radcliffe, agent for Memo Racing. According to Venosa, this is the first time he has had two seven-figure offerings come out of his barn in the same week.

“Without my team we’re not able to do this. So, they take just as much credit as I do,” Venosa said. “We knew (the Tiz the Law colt) was one of the top horses in the sale. To reach that level, you just never know. You try to lead them up there and, like with the last one, you let the people evaluate them and that’s what they are worth. The most important thing is I’m really excited about the home he’s going to.”

Out of the winning, stakes-placed Souper Speedy mare Georgian Dancer, a half-sister to Canadian champion River Maid, the Tiz the Law colt is one Venosa said has made an “amazing” transformation since he purchased him as a yearling. After opening with a bid of $100,000, the colt morphed into a sales topper with Finley prevailing as he bid alongside Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey and Monique Delk, executive director of racehorse development for St. Elias.

“Tiz the Law is a stallion where we’ve now bought three of them at the 2-year-old sales, and he’s come forward like a whirlwind,” Finley said. “I think he’s going to make an impact on the breed for a lot of years to come. We’ve been doing business with Steven for about 30 years and bought our first really good horse, Awesome Gem, out of Steve’s barn when he worked for J.J. Crupi in 2004. So, I have a lot of respect for the work that he does and this horse, he really was a horse all three of us wanted.”

Added Venosa, “It seems like (the colt) gets better and better. As he was showing here, several people would come and look at him every day and every day he just really blossomed.  The (Tiz the Laws), they’re running on dirt, they’re running on turf. They’re showing up at 2-year-old sales. And most importantly they are sound. To bring a horse like that of that size and work the way he did was very impressive.”

The sale-topping colt fittingly closed out an OBS April exercise that demonstrated market strength. The total gross of $88,761,500 from 637 sold was an increase over the $82,373,500 generated by the same number sold in 2024. The average of $139,343 bested last year’s mark of $129,315 and topped the previous April record of $129,577 in 2022. Overall median declined from $70,000 in 2024 to $65,000.

A total of 128 horses failed to meet their reserve for an RNA rate of 16.7%, compared to 18.7% in 2024.

Libyan based bloodstock agent Mahmud Mouni led all buyers by gross with 10 purchased for $4,835,000, including securing Hip 416, a son of Into Mischief, for $1.4 million from the consignment of Kings Equine, which sold two seven-figure horses during the week.

“Very appreciative and glad, a lot of adjectives that you can ultimately apply to the week,” said Tod Wojciechowski, OBS Director of Sales. “The international buyers were here, and they were excited to buy horses, and it looks like they did. Certainly, we had a broad spectrum of buyers from all over the world.”

The demand for offspring by Tiz the Law was evident across the sale, including in Friday’s second highest price on the day. Hip 970, a bay colt by the Ashford Stud stallion, sold for $850,000 to Flatland Racing Stables. Consigned by de Meric Sales, the colt, who worked in :10 flat, is out of the out of the winning Curlin mare Dictate Cool.

Dictate Cool is out of multiple stakes winner and graded stakes placed Walkwithapurpose and is a half-sister to stakes winner Where Paradise Lay and Regulatory Risk, who ran third in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1). 

“Beautiful horse. He always moved great. It all went the right way for him,” said Tristan de Meric of de Meric Sales, which led all consignors by gross with 32 sold for $7,869,000. “He’s always trained really well and I’m a big fan of that sire. I think he’s going to keep getting better. (The offspring), they all train so well and I can’t say enough good things about the sire or the horse.”

The session’s third highest price came when Case Clay Thoroughbred Management went to $750,000 to land Hip 1081, a dark bay or brown colt by Quality Road consigned by Julie Davies LLC. The colt, who worked in :10 1/5, is out of the winning, Grade 1-placed Langfuhr mare Fuhriously Kissed and is from the female family of Grade 1 winner On Fire Baby.

“Time will tell, but he looks to me like a Saturday horse,” said Clay, who purchased the colt on behalf of Wathnan Racing and also purchased Hip 1159, a filly by City of Light that sold for $500,000 out of the Wavertree consignment. “He’s by a great sire out of a Grade 1 placed mare and just a beautiful mover.”

The day’s fourth highest price came when Hip 1092, a bay colt by Quality Road consigned by Wavertree Stables, sold for $650,000 to Mouni. The colt, who breezed in :20 4/5, is out of graded stakes winner Genre, by Bernardini, and is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes placed winner Cooke Creek. 

Moments before the OBS April sale came to its conclusion, the pavilion got to witness the end of an era. Longtime consignor and OBS board member Eddie Woods sent his final horse through the ring before his retirement, generating a result befitting the man who helped revolutionize the juvenile auctions.

Hip 1177, a son of Twirling Candy out of the multiple graded stakes winning mare Irish Jasper, sold to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Sabby Racing LLC for $560,000, providing Woods and his wife Angela a most appropriate sendoff.

“It’s great. It was fantastic how he sold,” an emotional Woods said. “He was a beautiful horse. I expected him to sell well, and it was neat for a really nice horse to be my last horse and not some $5,000 horse. And he’s going to a good spot.”

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Wojciechowski added of Woods’ retirement. “Knowing that we’re not going to have one of our top consignors around is a bittersweet thing.”

Woods cemented his place in the OBS annals during the March auction when he sold a Gun Runner colt for an OBS record $3 million. The parade of success continued for him this week as he consigned Hip 833, a bay colt by the late champion Uncle Mo who topped Thursday’s session when he sold for $1.3 million to Marquee Bloodstock.

“I think my favorite OBS memory is that we had the first horse ever to work in :10 flat back in the day,” Woods recalled. “That was when :22 flat was still a good time and :10 1/5, you were high fiving everybody. The first horse to work :10 flat, that was notable. And then we sold a horse for an awful lot of money here.

“We had some great days; we’ve had some bad days here. It’s just part of it,” Woods continued. “But our record here has been very good for the amount of horses we have. I’ve been on the board a long time here and we’ve developed this whole thing from nothing. To be part of that development has been really good, very proud of that too.”

The next sale on the OBS calendar is the June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, which takes place June 17 – 19 with the under-tack show running from June 9 – 14.

For Immediate Release

When Eddie Woods speaks, those in the know listen. And bloodstock agent Ramiro Restrepo took the noted consignor’s words to heart – then backed it up with his wallet.

On a day that began with a speech about the strength of Florida’s Thoroughbred industry, the market buying power showed itself once more during the third session of the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training when a bay colt by the late champion Uncle Mo sold for $1.3 million to Restrepo’s Marquee Bloodstock, agent to lead the action.

The colt, consigned as Hip 833, added to what is already a record-setting OBS April sale as he became the eighth horse to sell for seven figures during the 2025 Spring exercise, besting the previous mark of five that was established in 2022. The youngster also gave Woods, who is set to retire after the April sale, another highlight moment in a career bursting with achievements.

During the OBS March sale, Woods consigned a son of Gun Runner that sold for an OBS record $3 million. The veteran horseman said his expectations for the Uncle Mo colt were also lofty and that he hammered down at almost the exact level predicted.

“I was pretty confident he would sell really well,” Woods said. “He had all the right people on him, his video was amazing, he’s by a proper stallion. He’s supposed to be a nice horse and he sold accordingly.

“For once, he sold right around where I thought he was going to sell.”

The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Venezuelan champion Cacciatora (VEN), by Point of Entry, and is from the female family of Horse of the Year and OBS grad Favorite Trick.

Restrepo said he purchased the colt for a group that includes some of the same partners as the ones who campaigned OBS grad multiple Grade 1 placed Ferocious, and that Woods’ endorsement of the juvenile carried significant weight.

“First and foremost, the colt’s work was pretty spectacular,” Restrepo said. “Going back there and watching the game tape several times, it was pretty evident he had arguably the best breeze in the sale. Physically, I love the medium sized Uncle Mos. He’s a very powerful colt and you also have the lean on the opinion of amazing horsemen like Eddie Woods.

“The things he spoke about the horse were pretty special to hear and when you have the track record of a person like that, it bends your ear a bit.”

Restrepo added that Gustavo Delgado, who conditioned 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage, will train the Uncle Mo colt.

For the second day in a row, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s affinity for offspring by his former trainees also helped light up the board in the OBS pavilion.

After owner Kaleem Shah stretched to $1.3 million on Wednesday to land Hip 585, a bay colt by OBS grad and former Asmussen protégé Yaupon, he went to $850,000 during Thursday’s session to take home Hip 727, a dark bay or brown colt by Maclean’s Music.

Consigned by Caliente Thoroughbreds, the colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Apologize and is a half-brother to graded stakes placed Blue Devil. The family is one Asmussen is well acquainted with as he trained both Maclean’s Music and Blue Devil.

“I love the colt as an individual. Maclean’s Music has been wonderful to me,” said Asmussen. “I actually had Blue Devil as well, so it’s an individual I absolutely love. I loved his breeze. Just very fortunate Kaleem was willing to buy him.”

Apologize is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Aurelia’s Belle, and her Maclean’s Music colt gave consignor Saul Marquez his biggest financial success to date.

“He came in in such good form. He’s always showed his class,” said Marquez of Caliente Thoroughbreds, who sold future multiple Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick at last year’s April sale. “Very high hopes for him. He’s on to his second career and I don’t think he’s going to disappoint. He’s the most expensive horse I’ve sold in three years of consigning. (The market’s) been up and down. I’ve always said a good horse is going to sell. And just happy overall with all my results.”

The day’s third highest price came when Hip 787, a chestnut colt by Vekoma consigned by Ocala Stud, sold for $750,000 to Maverick Racing and CHC, Inc. The colt, who breezed in :20 3/5, is out of the winning Big Drama mare Big Thrill, an OBS April grad who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Determinato. 

“It exceeded our expectations, but I’m not surprised that he brought that number,” said David O’Farrell of Ocala Stud. “He’s a really flashy colt he worked extremely well. He’s just a really sharp colt by the right sire at the moment.”

Other top prices on the day included:

Hip 619, a dark bay colt by Independence Hall out of the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Waltzing who sold to Winchell Thoroughbreds for $700,000. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the colt, who breezed in :20 2/5, comes from a family with proven ability on both turf and dirt. 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 by OBS grad Yaupon consigned by Hoppel LLC that brought $625,000 from Spendthrift Farm. The colt, who breezed in :20 2/5, is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Chestnut Street, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Saratoga Snacks. 

Hip 775, a chestnut colt consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales by Essential Quality who sold to Marc Tacher for $600,000. The colt, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the stakes placed mare Be Sneaky, who is by OBS grad Into Mischief. The colt is from the female family of graded stakes winners Red Ruby, Mo Tom, and Crupi. 

Hip 741, a chestnut filly by Justify consigned by Top Line Sales LLC who sold to Saints or Sinners LLC for $550,000. The filly, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the Malibu Moon mare Aurora Point, a half-sister to stakes winner and Grade 1 placed Rattlesnake Bridge.  

Before the day’s session got underway, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made an appearance on the grounds alongside owner Mike Repole and spoke to the audience about the importance of the industry.

“I understand the importance of the industry to the state, not just in terms of economy, which is important,” DeSantis said. “But it’s a culture and a way of life and something people have known for many generations.”

DeSantis, seated alongside Repole in the pavilion, helped bid on a horse early in the session as Hip 613, a bay filly by Practical Joke consigned by Mayberry Farm, hammered for $140,000 to West Bloodstock, Agent for Repole Stable, Inc.

Prior to speaking to the crowd, DeSantis met with several key member of the industry including O’Farrell, president of the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative, which was created to fight for live horse racing in Florida and elsewhere in the United States.

“It’s been a really good day for our industry, it’s great for OBS and just showing strength that we’re here, we’re a viable business,” O’Farrell said. “It was great to show him the commerce taking place in Ocala. Showing him what our industry is all about. To know that we have the Governor on our side as a huge ally and supports our business is a huge win for the industry.”

Total gross for the session came in at $21,806,500 from 144 sold, well up from the $15,692,000 generated by 157 sold in 2024. The average of $151,434 jumped up from $99,949 last year while the median came in at $80,000 a significant improvement compared to $57,000 a year ago.

Overall figures for gross and average are also pacing well ahead of 2024’s numbers. The total gross of $68,940,000 is up from $62,545,000 last year at this point with the average jumping from $126,866 in 2024 to $143,029 this year. The median of $65,000 is down slightly from $72,000 through three sessions in 2024.

De Meric Sales leads all consignors by gross through the first three days with 25 sold for $5,842,000. Mahmud Mouni leads all buyers with six purchased for $3,530,000. A total of 109 horses have failed to meet their reserve resulting in an RNA rate of 18.4%.

The sale concludes Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m. with hips 907 – 1207 selling.

Full sale results can be found at obssales.com. 

For Immediate Release

The quiet confidence consignor Steven Venosa had as he watched Hip 601 head up to the OBS sales ring Wednesday was due in large part to his belief that when individuals are that special, the market will respond accordingly.

“It’s hard to hide a good horse,” said Venosa, who consigns as S G V Thoroughbreds. “And he’s a great horse.”

Despite the bay Gun Runner colt taking his turn in the sales pavilion at the end of the second session of the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, the demand was indeed there as he sold for $1.45 million to Kerri Radcliffe, agent for Memo Racing, to headline a day that saw a record number of seven-figure horses sell at the OBS April sale.

The Gun Runner colt was one of six horses to sell for $1 million or more during Day 2 of the OBS Spring sale and the seventh horse overall to reach that level during the first two days. The previous record for most million-dollar babies sold at OBS April came when five reached that threshold in 2022.

“Wow, great day,” said Tod Wojciechowski, OBS Director of Sales. “I said before the sale started that I’m always amazed how the consignors continually up the quality of the horses they bring, and I think that was evidenced today by having six horses bring a million or more.

 “I think as an industry we’re a glass half full kind of industry. We’re always waiting for the next big horse or we’re always waiting for the next big win. So, I would never say that we never thought it could happen. We’re always hoping.”

Similar to the OBS March sale when a son of Gun Runner established a record price for an OBS sale when he sold for $3 million, the bay colt by the Three Chimneys stallion that lit up the board Wednesday became part of the history books. The colt breezed in :10 flat during the under tack show and boasts a pedigree bred in the purple.

He is out of the winning Empire Maker mare Vanquished and is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Takeover Target and stakes winner Ladies’ Privilege, dam of Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner More Than Looks. 

“A horse like that with a stallion’s pedigree and a Breeders’ Cup horse under the first dam… he came up here and did everything he needed to do,” Venosa said. “He showed well all week, and I had a great team behind me that was able to help me get him here. I was never worried. You can’t hide horses like that, and people come, and he was rewarded. And he went to a person with a great eye for a horse.”

When asked what made the colt a standout, Radcliffe stated the obvious.

“He’s a Gun Runner,” Radcliffe said. “It’s a little hard to get away from that. He was gorgeous horse, he breezed really well. Physically he’s lovely and he’s probably going to take a bit more time. We came here to buy nice colts and we got two.”

Earlier in the session, Radcliffe had gone to $1.05 million to land Hip 378, a dark bay or brown colt by Nyquist also for Memo Racing. Consigned by Harris Training Center, the Nyquist colt is out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Saucy Dame and breezed in :10 flat during the under tack show.

“He was just gorgeous. Pure class by a stallion like Nyquist out of a Distorted Humor mare and bred by Stonestreet, which doesn’t get much better than that,” said Radcliffe, who added they have not decided which trainer the colt would go to. “Not surprised at the price.”

The colt is out of a half-sister to graded stakes winner Buffum and well surpassed the conservative reserve put on him by consignor and co-owner Robbie Harris.

“I had a $249,000 reserve on him, but I knew he was going to sell well,” Harris said. “People were telling me there was a lot of chatter about him that he was one of the top end colts. We loved him. I break 100 head every year and you always knew where he was any time he was on the track.”

In addition to being a record-setter for OBS, Wednesday’s session was also a banner one for consignor Raul Reyes of Kings Equine. Reyes sold two of the seven-figure horses on the day – both to Libyan based bloodstock agent Mahmud Mouni – including the day’s second highest priced horse, a $1.4 million son of six-time leading sire and OBS grad Into Mischief.

Consigned as Hip 416, the Into Mischief colt is a full brother to undefeated multiple stakes winner Taraz and showed his talent during the under-tack show when he breezed in :9 4/5, tying for the fastest time at the distance. The colt is out of the winning Empire Maker mare Silk Route.

“I liked this colt. I specifically came for this colt,” said Mouni, who added that the colt will remain stateside and that a trainer has not yet been decided. “We are lucky to get him at $1.4 million, it’s a fair price. I was unlucky in March for the horse who sold for $3 million, the Gun Runner colt. I tried to bid on him. This sale, we specifically came for this one and we got him. He’s a really, really nice horse.”

Mouni, who was buying for the newly formed Tagermeen Racing syndicate, also purchased Hip 578, a bay daughter of Tiz the Law, for $1.05 million from the Kings Equine consignment. The filly, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the stakes winning graded stakes place mare Tulsa Queen, by Cactus Ridge. 

“It feels great, I’ve had worse feelings than this,” Reyes said of his consignment’s outing. “I had a bad year last year and I really worked hard this year to be where I am. It’s very easy in this business to go up and down, and it’s hard to get up. I put a lot of effort this year into my business.

“(The Into Mischief colt) we had high expectations all year for him,” Reyes added. “He proved that he was a nice horse, and we knew he was going to be special. He did everything right and just has a really good mind. He’s a very serious horse and…the rest is history.”

The day’s third highest price came when owner Kaleem Shah, seated alongside Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, went to $1.3 million to land Hip 585, a bay colt by OBS grad Yaupon consigned by de Meric Sales. The colt, who worked in :9 4/5, is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Twitterpated, who is a full sister to Grade 1 winner Stormy Lucy. 

Asmussen, who trained Yaupon, sees a lot of the same qualities in his future trainee as he did his sire.

“You walk up on him, and he has so many characteristics of his dad temperament wise,” Asmussen said. “We went back and looked at him multiple times and I liked him more every time I saw him. Obviously, we paid more than retail for him, but we loved who he is compared to a lot of other good horses.

“Of course you would have been more comfortable getting him for less but the question was, do you think he’s the right horse. And I believe that he is.”

Another million-dollar baby was born when Donato Lanni, agent for Zedan Racing, stretched to $1.15 million to land Hip 508, a chestnut colt by Tiz the Law consigned by Tom McCrocklin. The colt, who worked in :20 3/5, is out of the winning Forestry mare Taboo, an OBS grad who is out of Grade 1 winner and producer Dream of Summer and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Creative Cause and Vexatious and Grade 2 winner Destin. 

The colt is also a half-brother to stakes winner Let My People Go.

“He had a great work and came back really good,” Lanni said of the colt. “He’s a horse we wanted to go home with. He was one of the top colts in the sale and we just hope he’s a runner. It’s a deep family and he was just a cool dude. It’s hard to separate them all but this is the colt we gravitated to.”

Othe top prices on the day included:

Hip 322, a bay colt by Omaha Beach consigned by Eddie Woods, who sold to Three Amigos for $700,000 early in the session. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Quiet American mare Reason, who hails from the female family of Grade 1 winner Switch, and is a half-brother to stakes placed winners Bedard and Barilko.

Hip 518, a gray or roan filly by Munnings consigned by Thorostock who sold for $700,000 to William K. Werner. The filly, who worked in :21 flat, is out of the winning Tapit mare Tapping Pearl, who is a half sister to Grade 1 winner Drill.

Hip 373, a gray or roan colt by Knicks Go consigned by Hidden Brook, Agent, who sold for $585,000 to D. J. Stable LLC & West Point Thoroughbreds. The colt, who breezed in :10 1/5, is out of the Indian Charlie mare Sassy Ali Joy and is a half-brother to stakes placed Tuscan Queen, an OBS April grad. 

Hip 424, a chestnut colt by Gun Runner consigned by Six K’s Training & Sales who sold for $550,000 to Spendthrift Farm. The colt, who breezed in :21 1/5, is out of the winning graded stakes placed Sky Mesa mare Sky Dreamer and is a half-brother to Group 2 winner Kimbear.

Total gross for the session came in at $26,128,500 from 164 head sold, an improvement over last year’s second session that posted a gross of $25,894,500 from 177 sold. The session average of $159,320 improved from $146,297 in 2024 with the median down slightly, from $68,000 last year to $67,500 this session.

Overall, for the first two days, a total of 325 horses have sold for $46,393,500, just off last year’s total of $46,853,000 from 336 sold. Total average is up from $139,443 in 2024 to $142,749 this year with the median coming in at $60,000, down from $75,000 a year ago.

De Meric Sales leads all consignors through two days with 16 head sold for $4,190,000. Mouni leads all buyers with three purchased for $2,690,000. A total of 81 horses have failed to meet their reserve through the first two sessions for an RNA rate of 19.9%.

The sale continues April 17 at 10:30 a.m. with hips 605 – 906 going through the ring.

Full sale results can be found at obssales.com. 

For Immediate Release

When the Kentucky Derby (G1) transpires in a few weeks, bloodstock agent Gayle Van Leer said her allegiance will be with a beautiful gray son of Tapit who brought a seven-figure price on the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company grounds a year ago.

Inspired by the success of Grade 1 winner Sandman, Van Leer hopes to give her clients a similar result after going to $1 million to land another striking gray son of Tapit during the opening session of the bellwether OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training April 15.

Consigned by Top Line Sales as Hip 249, the Tapit colt was the lone horse to break the seven-figure barrier as the sale kicked off its four-day run. His page spoke itself as he is out of the multiple Grade 1 placed Dixieland Band mare Palacio de Amor and is a half brother to stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Threefiveindia and multiple stakes winner Hero’s Amor.

Van Leer said she purchased the colt for a newly formed partnership that will likely be based on the West Coast.

“(The Tapit colt) reminded me an awful lot of Sandman,” Van Leer said of the Arkansas Derby (G1) winner who sold for $1.2 million at the 2024 OBS March sale. “I fell in love with him, he’s my Derby horse. This colt is just such a smooth moving horse, and he caught my eye immediately during the under-tack show. We tried on the (Gun Runner colt) that brought $3 million during the March sale so we were prepared to go to a million.”

During the under-tack show, the Tapit colt breezed in :10 flat, a final time that was impressive given the ease at which he competed the work.

“He has been a star since the day we got him,” said Torie Gladwell of Top Line Sales, who consigned the colt on behalf of Lugamo Racing. “We’re really happy for Gayle because she was really excited to get that horse. He’s almost a June baby but he’s so sound and just smart for a Tapit. I think once they get him to the racetrack, every day he’s just going to get better.”

The day’s second highest priced was also a product of one of the industry’s leading sires. Hip 190, a bay filly by Curlin out of the winning stakes placed mare Motivated Seller, nearly hit the million-dollar mark herself when she sold for $900,000 from the de Meric Sales consignment to Donato Lanni, agent for Baoma Corp.

The success of Curlin fillies speaks for itself as the Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa stallion counts champions Nest, Malathaat, and Stellar Wind among his top offspring. In addition to being by the right stallion, the bay filly’s dam is by six-time leading sire and OBS grad Into Mischief and out of the stakes winning mare Coup.

During the under-tack show, the Curlin filly tied for the fastest time at the distance when she breezed an eighth in :9 4/5.

“She was an obvious type of horse, athletic, well bred,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who will condition the filly and has fellow OBS April grad Tenma as one of the leading Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders for Baoma this year. “Curlin’s hot. She’s from a good family and she breezed really well. We’re blessed to have clients to be able to buy horses like that.”

Given the amount of looks the Curlin filly received at the barn, Tristan de Meric of de Meric Sales was cautiously optimistic she would be among the most sought-after entries.

“She is a beautiful filly. She did everything she was supposed to do, and we were expecting a big number,” de Meric said. “Very happy with the result. She’s just a very balanced filly, very early looking, one that you can go right on with. She’s a filly we have high hopes for and best of luck to Bob and to her new owners.”

Fillies proved in demand on Tuesday as Hip 300, a dark bay or brown daughter of Constitution, closed out the session by selling to C R K Racing, for $675,000, the third highest price of the day.

Consigned by Hidden Brook, the filly is out of the winning stakes placed Quality Road mare Quality Heat, who is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner and OBS grad Frank Conversation. The filly breezed in :21 1/5 during the under tack show.

Other top prices on the day included Hip 246, a gray or roan colt by Vekoma who worked in :20 3/5 and elicited a final bid of $600,000 from Case Clay Thoroughbred Management on behalf of Wathnan Racing. Consigned by Thorostock LLC, the colt is out of Paden Affair by Rockport Harbor. Paden Affair is a half-sister to stakes winner and graded stakes producer Indian Burn.

Prior to sending the Curlin filly through the ring, the de Meric consignment had another top offering in Hip 96, a gray or roan filly by Tapit who elicited a final bid of $575,000 when she sold to Go Go Grey Stable with agent Liz Crow signing the ticket. The gray Tapit filly is out of the stakes winning No Nay Never mare Mae Never No (IRE ) and worked in :10 flat.

“Very good opening day for us,” said de Meric. “The market is there for the right horses that jump through the hoops. We’re very happy with the Tapit filly. She’s a homebred of Bridlewood Farm that we were lucky enough to buy into in October. She was always a beautiful filly and really stood out.”

A total of 10 horses sold for $450,000 or more on the day including:

• Hip 126, a bay colt by Gun Runner consigned by Paul Sharp who hammered for $550,000 to Winchell Thoroughbreds. Out of the stakes winning Mizzen Mast mare Maybe Wicked, the colt worked in :10 1/5. Maybe Wicked is a full sister to graded stakes winner Money’soncharlotte and multiple stakes winner Mizzcan’tbewrong.
• Hip 181,, a bay filly by OBS grad Yaupon who sold to Spendthrift Farm for $525,000 after breezing a quarter in :20 2/5. Consigned by Tom McCrocklin, the filly is 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 102, a bay colt by Tacitus out of the Gun Runner mare Magical Sign purchased for $500,000 by Justin Casse, Agent out of the Thorostock consignment. The colt worked in 10.1 and is from the female family of Group 1 winners Macoumba and Septieme Ciel.
•  Hip 234, a dark bay or brown filly by Authentic consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales who sold for $500,000 to Bill Childs and Mark Stanton. The filly, who worked in :9  4/5, is out of the winning stakes placed mare Onebrethatatime. A daughter of Brethren, Onebrethatatime is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Wonderlandbynight and Grade 1 producer Gilded Miracle. 
• Hip 174, Trust But Verify, a bay son of OBS grad Into Mischief consigned by Caliente Thoroughbreds who was purchased by MyRacehorse for $450,000. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Speightstown mare Modern Masterpiece, who is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Tourist.

Overall gross for the opening session came in at $19,962,000 from 157 head sold, down slightly from the $20,958,500 generated from 159 sold in 2024. The average of $127,146 was down from $131,814 last year while the median declined from $85,000 during the first session in 2024 to $60,000.

A total of 42 horses failed to meet their reserve for an RNA rate of 21.11%.

De Meric Sales led all consignors by gross for the session with 8 head sold for $2,257,000. Case Clay Thoroughbred Management was the top buyer with 3 purchased for $1,185,000.

The sale continues April 16 at 10:30 a.m. with hips 303 – 604 going through the ring.

Full sale results can be found at obssales.com. 

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”.