Following a victory in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile, Yuesheng Zhang and Craig Dado’s Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief-Violent Wave, by Violence) added to his impressive resume in his stateside return with a gate-to-wire victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course, becoming one of two OBS grads to earn graded wins on the day.
Raging Torrent wins the Metropolitan Handicap (NYRA/Coglianese photo)
In victory, Raging Torrent was awarded a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.
Trained by Doug O’Neill, the 4-year-old son of Maximus Mischief asserted himself over a formidable group that included champion Fierceness. The win was Raging Torrent’s sixth in his last seven outings and gave him his second Grade 1 triumph to go along with his victory in Santa Anita Park’s Malibu in December.
Raging Torrent increased his career bankroll to $1,797,400. He was purchased by Mark Davis for $75,000 out of the 2023 OBS April sale from the consignment of Randy Bradshaw after breezing in 10 flat.
At Santa Anita Park, Bob Baffert trained Cash Call(McKinzie – D’fashion, by D’wildcat ) outbattled stablemate Howin in the stretch to win the $100,000 Summertime Oaks (G3) in her first start around two turns.
Cash Call races for owner CSLR Racing Partners. She was purchased from the consignment of Eddie Woods by Bill Childs for $600,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale of 2-year-olds in training after breezing in :20 1/5.
Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company announces that a total of 83 horses have been supplemented to the June Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age taking place June 17-18.
The under-tack portion of the sale will take place June 10-14 with sessions beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET each day.
Tue, June 10: Hips 1-172
Wed, June 11: Hips 173-343
Thu, June 12: Hips 344-386; Supp 387-430; Hips 451-534
Fri, June 13: Hips 535-705
Sat, June 14: Hips 706-833; Supp 834-873; HRA 901-903
The June 17 sale session will offer Hips 1 – 386, plus supplemental entries 387 – 430, with the June 18 session selling Hips 451 – 833 along with supplements 834 – 873. The horses of racing age, Hips 901 – 903, will also be offered on June 18. The sale begins at 10 a.m. each day.
Included in the supplemental entries are offspring by such popular sires as Charlatan, Constitution, Curlin, Ghostzapper, Gun Runner, Independence Hall, Leinster, Maxfield, McKinzie, Medaglia d’Oro, OBS grad Mitole, Not This Time, Nyquist, Oscar Nominated, Quality Road, Tiz the Law, Twirling Candy, Vekoma, Win Win Win, and OBS grad Yaupon.
PDF files of the entire catalogue with supplements or the supplement catalogue only are available on the info tab PDF Catalogs.
The iPad version of the catalogue can be accessed via the Equineline Sales Catalog App. The App allows users to download and view the catalogue, receive updates and results, record notes and provides innovative search, sort and rating capability. For more information and downloads go to:equineline.com.
The under-tack show and sale will be streamed live via the OBS website as well as the TDN, DRF, BloodHorse, and Past The Wire websites.
Current information about OBS sales, consignors and graduates is now also available via social media sites Facebook and “X”.
Baoma Corp.’s Nysos (Nyquist – Netta Z, by Bernardini) returned to his winning ways Saturday with a 5 ½-length win in the Grade 3, $100,000 Triple Bend Stakes going seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park to lead a slate of four OBS grads who earned graded stakes wins on the day.
Nysos wins the Triple Bend (Benoit Photo)
Nysos returned from a 15-month layoff on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 3 and came up a neck short in the Churchill Downs (G1), his first loss in four starts for trainer Bob Baffert. On Saturday, the 4-year-old Nyquist colt shook clear of Dr. Venkman at the top of the stretch and then extended his advantage to earn his third graded stakes win.
Nysos was purchased for $550,000 out of the Best A Luck Farm consignment by Donato Lanni, Agent for Baoma Corp at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale after breezing :9 4/5.
At Woodbine, Classic Mo Town (Mo Town – Potra Clasica (ARG), by Potrillon (ARG)) finally charted his first stakes success with a win in the $175,000 Eclipse Stakes (G2) on Saturday afternoon.
Classic Mo Town, trained by Marty Drexler and owned by Bruno Schickedanz, crossed the wire a three-quarter length winner over Webslinger, who rallied to net second. The gelding was purchased by Saffie Joseph Jr. from Sue Vacek for $18,000 at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale.
Also at Woodbine, WinStar Farm’s Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach – Belatrix, by Giant’s Causeway) was much the best in the $150,000 Belle Mahone Stakes (G3).
The daughter of Omaha Beach was making her 4-year-old debut in the 1 1/16-mile main race. Last year’s King’s Plate winner, trained by Kevin Attard, was consigned by Off the Hook to the 2023 OBS Spring Sale where she sold for $375,000 after breezing in :10 flat.
At Churchill Downs, longshot Durante (Distorted Humor-Seahawk Girl, by Pioneerof the Nile), owned and trained by David Jacobson, took advantage of a torrid early pace to win the $275,000 Aristides (G3) by one length. This was Durante’s second stakes win following his victory in the 2023 $200,000 Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct. Consigned by Richardson Bloodstock to the 2021 OBS March Sale, Durante sold for $130,000 to Dennis O’Neill after breezing in :10 1/5.
Hard knocking OBS graduate Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator – Twinkling, by War Chant) added another achievement to his accomplished resume when he scored at odds-on in the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Gold Cup going 1 ¼ miles May 26 at Santa Anita Park.
For Skippylongstocking, who is based with trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. the victory marked his eighth graded stakes victory at six different tracks in four-plus seasons of racing. It pushed his overall record to 11-3-7 from 32 starts with career earnings of $3,661,610.
Skippylongstocking wins the Hollywood Gold Cup (Benoit photo)
“He’s just a hard knocking horse who takes his track with him everywhere he goes,” Joseph told the Santa Anita publicity team. “He’s a sound horse and he’s very strong mentally. We’ll be forever grateful for him.”
Skippylongstocking won in a time of 2:01.64 for owner Daniel Alonso, besting runner-up and fellow OBS grad Midnight Mammoth. He was purchased by Alonso for $37,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale after breezing an eighth in :10 2/5.
Other OBS grads to earn stakes victories over the holiday weekend included Happy Tenth Stable’s Buccherino (Bucchero – Bellimbusto, by First Dude) who rolled to a one-length victory in Monday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park. Trained by Alfredo Velazquez, the 4-year-old son of OBS grad Bucchero is now 2-for-2 this year after being idle for more than eight months after tearing the frog off one of his hooves.
Buccherino was purchased for $75,000 from the Blue River Bloodstock, Inc. consignment at the 2023 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.
At Lone Star Park May 26, C2 Racing Stable’s Mystic Lake (Mo Town – Salty Soul, by Itsmyluckyday) notched a two-length win in the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint for trainer Saffie Joseph.
Named the 2024 Florida-bred Horse of the Year by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, Mystic Lake is a two-time OBS graduate, sold by Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent, at the 2022 October Yearling Sale and then purchased for $130,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the 2023 March Sale after breezing in :20.4/5.
The Lone Star Park holiday card also saw Steve Asmussen’s Neom Beach (Omaha Beach – Giant’s Causey, by Giant’s Causeway) earn her first stakes win when she romped to a 6 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff, which was moved from turf to dirt. Neom Beach was purchased by Nwadr Stables for $210,000 out of the 2023 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Julie Davies after breezing in :10 flat.
On Sunday at Hawthorne, the $50,000 Work All Week Stakes took place for sprinters and was captured by King Cab (Noble Bird – Alotofappeal, by Trippi) by a half-length. Owned by Maribel Triana and trained by Heather Irion, King Cab was purchased by Plesa, Melin, and Ellman for $110,000 at the 2021 OBS June Sale from the Ocala Stud consignment after breezing in :21 4/5.
WinStar Farm and Baron Stable’s Margie’s Intention (Honor A. P. – Playful Dancer, by Into Mischief) unleashed a relentless run through the stretch to reel in pacesetter Paris Lily and register a three-quarter-length victory in the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course May 16, becoming one of two OBS grads to earn graded stakes wins on the weekend.
Racing exclusively against fellow Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds, Margie’s Intention was making her debut in open company. She ran fourth in her mid-December unveiling before registering back-to-back wins and running second in a pair of stakes.
Margie’s Intention wins the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (Maryland Jockey Club photo)
“Obviously, a big win being a Grade 2 and we thought she would like the mile and an eighth and she pretty much needed all of it to get there,” trainer Brad Cox told the Pimlico publicity team. “She ran a big race. We haven’t had her that long, but she performed well on an off track this winter. I thought she moved forward today. It was a demanding race; she was under a ride turning for home and she finished the race off.”
Margie’s Intention was purchased by Corbin Blumberg, agent for $185,000 out of the 2024 OBS April sale from the consignment of Sequel Bloodstock after breezing in :10 flat.
On the undercard of the Preakness Stakes (G1) May 17, William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm’s Booth (Mitole – Sophia’s Song, by Bellamy Road) extended his win streak to four races with his third consecutive graded triumph, a front-running score in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3).
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Booth improved to 4-for-5 in his 4-year-old season. His sire, fellow OBS grad Mitole, won the 2018 Chick Lang at Pimlico and was the champion male sprinter of 2019.
Booth was purchased by the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm for $225,000 out of the 2023 OBS March sale from the Wavertree Stables consignment after breezing in :10 flat.
Among the other OBS grads to earn stakes wins on the weekend were Fergus Galvin’s Play With Fire (Oscar Performance – Streaming Fire, by Street Sense), who swept up to take the lead in mid-stretch and continued to the wire en route to capturing the $125,000 Hilltop by a length at Pimlico on May 16.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Play With Fire was purchased by Galvin for $85,000 at the 2024 OBS March sale from the consignment of Niall Brennan Stables after galloping during the under-tack show.
At Gulfstream Park May 17, Most Handsome (Neolithic – Precious Lady, by Songandaprayer) led every point of call to notch a victory in the $75,000 Roar Stakes. Owned by trainer Ronald Spatz and David Romanik, Most Handsome was offered at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the the On Track consignment but failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :9 4/5.
At Horseshoe Indianapolis May 14, Smoken Boy (Catholic Boy – Smoken Deb, by Cairo Prince) got the edge late to win by a head over Chasing Liberty in the $150,000 Caesars Handicap. Trained by Cheryl Winebaugh for KEM Stables, Smoken Boy was purchased for $15,000 out of the 2024 OBS June Sale by C.H.P.R. from the consignment of Niall Brennan Stables after breezing in :10 2/5.
Shisospicy (Mitole – Mischief Galore, by Into Mischief) led the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates this past weekend when she earned her second straight stakes victory and first graded score with a dominant 4 ¼-length win in the $224,625 Mamzelle Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs May 10.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz and trained by Jose D’Angelo, Shisospicy clocked 5 ½ furlongs on firm turf in a stakes record time of 1:01.46 for Josh Mendez’s Morplay Racing LLC. The victory was worth $129,820 and increased Shisospicy’s earnings to $415,370 with a record of 6-4-1-1. She is unbeaten in three starts on grass.
Shisospicy wins the Mamzelle. (Churchill/Coady Media/Renee Torbit photo)
“Our goal is always to have fun and this was a lot of fun,” said Rich Mendez, the founder of Morplay Racing, to the Churchill Downs publicity team. “We knew after the Limestone (Stakes at Keeneland) we had a lot of confidence with her moving forward. She’s run so well in all of her starts.”
Shisospicy was offered at the 2024 OBS April sale by Hartley/DeRenzo where she was an RNA after breezing in :9 3/5.
At Gulfstream Park, Lennilu (Leinster – Lulu’s Pom Pom, by Pomeroy),owned by Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farm, Maury Harrington and Christopher Harrington, punched her ticket to Royal Ascot when she romped to a 3 ¾ length victory in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.
The Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies winner earned an automatic berth in one of six juvenile stakes during the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in mid-June, plus a $25,000 travel stipend.
“The plan is Royal Ascot as long as she is healthy and everything goes right,” winning trainer Patrick Biancone said to the Gulfstream Park publicity team.
Lennilu was purchased by Glencrest Farm for $23,000 from the Abbie Road Farm consignment at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale.
At Monmouth Park on Saturday, Kentucky Outlaw (Outwork – Fend, by Street Sense)gave owner-trainer Felissa Dunn her first career stakes win, rolling to 1 1/2-length victory in the $102,000 Long Branch Stakes – earning a free entry and free start fees to the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes on July 19.
It marked the third win in four career starts for the son of Outwork, who was picked out of the 2024 OBS June Sale from the Kinsman Farm consignment for $12,000 by Felissa’s husband John Dunn after breezing in :10 3/5. The colt previously sold for $10,000 at the 2023 OBS October Yearling Sale to Angel Martinez out of the Whitman Sales consignment.
At Prairie Meadows, Patricia’s Hope LLC and Richard Ravin’s Rich City Girl (City of Light – Hassler (IRE), by War Front) earned her first stakes win when she captured the $50,000 Goldfinch Stakes in her seasonal bow. Trained by Larry Rivelli, the filly was purchased by Patricia’s Hope for $435,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2024 OBS March sale after breezing in :9 4/5.
The catalogue for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2025 June Two-Year-Olds in Training & Horses of Racing Age Sale is now available online at obssales.com.
A total of 772 horses have been catalogued to date for the sale, which has been consolidated to two days and will take place June 17-18 with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The under-tack show will be held over five days from June 10-14 starting at 7:30 a.m. each day.
The June 17 session will offer Hips 1 – 386, plus supplemental entries, with the June 18 session selling Hips 451 – 833 along with supplements. The horses of racing age, Hips 901 – 903, plus supplements, will also be offered on June 18.
Supplements will be sold at the conclusion each session catalogued in order of the starting letter of the dam’s name. Names beginning with T through I will be added to the end of the first session; names beginning with J through S will be added to the conclusion of second session. HRA supplements will follow Hip 903.
The order of hips each day for the under-tack show will be determined after supplemental entries are complete. Like the March and April auctions, the 2025 OBS June sale offers the entry option of “Gallop Only” where sellers can enter their horses with this designation which will be on the catalogue page.
The under-tack show and sale will be streamed live via the OBS website as well as the TDN, DRF, BloodHorse, and Past The Wire websites.
Featured on the cover of the catalogue is OBS June grad and sire Yaupon (Uncle Mo -Modification, by Vindication), who had his first winner from his first starter with Sassy C W at Churchill Downs April 30. The Grade 1 winner and Spendthrift stallion was purchased by East Hickman Bloodstock for $255,000 out of the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2019 OBS June Sale after breezing in :10 flat.
Notable graduates out of the OBS June sale include Queen Maxima (Bucchero – Corfu Lady, by Corfu), who is featured on the back cover and scored her second straight graded stakes victory May 2 when she annexed the Unbridled Sidney Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. A daughter of OBS grad Bucchero, Queen Maxima was purchased by Michael Pender, agent by Blue River Bloodstock for $40,000 from the 2023 OBS June sale after breezing in :20 3/5.
Featured on the back cover along with Queen Maxima are OBS June grads Adare Manor, Flood Zone, and War Like Goddess.
Michael Lund Petersen’s multiple Grade 1 winner Adare Manor (Uncle Mo – Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), was an Eclipse Awards finalist for champion older dirt female in 2024. The daughter of Uncle Mo trained by Bob Baffert retired with more than $2 million in earnings and was purchased at the 2021 OBS June Sale for $375,000 out of the Julie Davies consignment by Donato Lanni, agent, after breezing in :10 1/5.
George Krikorian’s multiple Grade 1 winner War Like Goddess (English Channel – Misty North, by North Light) bested males twice in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) and ran third in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). An earner of more than $3 million under the tutelage of two-time Kentucky Derby (G1) winning trainer Bill Mott, War Like Goddess was purchased out of the 2019 OBS June Sale by Hemingway Racing and Training Stables for $30,000 after breezing an eighth in :10 2/5.
Wathnan Racing’s Flood Zone (Frosted-Curls for Girls, by Curlin) upset the field in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack March 1 for trainer Brad Cox. Consigned by Paul Sharp, he was purchased for $45,000 by VEB Racing Stable at the 2024 OBS June Sale after breezing in :21 3/5.
Other notable OBS June grads include two-time Breeders’ Cup winners Stormy Liberal and Goldencents.
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 catalogue can be accessed via the equineline Sales Catalog App. The App allows users to download and view the catalogue, receive updates and results, record notes and provides innovative search, sort and rating capability. For more information and downloads go to:equineline.com.
Current information about OBS sales, consignors and graduates is now also available via social media sites Facebook and “X”.
Mark Fletcher Taylor, trainer Rohan Crichton and Daniel Walters’ Macho Music(Maclean’s Music-Southern Girl, by Tapit) went to the front and never was headed en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $600,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs May 3, becoming one of two OBS grads to earn graded stakes victories on the weekend.
Macho Music wins the Pat Day Mile (Churchill/Coady Media photo)
Ridden by Javier Castellano, Macho Music completed the mile over a sloppy track in 1:35.65. The Florida-bred son of Maclean’s Music has won four of eight starts with Saturday’s triumph being his first graded-stakes score.
“He’s a very fast horse and he’s very competitive,” Castellano told Churchill Downs publicity. “His last race down at Tampa when he stretched out in distance gave me a lot of confidence he’d be able to handle the step up in class today.”
Macho Music’s owners purchased him for $60,000 from the Pick View consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 2/5.
Fellow OBS grad Gaming was third.
One day earlier at Churchill Downs, Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures’ Queen Maxima (Bucchero – Corfu Lady, by Corfu) uncorked a four-wide rally at the top of the stretch and then drew off to score a 3 1/2-length victory in the $400,000 Unbridled Sidney (G3).
Trained by Jeff Mullins and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Queen Maxima completed the 5 ½ furlongs over a course rated as good in 1:01.29 to establish a course record.
A 4-year-old daughter of OBS grad Bucchero, Queen Maxima has won five consecutive races and earned her second consecutive Grade 3 score. Consigned by Blue River Bloodstock, she was purchased by Michael Pender, agent for $40,000 from the 2023 OBS June sale after breezing in :20 3/5.
At Oaklawn Park on May 3, almost exactly a year after winning the Kentucky Derby (G1) by a nose, Mystik Dan was beaten by the same margin by Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming – New Narration, Tapit) in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes.
Trained by Brad Cox for FMQ Stables (Faisal Alqahtani), Saudi Crown collected $117,000 for the victory, his seventh in 15 lifetime starts, and improved his bankroll to $3,427,385. He recorded his biggest career victory to date in the 2023 $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
Consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, to the 2022 OBS Spring Sale, Saudi Crown was sold for $240,000 after breezing in :10 flat.
At Gulfstream Park, Starship Stables’ Starship Impulsive (Improbable – K P Wildcat, by Include), a front-running winner in her two-turn debut last month, used similar tactics to become a stakes winner for the first time in Saturday’s $80,000 Honey Ryder Stakes.
Ridden by Leonel Reyes for trainer Steve Dwoskin, Starship Impulsive registered her second straight win and third in six starts. Consigned by Wildheart Thoroughbreds, she was sold for $50,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.
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, visitobssales.com.
Kretz Racing LLC’s Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile-Fancy Day (IRE), by Shamardal) added to his million-dollar bankroll April 20 when he scored a front-running victory in the $100,000 American Stakes (G3) on the turf at Santa Anita Park to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads over the weekend.
Cabo Spirit wins the American Stakes (Benoit Photo)
Trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit crossed the wire in 1:34.42 to win by three-quarters of a length. His previous graded stakes wins included the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar, Twilight Derby (G2) at Santa Anita, and Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita.
“He is a really nice horse. Since we gelded him, he is much more relaxed in his races,” Papaprodromou told the Santa Anita publicity team. “He is a nice horse and hopefully we can win some more races with him.”
A 6-year-old gelding, Cabo Spirit was consigned to the 2021 OBS April Sale by Eddie Woods, Agent, and purchased for $575,000 by Gayle Van Leer, Agent, after breezing a quarter in :20 4/5.
At Aqueduct on April 19, R and H Stable’s New York-bred Mo Plex (Complexity-Mo Joy, by Uncle Mo) earned a head score in the $150,000 Bay Shore Stakes.
Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the colt previously prevailed in the Grade 3 Sanford and state-bred Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. He was a $45,000 purchase by JCE Racing out of the Hoppel LLC consignment at last year’s OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training after breezing quarter in :21 1/5.
Three OBS grads earned stakes wins at Laurel Park April 19.
Pay Billy (Improbable – Harlington’s Rose, by Harlington) earned a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1, $2,000,000 Preakness Stakes on May 17 when he captured the $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes. Trained by Michael Gorham, the bay colt was purchased by RKTN Racing for $60,000 from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment at the 2024 OBS April’s OBS Juvenile auction after breezing in :10 2/5.
In the $150,000 Weber City Miss Stakes,Complexity Jane (Complexity – Bestinthebusiness, by Ghostzapper) put her opponents to sleep with a pacesetting victory. Owned by Michael Golden of Golden Lion Racing, Complexity Jane was purchased by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds for $170,000 at the 2024 March Sale from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.
“We went down to OBS looking for a nice horse,” trainer Brittany Russell told the Laurel Park publicity team. “She was one of the top fillies on the list that we liked, and we got her. I couldn’t believe it, honestly. I was pumped. Out of all of them, she was the one I wanted.”
In the $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes, Signator (Tapit – Pension, by Seeking the Gold) avoided traffic congestion early and persevered late for a half-length victory for trainer Shug McGaughey. Owned by a group led by West Point Thoroughbreds, Signator was a $1.7 million purchase by Lane’s End Racing & West Point Thoroughbreds from the Eddie Woods consignment out of the 2022 OBS April Sale after breezing in :20 4/5.
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.
Hip 1094 sells for $1.5 million at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale (OBS/VidHorse photo)
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.
Eddie Woods watches his final horse sell (OBS photo)
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.
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.
Hip 833 sells for $1.3 million at OBS April (OBS/VidHorse Photo)
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.”
Consignor Eddie Woods (OBS/VidHorse photo)
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.
