Maxfield Colt Tops Day 1 of OBS March Sale

Midway into the first day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale March 11, Hip 119, a colt by first-crop sire Maxfield, commanded a price of $1 million from Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida. The bay colt was a $75,000 yearling purchase by Polo Bloodstock at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Wavertree Stables-consigned colt fought a strong headwind on the first day of the under tack show March 6, clocking an eighth of a mile in :09 4/5. The son of Maxfield was bred in Kentucky by War Horse Place out of the stakes-winning, graded-placed Sky Mesa mare Eyeinthesky. "It all comes down to the work," said Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables. "It's a breeze show, and it all comes down to the work. He worked sensational on a day when horses were struggling to work, and he produced. He showed himself good all week." "He breezed really good," Nakauchida said. "Physically, he looks really strong and his movement was really smooth and nice. I just liked everything about him. I liked his breeze show first. Then I looked at him physically, and I really liked him. Plus, freshman sire Maxfield, he looks really good. I cannot complain about the stallion." Racing as a homebred for Godolphin, Maxfield earned more than $2 million on the track and notched grade 1 wins at 2 and 4. He won the 2019 Breeders' Futurity (G1) by 5 1/2 lengths at 2 and capped his career with a win in the 2021 Clark Stakes (G1) in his final start. Never worse than third in 11 career starts, he won eight races, including four additional graded stakes victories. He stands for an advertised fee of $40,000 at Darley near Lexington. Entering stud in 2022, Maxfield's first yearlings were well received at the 2024 sales. The son of Street Sense had 79 yearlings sell from 96 offered for an average of $203,057 and a $135,000 median. Two Maxfield yearlings sold for $1 million. Nakauchida, who trained 2023 Japan filly Triple Crown winner Liberty Island (JPN), said the colt will head to Japan and race there. Of the $1 million price tag, Dunne said it was not even close to what he was expecting. "That's the other thing you have no control over," he said. "Two people wanted him, and they were willing to go to the mat for him. It's often enough we walk up there and we only have one guy, we were lucky today we had two. The underbidder is more important or as important as the buyer. "He jumped through all the hoops, as cliché as it is. He vetted good, he stayed sound, and he worked great. When they do that, it's easy." Day 1 Statistics Day 1 saw a decrease in gross sales from last year's first session, producing $15,902,000 from 117 horses to change hands. The average and median were both up, with an average of $135,915 and a median of $85,000. Fifty-three horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 31.2%. Last year's opening day saw 167 head sell for $21,859,000, with an average price of $130,892 and a median of $60,000. The RNA rate was 19.7%, representing the 41 horses who failed to meet their reserve. "We're pleased to see that the average and median were up," said Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales at OBS. "The good news is we still have two days of some really nice horses to sell. It's kind of hard to compare session to session, year to year. But it was a good start and we look forward to more good horses tomorrow and the next day." The highest-priced filly of the day was Hip 65, a daughter of 2024 leading freshman sire Vekoma, who brought $425,000 from Leland Ackerley. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the filly is out of the graded stakes-winning Wildcat Heir mare Daring Kathy. She was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, and purchased as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale for $170,000 by Red Wings. The leading buyer of the first session was Ackerley with four purchases totaling $1,175,000. De Meric Sales led the consignors selling nine head for a total of $1,920,000. "It seems like the sale is pretty strong for the horses that people want, like always," said Randy Hartley of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. "Everybody wants the top horses, and if you happen to land and get through everything—the breeze, the gallop out, the vetting, then it seems like you're pretty golden. It seems like it should be strong all the way through." The sale continues March 12 at 11 a.m. ET with Hips 273-544 set to go through the ring. As of Monday evening, OBS has reported 70 outs.