A record-setting March auction and the recent success of graduates of Ocala Breeders' Sales 2-Year-Olds in Training Sales have generated excitement ahead of the OBS Spring Sale April 15-18. Recent graduates include Tenma and Sandman, both near the top of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) leader boards, respectively.
Tenma was a graduate of the 2024 OBS Spring Sale, where she sold for $850,000 to Baoma Corp from the Wavertree Stables consignment. The Bob Baffert-trainee recently won the Santa Anita Oaks April 5, and now has career earnings of $549,000.
"We were very fortunate; we had a great March sale," said Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales at OBS. "We set a record selling the highest horse ever, a $3 million Gun Runner colt that Eddie Woods sold. People are still looking for good racehorses, and fortunately, they're finding them here at the 2-year-old sales at OBS.
"We've had (Kentucky) Derby winners and we've had (Kentucky) Oaks winners before, but it's always exciting this time of year to have some of your graduates on the trail, and not only on the trail, but really in the hunt for the Derby and Oaks. It's very gratifying."
Dark Saffron is another recent OBS Spring graduate who has burst onto the scene after upsetting the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan Racecourse April 5. He became the first 3-year-old and the eighth OBS grad to win the race. He was a $120,000 purchase by Harmash Racing from Julie Davies' consignment.
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. 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).
The four-day sale begins April 15 and runs through April 18, beginning each day at 10:30 a.m. A total of 1,207 horses have been cataloged.
Last year's sale saw 637 horses sell for $82,373,500, including private sales. The average price was $129,315, with a median of $70,000. The RNA rate was 18.5%, representing the 145 horses who failed to meet their reserve. A filly by Tiz The Law topped the sale at $1.9 million, selling to Michael Lund Petersen from Tom McCrocklin's consignment.
Frank Fletcher Racing Operations (Donato Lanni, agent) and Three Amigos were the leading buyers with three purchases each totaling $2,175,000. Florida-based de Meric Sales led the consignors with 46 head sold for a total of $9.1 million.
"They want the elite horses, and they're willing to pay for them," said McCrocklin on the market. "They don't want anything other than that right now. I don't make the rules, but it's my job to know the rules, and right now I know what they want, and right now they want the very best horses. They want real-deal racehorses, and we focused a lot of our attention on buying what we think are elite prospects."
During the seven-day under tack show, a total of 27 juveniles worked an eighth of a mile in :09 4/5 to share the top time at the distance. Six youngsters threw down the fastest quarter-mile by breezing in :20 2/5.
The OBS Spring Sale will mark the final sale of long-time consignor Eddie Woods, as he is set to retire. He brings a strong draft of 35 horses, on the heels of selling a record-breaking Gun Runner colt for $3 million last month.
"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."
As of Monday evening, OBS has reported 313 outs. Hips 1-302 will go through the ring Tuesday, Hips 303-604 will follow Wednesday, Thursday has Hips 605-906, followed by Hips 907-1207 Friday.
