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| Staff Writer |
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The Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale saw Japanese buyers dominate proceedings, with a Maxfield colt topping the sale at US$1 million.
The bay colt, purchased by Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida, was initially a US$75,000 yearling purchase by Polo Bloodstock at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the colt impressed during the under tack show despite facing a strong headwind, clocking an eighth of a mile in :09 4/5. He 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."
Nakauchida, who trained 2023 Japan filly Triple Crown winner Liberty Island, was effusive in his praise: "He breezed really good. 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."
Near the end of the March 11 opening session, Hip 212, a full brother to the world-record-setting Cogburn, brought US$650,000 from Japan's Katsumi Yoshida. The chestnut colt was a US$300,000 purchase by his consignors, Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The son of Not This Time breezed a quarter-mile in :21 1/5 during the under tack show. He was bred in Kentucky by Taylor Made Stallions, Clark Brewster, John Cummins et al., Joel Politi, Brian Moss, and Travis White.
"He was a beautiful horse," said Randy Hartley of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. "He did everything that he was supposed to do. He's the dream horse to train. He was just so light on his feet.
"We love the stallion Not This Time, we had a horse named No More Time that we qualified for the Kentucky Derby last year. He got hurt in his last work, but anyway, very similar horses. I'm so tickled he's going to Japan. We've sold those guys some really good horses, so it's exciting."
"(Hip 212) was a very nice walker," said Shingo Hashimoto, who signed the ticket on behalf of Yoshida. Yoshida's Northern Farm is one of the most prominent racing and breeding operations in Japan.
"He looked pretty fast (in his breeze)," Hashimoto said. "When we inspected him, the way he walked was very nice, so we really liked him. We're going to take him to Japan, hopefully, he'll do good like his brother (Cogburn)."
Among the top-priced fillies, Hip 65, a daughter of 2024 leading freshman sire Vekoma, brought US$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 US$170,000 by Red Wings.
Hip 19, a filly by Connect, provided a remarkable return when selling for US$350,000 to Breeze Easy, having been purchased for just US$20,000 from Fasig-Tipton's The July Sale by Edge Investments. The filly, consigned by Jesse Hoppel of Hoppel and Edge Investments, breezed a quarter-mile in :20 4/5 on the first day of the under tack show.
"That was a tough day," Hoppel said on the strong headwind. "The filly has breezed really good at the farm on the dirt, and we had a lot of confidence coming in here with her. So many people were intimidated by the wind and didn't want to breeze in a quarter because it's laboring for the horses, and she was able to get through it and then gallop out nice at the end."
The sale's opening day saw 117 horses change hands for a total of US$15,902,000. While gross sales decreased from last year's first session, the average and median were both up, with an average of US$135,915 and a median of US$85,000. The RNA rate was 31.2%.
"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 leading buyer of the first session was Ackerley with four purchases totaling US$1,175,000. De Meric Sales led the consignors selling nine head for a total of US$1,920,000.