OBS March sale finding balance after changes

The major-market North American juvenile sale season gets underway with the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Despite a difficult spot on the calendar, tasked with establishing market momentum, this sale posted several years of growth and now looks to prove that it has reached a point of stability.

There are 577 hips in the catalog for the sale, set for Tuesday, March 12, and Wednesday, March 13. The precocious juveniles in the catalog got a chance to display their merits to prospective buyers during a three-day under-tack preview on the Ocala Training Center’s allweather Safetrack surface from Thursday, March 7 through Saturday, March 9. That breeze show was displaying parity in the catalog early. As of midday Friday, roughly the halfway point, 16 juveniles were tied for the fastest onefurlong breeze, the traditional work distance for these sales, at 9 4/5 seconds. More than 30 horses were tied just a tick behind them at 10 seconds flat.

Last year's renewal of OBS March couldn't match the record gross and average figures established in 2017, but still compared favorably with earlier editions of the sale. Comparable figures in 2019 would suggest that this marketplace has reached a stable and sustainable plateau after its years of growth to this point. Last year’s two-day auction finished with 248 juveniles sold for revenues of $42,299,000, down 25 percent from the 2017 record gross of $56,510,000 – which was bolstered not only by more horses sold, 301, but by five seven-figure lots. Last year’s sale, led by an $875,000 filly from the final crop of Scat Daddy, marked the first time since 2012 that OBS March did not produce a seven-figure horse.

Last year’s average sale price also came down from a record high, falling 9 percent to $170,560 from $187,741, but did outperform the 2016 edition of the sale and tie the 2015 figure. Meanwhile, the median rose 16 percent to $110,000 from $95,000.

“Since we expanded the sale format in 2015, March has really become a much broader marketplace,” OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “We were able to add a group of precocious horses in addition to the select-type horses they already expect in March.”

The juveniles cataloged for this year’s OBS March sale include broad representation from a strong class of freshman sires, led by nine from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Freshmen Karakontie, Race Day, Secret Circle, and Wicked Strong were among the stallions represented with the juveniles tied for the fastest one-furlong breeze early.

There are four juveniles in the catalog by perennial leading sire Tapit, including colts out of multiple Grade 1 winners Artemis Agrotera and Winter Memories. Artemis Agrotera’s colt worked during the first breeze show session, going in 10 1/5 seconds. Commercial standout War Front has two entrants in the catalog, including a colt out of Grade 1 winner Callback, while perennial top juvenile sire Into Mischief has 14, including one of the fastest one-furlong workers.

Other catalog highlights include a Candy Ride filly who is a half to champion sprinter Drefong. She worked in 10 seconds flat on Thursday.