With its ‘Mojo Back,’ OBS March Sale Opens Tuesday

[Wandering Eyes]

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale marks a full decade as an open auction when it begins its three-day run Tuesday afternoon and, with a well-attended under-tack show last week followed by a busy weekend of showing, consignors are optimistic demand will be high for the first juvenile sale of the season.

The sale, originally slated to begin at 11 a.m. Mar. 11, will now get going at 1 p.m. to allow horsemen more time in the wake of the consolidated under tack show. The remaining sessions will begin as scheduled.

“I think it's going to be a good sale,” said Ocala Stud's David O'Farrell. “We've been busy all day today and I've seen a lot of nice horses on the grounds. I'm optimistic.”

Consignors who bought in a competitive yearling market last summer and fall are hoping to be rewarded with an equally strong juvenile sales season this spring.

“The yearling sales have been powerful, so I am hoping it just carries on to the 2-year-old sales,” said Saul Marquez of Caliente Thoroughbreds. “I have seen a lot of action here on the grounds and I think it's going to be a strong sale.”

Ocala Stud was represented by the 2024 March sale topper, a $1.8-million daughter of the farm's Win Win Win. The filly was one of four seven-figure juveniles at last year's auction and followed on from five million-dollar 2-year-olds at the 2023 auction. The results indicate the pendulum, which had swung heavily to the OBS April sale in recent years, may be swinging back towards March.

“Even though it got de-selected, we have still had the mentality that you've got to bring select, quality horses to this sale,” said O'Farrell. “The last couple of years, some of the consignors waited a little longer for the April sale because it was safer, but I think they missed out on the opportunities in March. I think people have really focused more on March this year and I think the sale has gotten its mojo back. It seems principal owners are more likely to attend March, as well as a lot of the bigger trainers. There are just so many race meets going on in April, with Keeneland and the Derby right around the corner, you get more people here for March.”

David O'Farrell | Photos by Z

Three of last year's million-dollar juveniles have seen graded stakes action, with the $1.8-million Nooni (Win Win Win) winning the GIII Sorrento Stakes. The $1.3-million Ferocious (Flatter) was second in last year's GI Hopeful Stakes and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and the $1.2-million Sandman (Tapit) is now three-times graded placed, including a runner-up effort in the GIII Southwest Stakes and a third-place finish in the GII Rebel Stakes.

When OBS released finalized figures for the 2024 March sale, 454 head had grossed $65,239,100 for an average of $143,698 and a median of $72,000.

The under-tack preview for the March sale was condensed to three days due to weather concerns and opened last Thursday with horses working into a strong head wind.

“Obviously, the first day was very tough on my horses, wind-wise,” said Marquez. “There were a couple of horses that I thought would perform better, but obviously I wasn't the only one. It affected everyone. The second and third days were more normal conditions and, if the horse had potential, it showed.”

A pair of juveniles shared the show's fastest furlong time of :9 3/5, a filly by Caracaro (hip 446) from the On the Run Sales consignment; and a colt by Gun Runner (hip 654) from the Eddie Woods consignment.

Three juveniles shared the show's fastest quarter-mile time of :20 2/5: a colt by Midshipman (hip 325) from Marquez's Caliente Thoroughbreds; a colt by Mor Spirit (hip 364) consigned by Pick View; and a filly by Leinster (hip 505) consigned by Tom McCrocklin.

“The track was great,” O'Farrell said. “Horses came back really good. We didn't have any problems that way. Obviously, the wind was very difficult on Thursday, but it was pretty consistent for everybody involved. I am sure some horses got a gust where others didn't, but for the most part, it was pretty consistent throughout the day. And aside from that, I thought it was a very good breeze show. I thought it played fair throughout the day pretty much every day.”

Following a week of volatility in the U.S. stock market, the March sale opens against a backdrop of economic uncertainties.

“That certainly doesn't help things, but we will see how that plays out,” O'Farrell said when asked what impact the stock market might have on the three-day auction. “Volatility in the stock market never helps, but I think the 2-year-old sales have had a banner year with graduates performing on the racetrack. All the right people are on the grounds and I think people are here to find their next graded stakes winner.”

A total of 814 horses have been catalogued for the March sale, with hips one through 272 scheduled to sell Tuesday. Hips 273 through 544 go through the ring Wednesday and hips 545 through 814 Thursday. Bidding begins 1 p.m. Tuesday, and the remaining days at 11 a.m.

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