Florida stallions help create record trends at OBS

By now most in the thoroughbred business are aware that the folks at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company are off to a darn good year in 2013 with their 2-year-old in training sales.

After experiencing double digit increases and smashing records during their March sale of Selected 2-Year-Olds, the Ocala-based sales company continued that trend during their April sale of juveniles in training as they saw their average go from $43,458 in 2012 to $60,535 this year, an increase of 39.3%. They also set a new standard for the median price at the four-day auction as that measure went from $27,000 last year to $35,000 at this year’s April sale, an increase of 29.6%.

What many may not know however, is how much Florida stallions and breeders contributed to the success experienced so far this year at OBS – especially during the April sale.

Leading the pack in April was Two Step Salsa, a first crop stallion that stands at Manuel Andrade’s Get Away Farm located in Reddick, Fla.

During the April sale, 12 two-year-olds by Two Step Salsa sold for an average of $74,542 and median price of $55,000—well above the averages for the sale. His top seller was Hip Number 483, a dark bay or brown colt out of the stakes-placed Pioneering mare Homesteader who brought a final bid of $420,000 from Conquest Stables LLC. Consigned by Dr. Barry Eisaman’s Eisaman Equine of Williston, Fla., the dark bay or brown colt was one of two juveniles by Two Step Salsa to bring six figures during the sale. The other colt was Hip Number 376, another Florida-bred that dropped the gavel at $120,000.

Also having a banner sale among Florida sires was Wildcat Heir, who stands at Journeyman Stud in Ocala. Twelve juveniles by Wildcat Heir went through the ring during the April sale, bringing $797,000 while averaging $66,417 with a median price of $63,500—both figures also a good bit above the general averages for the auction.

Three 2-year-olds by Wildcat Heir brought six figures including Hip Number 4, who helped kick-off the sale by going for $180,000 from the consignment of de Meric Sales, Agent. A Florida-bred colt out of the stakes winning mare Additional Prayer, by Songandaprayer, the bay colt was purchased by New Farm.

Last year Put it Back just edged Wildcat Heir as the leading Florida sire and the two kept the rivalry going during the April Sale. Standing at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Put it Back saw four of his get bring $206,000 during the April sale for an average of $51,500 and a median of $44,500. His top seller was Hip Number 519, a Florida-bred colt out of the winning mare I See Gold, by Sejm that brought $80,000 on a final bid by Mersad Metanovic Bloodstock. He was consigned by Blue River Bloodstock, Agent.

Another first crop sire from Florida turned heads as In Summation, who stands at Ocala Stud, had 16 offspring bring $1,022,500 for an average of $63,906 and a median of $42,500. His top seller was Hip Number 613, a Florida-bred colt that went for $250,000 to Steven W. Young, Agent. Out of the winning Dove Hunt mare Load Up, the dark bay or brown colt is a half-brother to stakes-placed St. Joe and was consigned by Azpurua Stables, Agent.

Ocala Stud also had success at the April sale with their popular stallion High Cotton, who sold 16 2-year-olds for $966,500 for an average of $60,406 and a median of $20,000. His top seller was the second highest-priced juvenile of the entire sale, Hip Number 548 that went for $600,000 to St. Elias and West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc. Consigned by Ocala Stud, this Florida-bred colt is out of the Aloha Prospector mare Keikik, making him a half-brother to stakes winner St. Louis City.

Other Florida stallions of note during the sale where Graeme Hall, who stands at Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala and had ten 2-year-olds go for $590,000 for an average of $59,000; Journeyman Stud stallion Circular Quay, who had ten get bring $526,000 for an average of $52,600; Journeyman Stud stallion Hear No Evil, who had but two offspring in the sale but one brought $370,000; and Cowtown Cat, another Journeyman Stud stallion, whose nine get had an average of $52,000 and a median selling price of $41,500.

So as the breeding season winds down, and if by chance your mare is still not in foal, Florida stallions once again give you a few thousand more reasons for you to breed your future thoroughbred star in the Sunshine State.

Near miss Saturday for Florida-breds

Close is only good in horseshoes and hand granades. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Close but no cigar.

Well, you get the point.

It was a day of near misses in big races for Florida-breds on Saturday as five horses that are a product of the Sunshine State finished second in five different graded races around the country. Obviously, finishing second is not as good as winning, but a near miss in a graded stake is nothing to sneeze at and quite frankly, is a proud accomplishment.

Plus, it does create some very nice black type. And black type with a “Gr” in a sale catalogue or stallion advertisement can often have a positive financial impact that is far greater than the difference between a first and second-place check in a race.

In the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes for older fillies and mares at Keeneland, the Adena Springs-bred mare Bay to Bay finished second to winner Daisy Devine in the 1 1/16-mile race.

It happened twice at Oaklawn Park as Santa Anita Handicap (Gr. 1) winner Ron the Greek, who was bred by Jack T. Hammer, made a furious rally in the final strides of the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap but was unable to catch winner Alternation. Earlier that day at the Arkansas track, Donald Dizney’s homebred 5-year-old horse Apriority, was caught five wide in the far turn of the six furlong Count Fleet (G3), then drifted out in the stretch to lose narrowly to Outta Tune.

Duke of Mischief, a product of Marilyn McMaster’s Florida breeding program, tried to defend his title in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) and looked like he might repeat when he took the lead at the top of the stretch. But the successful defense was not to be as he was caught and passed by eventual winner Caixa Electronica.

Further north in New York, C C’s Pal was unable to pull the upset over It’s Tricky, but hung on for second in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap. Bred in Florida by Beth Bayer, the 5-year-old mare is also a $7,000 graduate of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company October Sale as a weanling in 2007.

Do not despair too much Florida breeders. There were plenty of Florida-bred winners on the day including Master Rick, winner of the Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn and Immortal Eyes’ victory in the Webb Snyder Stakes at Charles Town.

Florida-breds also won several nice allowance races that day including June Cleaver, a Paul Sharp-bred filly who captured a $49,000 non-winners other than race at Keeneland; They Call Him El, a 5-year-old gelding bred by Tiffany A. Atteberry DVM and Beth Hendry who won a similarly conditioned $33,040 allowance race at Golden Gate; and Joyous Music, who was bred in Florida by John O. Sutton and won a $35,000 allowance event at Charles Town. E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Florida home-bred R King of the Road also took a very nice $62,000 allowance at Aqueduct.

Oaklawn fans witnessed Deadly Card, a 3-year-old Florida gelding bred by Guilherme and Angela Bombonato, break his maiden; while Jewelian Rose did the same a Tampa Bay Downs for breeder Annie-o-Productions.