Topped by a racey looking son of Goldencents that sold for $200,000, proven and up-and-coming race horses drove the Jan. 29 session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale.
Initial results (OBS revises results post-sale to reflect private sales) show 166 horses were sold for gross receipts of $2,959,100, an average price of $17,826, and a $10,000 median. The 54 head that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 24.5%.
The two-day auction began with a consignor preferred session in which 104 horses averaged $16,876 on gross receipts of $1,755,100, with a $12,250 median. The RNA rate for 41 not sold was 28.3%.
During the consignor preferred session a year ago, 147 horses grossed $3,452,700, for an average price of $23,488, and $10,000 median.
The Horses of Racing Age section saw 62 horses gross $1,204,000, for a $19,419 average and $8,500 median. The 13 horses that did not sell equaled 17.3% of the 75 offered.There were 57 horses of racing age sold last year for $880,000, averaging $15,439, with a $9,000 median price.
"The racing age section continues to improve and become an important part of the January sale," said OBS director of sales Tod Wojciekowski.
Golden Notion (Hip 251), the unraced 3-year-old sale-topper consigned by Bryan Rice's Woodside Ranch, agent, worked a half-mile in :44 as the only horse breezing the distance at the Under Tack Show Jan. 28.
Susan Montanye, who signed the ticket on behalf of two unnamed partners in the name of her S B M Training and Sales, said the colt will be sent to trainer Brad Cox at Oaklawn Park.
"This horse has progressed nicely and he is close to a race," consignor Rice said.
The colt is the first foal out of the stakes-placed Bellamy Road mare Angels Trace. Bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms, the colt had been purchased by Rice for $10,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale. He was then acquired by Bona Venture Stables for $100,000 at last year's OBS April Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Bringing the day's second-highest price of $135,000 from Agave Racing was multiple stakes winner Noble Commander, consigned as Hip 198 by trainer Mark Casse's Moonshadow Farm, agent.
Trained by Casse for John Oxley, the 4-year-old son of Forestry has won half of his six starts and $143,843. Winner of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, the colt placed third in the Federico Tesio Stakes and completed his sophomore campaign with a victory in the Dec. 29 Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Track & Slots.
Ocala-based agent Dale Smallwood, who signed on behalf of Agave, said the colt would be sent to California where he will be trained by Phil D'Amato.
"Mr. Casse did a good job with him," Smallwood said. "He's going to Phil D'Amato in California. He thinks he will like to go 6 1/2 furlongs on grass. Agave Racing. I was sent here to do it. I didn't bid on anything else. We thought we get him for less. There were couple of major owners from California who were on him too. We're hoping to run him in stakes."
Bred in Florida by Gold Mark Farm, the colt is out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Indian Carlie, a half sister to Marley's Freedom, winner of the Kettle One Ballerina Stakes (G1) and two additional graded stakes, and to stakes winner Noble Charlotte. He was initially purchased by Oxley for $235,000 two years ago at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's March sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Three yearlings shared the top price of $75,000 during the opening consignor preferred session that showed a weakness in the market, especially for broodmares.
They were:
Consignor Beth Bayer said the tepid demand could be a sign that buyers had filled most of their orders at this point in the mixed market and what was on offer wasn't enough to entice them to buy.
"Maybe what is being offered to the market is a little light," Bayer theorized. "Everybody has their quota and they have small orders left. They can be very specific and be more critical of the horses than they were earlier in the year."
Bayer said she was disappointed that a filly (Hip 86) she consigned—the only yearling in the sale sired by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah —did not find a new home on a final bid of $240,000 and was an RNA.
"I thought that was the number that we should be at," Bayer said. "I think she was worth that."
The Florida-bred filly was produced from the Bernstein mare Renee's Titan, winner of the grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes and is a half sister to group/grade 2 winners Strong Titan and Fashion Alert.
The sale concludes Jan. 30 with an open session that begins at 11:00 a.m. EST.