American Pharoah Filly Tops OBS March 2YO Sale Opening Session

The Ocala Breeders Sales Company’s March 2- Year-Olds in Training Sale kicked off Tuesday in the US with a drop in average and poor clearance surprising nobody given the current climate of pandemic and financial crisis.

At the end of selling Tuesday, 134 horses changed hands for a combined $12,550,500 at an average of $93,660 and median of $50,000.

Those stats are expected to change as buyers continue to shop the passed in list with the clearance at the end of day one at 55.6%.

The OBS March opener was held under buoyant conditions last year and had the following statistics after the corresponding opening session. Aggregate of $22,134,000, the average was $153,708 and median was $83,500, with a clearance of 70.2%.

The top seller was an American Pharoah filly that galloped out the fastest quarter mile in the breeze up session last week clocking :20 2/5.

Consigned by Wavertree Stables, she was bought by Katsumi Yoshida for $650,000

“It’s going to be all the usual cliches, but at the end of the day she was fast and she vetted good. And if they can do that, you’re golden,” said Wavertree’s Ciaron Dunne.

“She had a bit of pedigree. She was well-bought and well-sold, I would think.”

A half-sister to Stakes-placed My Sweet Stella from good producer Megalicious, he star filly was a $70,000 KEENOV weanling and $165,000 KEESEP yearling.

“It was for one of our pinhooking partnerships,” Dunne noted.

“We bought her at Keeneland last year and she was in Book 3. She was a little on the small side, but she was a beautiful mover. I think a lot of people picked on her for her size. We just took a shot. When they work like that, they get a whole lot bigger. She grew up and she’s beautiful. She is a quality filly and she backed it up on the racetrack.”