Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International emerged the winner of a short but competitive bidding war March 16 during the opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Bidding from the back ring, the bloodstock agent went to $525,000 to secure Hip 188, a colt by Airdrie Stud's Cairo Prince out of the stakes-placed Big Drama mare Sadie Be Good. Bred in Kentucky by Namcook Stables, the colt was consigned by Harris Training Center on behalf of Paul Braverman, who had purchased the colt for $70,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale from the consignment of Indian Creek. Braverman had consigned the juvenile with Sierra Farm to the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, but the colt failed to attain his reserve on a final bid of $110,000.
"I'm very happy," said consignor Robert Harris. "It's the first time I've had a horse for Mr. Paul Braverman. You always expect them to sell well but that was awesome. I think he bought the horse as a weanling and tried to resell as a yearling but with COVID-19 still going on, it didn't work out. But out on the track, he breezed great and X-rayed great."
During the under tack show, the colt shared the fastest eighth-mile breeze time of :9 4/5.
"We thought he was a very good mover on the track," said de Seroux. "He's a horse that we have big expectations for. The market is very strong. There are a lot of people on those horses that are attracting attention and there is quite a bit of action."
"When they jump through all the hoops they'll pay you," said Harris. "It's great when it works out."
Also hitting the $525,000 mark for Narvick was Hip 243, a colt by Lane's End stallion Liam's Map bred in Kentucky by H & E Ranch out of the stakes-placed mare Starlet O'Hara (by Discreetly Mine). Consigned by Pick View, agent, the gray or roan 2-year-old is from the family of grade 2 winner Wanderin Boy and grade 3 winner Early Warning. He breezed a quarter-mile in :20 3/5 during the under tack show.
Narvick International spent $190,000 for Hip 127, a filly by Lane's End stallion Daredevil out of stakes winner Oilgonewile (Montbrook). Consigned by Gayle Woods, agent, the filly, named Devils Gonewile, was bred in Florida by John Ropes and also worked an eighth-mile in :9 4/5.
Narvick signed the ticket late in the afternoon on Hip 223, a $125,000 Curlin colt out of German group 1 winner Silvester Lady (Pivotal). Consigned by Blazing Meadows Farm, agent, the chestnut was bred in Kentucky by Aaron Sones and was purchased as a yearling for $90,000 by String Music Thoroughbred Investments from the consignment of Eaton Sales to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt breezed a quarter-mile in :21 3/5.
Rounding out the day's purchases by Narvick was Hip 153, a gray or roan filly by Ashford Stud's Cupid out of Playing for Fun (Action This Day). Bred in Kentucky by Hugh Moore and Everett Dyer, the filly was consigned by Golden Rock Thoroughbreds, agent, and purchased for $75,000. The filly was another speedy performer, having worked an eighth-mile in :10 during the under tack show.
With the number of buyers on the grounds increasing throughout the week, Harris said he was more than pleased with the state of the current market heading into the juvenile sales season.
"There has been a lot of traffic at the barns," said Harris. "When we were here last year, OBS did a phenomenal job to even get a sale going. This has been a breath of fresh air. I think we saw it building at Keeneland in November and then again in the January and February sales in Kentucky so things are starting to loosen up a little bit."
