A diverse group of horses have been cataloged for the horses of racing age portion of the Ocala Breeders' Sales June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age, which will close out this week's three-day auction in Ocala Thursday, June 9.
Among the race-ready horses of racing age being offered to prospective buyers are Hips 1152, 1157, and 1165.
Hip 1152 is an unraced dark bay or brown gelding by Practical Joke out of the stakes-winning Royal Academy mare My Redbyrd, a full sister to stakes winner and multiple group stakes-placed Fokine and to stakes winner Polar Circle, and a half sister to group 1-placed, group 2 winner Ocean Ridge (by Storm Bird). This 3-year-old is from the first crop of Practical Joke, the multiple grade 1-winning $1.7 millionaire-earning son of Into Mischief . Consigned by Thorostock, agent, the colt breezed three furlongs in :33 3/5 at the under tack preview.
Bred in Kentucky by Newtown Anner Stud, he was a $75,000 RNA at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where he was offered by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services.
"I've been involved from the mating to watching him grow up and now at our training center (Thorostock) here in Ocala throughout the breaking process," said Thorostock's Nick Sallusto. "He came in and wanted to have a little more attitude than maybe I would have liked early on. Eventually, we made the decision that he would be a better gelding. I probably waited a little longer than I should have to geld him, but now his mind has really come together. He is straightforward right now and is doing very well. I think he can be a very useful horse.
"He is part of a thinning-out process for Newtown Anner," Sallusto continued. "The program has become one that if a horse hasn't started yet or is not of stakes quality at this point in the year, it is going to be sold. We are going to follow up (this sale) with more horses being offered at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale."
Hip 1157 is an unraced gelding from the first crop of 3-year-olds by Keen Ice out of the unraced Montbrook mare Adeste, a half sister to Sweet Symphony, winner of the 2005 Alabama Stakes (G1), and to stakes winners Patriotic Flame and Infinite Glory. This is also the family of 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull who appears under the colt's third dam. Consigned by Gayle Woods, agent, the chestnut was bred in the Sunshine State by Lara Run. He breezed three-eighths in :33 2/5 during the under tack preview.
"He is a really nice horse," said Woods. "He is a good, solid horse, and he had a lovely breeze, galloping out in :45 2/5. He had problems as a 2-year-old. He came up with a high suspensory here when we had him in the (2021 OBS) March Sale. We gave him loads of time, and now he's ready to carry on. He's a really nice horse."
Hip 1165 is a bay colt by Noble Bird named Defend Yourself. Consigned by Idella Fernander, the bay is produced from the unraced Gemologist mare Heartache, a half sister to Canadian stakes winner Conquest Pacemaker. This is also the family of stakes winner and grade 1-placed Keeneland Kat and multiple stakes winner Northwest Factor.
Bred in Florida by Henry Fernander, the colt breezed three furlongs in :36 at the under tack preview. It will be the unraced colt's first trip through the auction ring.
Topping last year's HRA portion of the sale was Perseverancia, a $60,000 purchase post sale by Richard Kent's Kaizen Sales, agent. Consigned by Marin Racing Stables, the 2018 daughter of California Chrome is produced from the winning More Than Ready mare Undeterred.
Racing for Georg Morgan, Perseverancia broke her maiden by five lengths last July at Woodbine for trainer Darwin Banach and annexed an allowance race at Woodbine in September. She currently boasts earnings of $87,351 with a record of 2-1-1 in eight efforts.
As for the market this week, Woods said, "Personally, I think the good horses are selling reasonably. I think it has been fair enough."
Sallusto said, "It's a continuation of what we've seen all year. There is fair money being traded for the higher-end horses. Anything that just misses there is having a hard time. You have to really check all the boxes for the buyers right now. If you don't, you suffer a little bit. And maybe it's a little more polarizing at this time of the year because June does seem to drop off a little bit in terms of how many buyers actually show up to buy at this sale."
