Hip 489, the topper from last year’s Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, sells for $1.05 million Wednesday at the OBS March sale. Photo courtesy of Tom McCrocklin.
The star of August in Saratoga became the star of March in Ocala.
The same Arrogate colt that stole the show at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale did the same during the second session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training Wednesday, bringing a bid of $1.05 million.
Japan’s Katsumi Yoshida purchased the colt, a full-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Cave Rock. Sold as Hip 489 by Tom McCrocklin, agent, the colt is out of the graded stakes-winning Bellamy Road mare Georgie’s Angel. He finished the day as the session’s second most expensive juvenile and one of just four seven-figure purchases overall.
Bred by Kathleen Schweizer and foaled at her Longford Farm in Elmira, the colt topped the 2022 New York-bred sale on a bid of $700,000 from McCrocklin on behalf of Champion Equine. That sale came two days after Cave Rock blitzed a field of maidens at Del Mar in his debut. Cave Rock went on to win the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park before a second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Race Course.
Cave Rock’s younger brother is the sixth foal out of 2011 Schuylerville Stakes winner Georgie’s Angel, who is also the dam of winners Take Charge Angel, Frosted Angel and Rue de l’Ange. Longford Farm purchased Georgie’s Angel, carrying Wednesday’s seven-figure seller in utero, for $75,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Georgie’s Angel is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling filly by Improbable. She was bred to Connect in 2022.
OBS reported sales on 12 of the 18 New York-breds through the ring Wednesday for a total of $2,095,500, an average price of $174,625. Four juveniles sold for six- or seven-figures, bringing the overall total for the two sessions to nine.
Hip 337, a colt from the first crop of Vino Rosso, adds to six-figure haul at OBS March Wednesday on a bid of $370,000. Photo courtesy of Sequel Bloodstock.
Hip 337, a colt from the first crop of champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso, got things rolling early when he brought a bid of $340,000 from trainer Mike Maker.
Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC, Lakland Farm and Mark Toothaker, foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, the colt is the first foal out of the To Honor and Serve mare Call to Service. Consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, agent, the colt was previously reported sold to Oldham Bloodstock for $70,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.
Call to Service, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Isotherm and stakes-placed winners Gio Game and Giant Game, sold in foal to Authentic for $350,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. She is the dam of a Louisiana-bred yearling colt by Authentic and produced a filly by Curlin in Louisiana March 6.
The sale concludes with the third session at 11 a.m. Thursday.
