To borrow from Yogi Berra, "It was like déjà vu, all over again" at the third session of Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s June sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age June 18 in Ocala, Fla.
The top end of the market proved a mirror image of the auction's first two sessions and for the third consecutive day, the breakout horse of the session sold for a June sale record price.
Despite extended efforts from the auctioneer's stand to encourage an additional bid, in an attempt to create separation at the top of the leader board and avoid repeating the identical storyline a third time, Hip 771, a Super Saver colt, was hammered down at $575,000 to top the session, becoming the third horse at the June sale to sell for that record price.
The June sale standard was established at the opening session June 16, when Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum paid $575,000 for a Scat Daddy colt.
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Not to be outdone, an Into Mischief colt equaled the mark at the sale's second session, selling to Frank Fletcher Racing Operations.
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The Super Saver colt, consigned by Bobby Dodd, sold to The Three Amigos, a partnership that consists of Michael Pegram, Paul Weitman, and Karl Watson.
Out of the grade I stakes-placed Real Quiet mare Quiet Kim, the bay colt is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Fiftyshadesofhay, who was campaigned by Pegram, Weitman, and Watson, and trained by Bob Baffert.
The colt breezed a quarter-mile in :21 3/5 at the under tack preview.
"He didn't have any hiccups. He's been a nice horse the whole time," Dodd said. "He just came together at the right time. I'm real excited. I never know what they are going to bring. I really thought he would bring the upside of $250,000. Maybe, if we were lucky, $350,000 or so. I had no clue he would bring a half-million dollars plus."
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, the session-topping colt was purchased as a yearling by Brad Grady's Grand Oaks for $160,000 out of the Denali Stud consignment at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton October Fall Yearling sale.
In describing what the operation liked about the colt as a yearling, Dodd said, "We liked the Super Saver. He was a big, leggy colt. He looked like he would go a route and he was a half to Fiftyshadesofhay. He looked more like a Real Quiet than a Super Saver. He's a narrow horse. He looked like a horse that would stay sound."
Dodd also led over the day's second-highest price horse for Grand Oaks, selling Hip 603, an Unbridled's Song filly, for $500,000 to Nick Sallusto and Hanzly Albina, agents for Paul Pompa Jr.
Bred along the same line as the ill-fated multiple graded stakes winner Eight Belles (by Unbridled's Song), the gray or roan filly is out of the winning Dixie Union mare Miss Abita. That mare is a half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Away, who is the dam of Eight Belles.
Bred in Kentucky by Grousement Farm, the filly was consigned by Eaton Sales to last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, where she was acquired for $200,000 by Grand Oaks.
The filly drilled a co-bullet eighth of a mile in :09 4/5 at the under tack preview.
"For a filly to be bred that well and be able to go that fast, and appear to be a two-turn filly, it's very hard to find that kind with this kind of pedigree," said Sallusto, who signed the ticket. "And we're hoping she can be somewhat like the rest of that family.
"We thought that (the price) was well within the range she could bring," Sallusto added. "We were definitely prepared to be there. Mr. Pompa didn't hesitate. The plan is to give her a little down time and let her grow up a little more. Hopefully, she'll come on and be a late-season 2-year-old, and go on and do what we all dream about as a 3-year-old."
Hip 712, a Candy Ride filly named Royal Tart, was the day's third-most expensive lot, selling to Rockingham Ranch for $350,000 out of the de Meric Sales consignment.
Raymie Lightner signed the ticket for the filly, who is out of the graded stakes winner and graded stakes producer People's Princess, by Meadowlake, and is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Carolyn's Cat.
Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, the filly was a $45,000 RNA for Lane's End at last year's Keeneland September sale.
"She's just beautiful. She moves great. She's a nice filly. There is no two ways about it," Lightner said of the filly who breezed an eighth of a mile in a co-bullet :09 4/5 at the under tack preview.
Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent, went to $230,000 for Hip 833, a gray or roan colt from Big Drama's first crop.
Consigned by Paul Sharp, agent, the half brother to stakes-placed Risk Factor is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Samantha O and was bred in Florida by Blichton Breeding. Sharp bought the colt for $125,000 from Summerfield Sales at last year's Keeneland September sale.
The colt worked an eighth in :10 1/5 at the under tack preview.
Hip No. 817, a son of Repent consigned by his breeder Woodford Thoroughbreds, sold to Fog City Stables for $220,000. The dark bay or brown Florida-bred colt, out of graded stakes-placed Royal Card, by Chapel Royal, worked a quarter-mile in :21 1/5 Friday.
For the session, 153 horses sold for a total of $6,376,500, compared with 203 horses bringing
$6,700,900 at last year's third session.
The average price rose 26% to $41,676, compared with $33,009 in 2014. The median price was $17,000, identical to last year's figure. The buy-back percentage was 25%. It was 12% at the corresponding session a year ago.
Five youngsters sold for $200,000 or more, compared with four in the third session last year.
The June sale concludes June 19 with hips 859-1166 slated to sell in the fourth and final session. The sale will be streamed live at bloodhorse.com/OBS beginning at 10:30 a.m.
