OCALA, FL (352today.com) – It will be a sale that Alicia Hughes will always remember.
The distinguished journalist was just named the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s director of communications. She started her new job with a significant event: the OBS October Yearling Sale was rescheduled from Oct. 8 and 9 to Oct. 7 and 8 due to Hurricane Milton. This will be a memorable story for her to share forever.
Hurricane Milton affected the plans of many buyers who usually would have attended the sale. Due to the storm’s threat, they chose to make different arrangements, according to Hughes. Still, those who were present continued to bid by phone or online.
“It made things challenging. We didn’t have the numbers of buyers that we normally would have,” says Hughes. “The decision was made in the interest of the safety of all the sales participants and the horses to move the sale up a day, and the sale was able to wrap up on Tuesday. It was a perfect day that day and that way all of the participants could start moving most of the horses before anything came in. It wasn’t the most ideal circumstances, but all things considered I think it worked out well.”
A colt sired by Yaupon, a 7-year-old with victories at Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and Saratoga between 2020 and 2021, was the highest sale of the first session on October 7. He was sold by Colin Brennan Bloodstock, acting as an agent, to Pick View LLC from Ocala for $75,000.
The second session saw seven horses sell for more than six figures as buyers came out in force the day before Hurricane Milton made landfall.
Thoroughstock sold the top horse, a filly by the stallion Complexity, in the second session to Jimbo and Torie Gladwell’s Top Line Sales LLC for $150,000. Six other horses also sold for over $100,000.
“The fact that we were able to sell the same number of six-figure horses that we sold a year ago, that was a highlight,” says Hughes. “There were some really nice individuals that got sold.”
Kaizen Sales, represented by Richard Kent, sold the second most expensive horse of the session. It was a colt sired by Win Win Win and out of the mare Prize Informant, bred by Ashley Godwin from Ocala, for $135,000.
“He was raised at a local farm, good breeders. I’m very pleased for them. This is sort of their biggest hit,” says Kent. “They raised an exceptionally good horse. He was just a very athletic horse, and he got a big boost from the 3-year-old who was in a stakes race in Japan on Saturday, and he’s already won three out of six [races] that had sold here in a 2-year-old sale. People were really taken with his athleticism.”
The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Pavilion only sustained minor damage from Hurricane Milton, mainly from fallen branches. The facility maintained power throughout the storm, and around 75 horses remained on-site during the event. All the horses came through the storm unharmed.
Abbie Road Farm, run by Lisa McGreevy, topped the list of consignors by selling 30 horses for a total of $841,600. Kaizen Sales followed as the second top consignor, selling 26 horses for $684,700. The top buyer was D.J. Stable, owned by Leonard and Lois Green, who purchased four horses for $355,000.