OCALA, FL – With a flurry of late big-ticket items, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded its two-day run with a new record price, as well as highwater marks for both average and median.
“You always hope,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said when asked if he expected the splash of records. “We saw the same pattern that we saw in the 2-year-old market all year and I am glad that it held all the way to June. Sometimes you worry about the last sale of the year. You worry about buyer fatigue, but obviously a lot of that was just worry. The market proved its resiliency again.”
Despite being shortened to two days–from three sessions a year ago–and with 106 fewer horses sold this year, the June sale saw an increase in year-over-year gross. Through the two sessions, 500 horses sold for $25,553,500, producing a record average of $51,107 and a record median of $25,000. During last year's auction, 606 head sold for $22,045,800 for an average of $36,379 and a median of $20,000.
The June sale's previous record average of $43,029 was set in 2021, while the previous median record of $23,000 was set in 2022.
Some 20 hips from the end of the final juvenile sale of the season, a filly by Curlin became the highest-priced horse to ever sell at the June sale when bringing a final bid of $975,000 from Randy Miles, bidding on behalf of Gus King. That price broke the previous June record of $900,000 set when OXO Equine purchased a filly by Into Mischief in 2019.
Just a few hips after signing for the record-setting filly, Miles consigned the auction's second highest-priced offering, a filly by Gun Runner who sold for $525,000 to MyRacehorse.
The consignor said it was a good sign for the market that demand remained high from the start of the 2-year-olds in training sales season in March straight through to Wednesday's conclusion of the June sale.
“When you start any year, you wonder how the bottom is going to be and you wonder how the middle is going to be,” Miles said. “We knew that the top is only growing because everyone wants to play at the top. It's just coming in here, we were worried about this sale. March was good, April was good, Maryland was fantastic. This is the one we were a little worried about because we need to move these horses. And this ended up being a really good sale.”
With an eye towards the start of the yearling sales season just weeks away, Miles added, “I think people in Kentucky and the yearling owners are happy to see that this was a vibrant market because they know that it will carry over to the yearling sales. So I think, right now, the horse industry is very healthy and we just need to keep it going in that direction.”
With his lone purchase, Gus King was the June sale's leading buyer, followed by Taproot Bloodstock with nine head purchased for $822,000. De Meric Sales was the auction's leading consignor, with 14 head sold for $1,494,000, followed by Wavertee Stables with 13 sold for $1,453,000.
For OBS, each of its three 2-year-old sales set records. The March sale produced the company's highest-ever result when a colt by Gun Runner sold for $3 million and the April sale recorded its third straight record average.
“It was an excellent season,” Wojciechowski said. “We are grateful to the buyers that came and grateful to the consignors who brought the quality horses here.”
'For Good Horses, You've Just Got to Pay': Miles Bids June Record for Curlin Filly
It was a busy 15 minutes for Randy Miles, who was sitting inside the pavilion alongside Susan Montanye when he bid an OBS June record $975,000 to acquire a filly by Curlin (hip 850) on behalf of owner Gus King. Miles than dashed out back to watch the Gun Runner filly (hip 857) he consigned sell for $525,000–the two-session auction's second-highest price–to MyRacehorse.
“We bought the Curlin filly for Gus King to go to [trainer] Steve Asmussen,” Miles confirmed once the dust has settled. “Gus has been a client of ours for maybe five years and he really just wants top quality. He had Publisher in the Derby and he just wants to continue on that line with really top, solid horses. And he thought the Curlin was the best horse in the sale.”
Talk about ending with a . Hip 850, a daughter of Curlin from the consignment of Caliente Thoroughbreds, sets a new #OBSJune record by selling for $975K. pic.twitter.com/OlXHcBEofx
— OBSSales (@OBSSales) June 18, 2025
Hip 850 is out of graded winner Mufajaah (Tapit) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Mejthaam (Pioneerof the Nile). She worked a furlong at last week's under-tack show in :10 flat.
“We thought the horse could be bought for a little bit less, but we were not going to stop,” Miles said of the record-setting price. “We wanted to give it our all to get that horse bought. To get that kind of horse, you've got to spend that money. Gus was on the phone and he was very willing.”
Asked if he thought there would be that kind of money still in play as the 2-year-olds in training sale season neared its conclusion, Miles admitted, “No. You never think that. But times have changed and for good horses, you've just got to pay that.
We had two horses there back-to-back and they were the best two fillies in the sale and they showed it.”
Hip 850 was consigned by Saul Marquez's Caliente Thoroughbreds and had been purchased for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale.
“My partner Cameron and my group fell in love with the filly and we had to get her,” Marquez said. “She has always been smart, loves what she does. She's just a racehorse.”
Of the record-setting price, Marquez admitted, “I was confident, but it's June. Right now, I don't have words to imagine what I am thinking.”
Hip 857, the Gun Runner filly, bred by Three Chimneys Farm, Fern Circle Stables and McPeek Racing Stables and out of Grade I winner Restless Rider (Distorted Humor), was a horse Miles was plenty familiar with when he sent her through the ring Wednesday.
“She was ours,” Mile said. “She was just amazing. We sold a filly here a few years ago named Lighthouse who was a Grade I winner in Australia and brought a lot as a broodmare. That Gun Runner filly reminded me a lot of her.”
The gray filly impressed Miles with her furlong work in :10 flat during last week's under-tack preview.
“She came in here really light on training,” he said. “And what she did on her breeze show day was just remarkable to me because she was not ready. We came into Ocala thinking we might gallop her because she was so behind. And what she did had nothing to do with anything we did. She did all of it. It was a real shock. A pleasant shock, but if you just look at her, she is just beautiful. I'm proud of her. MyRacehorse bought her and I'm tickled for them. It's going to be a fun road to watch how she progresses. I love doing that. I love watching my babies go on and do well.”
'Can't Hide a Good One': Bolt d'Oro Colt Brings $425k
Gary Young, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, went to $425,000 to secure a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 572) from the Wavertree Stables consignment Wednesday in Ocala. Out of Missile Belle (Smart Strike), the colt worked a furlong in :9 4/5 during last week's under-tack preview.
“In his preview, he left the pole on his left lead and he took about seven or eight strides to kind of figure things out,” Young recalled. “But once he caught his stride and got over to his right lead, I thought he was a machine. I went to the barn and I liked him at the barn. We figured that there would be people on him. We figured right about that range would be where we'd have to go. I am glad we got the horse. I don't know how many more bids we had left, but I like this colt an awful lot.”
Hip 572 | OBS
The colt was purchased by the Red Wings pinhooking partnership of Paul Reddam and Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne for $85,000 at the Keeneland September sale last fall.
“We felt he was a nice horse going in there,” Dunne said from Ascot where he was celebrating the third-place effort of his family's Lennilu (Leinster) in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes. “It's the age old story, you can't hide a good one. He exceeded expectations, but the way he performed on the racetrack we weren't surprised.”
Of the colt's placement in the June sale, Dunne said, “This was his first sale. He was big and backward. We had targeted April and it was coming a little too soon, so we decided he was worth waiting a little bit longer for and we gave him the chance to show himself at his best.”
'Can't Go Wrong': Weaver Spends $375k For Into Mischief Colt
Trainer George Weaver, bidding on the phone from his Saratoga base, went to $375,000 to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 471) on behalf of an undisclosed client early in Wednesday's second session of the OBS June sale. The bay colt, consigned by S G V Thoroughbreds, worked a furlong during last week's under-tack preview in :10 flat.
“You have to like what you see and we did with him,” Weaver said. “You see an Into Mischief that you like, and they look athletic and have a good look to them, you can't go wrong. He's a home run-type sire and has been for several years now. We'll be glad to have him in the barn. He just looks fast and we're going to put him in the program and see what we can do with him.”
Out of multiple stakes winner Kadira (Kafwain), the colt is a half-brother to 2016 GI Test Stakes winner Paola Queen (Flatter). Bred by Newtownanner Stud Farm, the juvenile, a May 11 foal, RNA'd for $375,000 at Keeneland last September and for $285,000 at Fasig-Tipton in October.
“He's a horse that we held back specifically for this sale, being a late May foal,” said S G V Thoroughbreds' Steve Venosa. “So, we gave him the time that he needed and he did everything right on the track and at the barn and he was rewarded for his effort. He was slated for an earlier sale, but we just felt it wasn't the horse's time. To me, the most important thing is to do right by the horse and they will do right by you.”
Venosa, who sold the top two seven-figure juveniles at the OBS April sale, is quietly having a very good year with a small group of homebreds. Just a few hips after selling the Into Mischief colt, Venosa sold a filly by Uncle Chuck (hip 476) for $150,000 to Tonja Terranova. Co-bred with Jean White, the dark bay filly is out of Kiana Believes (With Distinction) and worked a furlong last week in :9 4/5.
The homebred success continued for Venosa later in the session when a filly by Leinster (hip 831), co-bred Bulldog Racing, sold for $220,000 to Vekoma Thoroughbreds, LLC, with Dan Preiss as agent.
“I only have two or three mares,” Venosa said. “We've had a great year with our homebreds.”
At the OBS March sale, S G V Thoroughbreds sold a colt by Cairo Prince, co-bred with Our Blue Streaks Stable, for $250,000, while the partnership, along with Weaver, campaign that colt's half-brother, stakes winner Soontobeking (King for a Day).
Asked if there was extra pride in having success with a homebred, Venosa smiled and said, “Absolutely. I actually look smart for once.”
Constitution Colt Rewards Cortez's Patience
When consignor Alex Cortez was forced to withdraw his colt by Constitution from the OBS April sale, he took the juvenile home and gave him plenty of time before returning to the sales grounds with a gallop during last week's under-tack preview. The horseman was rewarded for his patience when the colt (hip 35) sold for $280,000–second highest of Tuesday's first session of the June sale.
“I had him in April and he breezed :10 flat, but he bruised his foot in the workout,” Cortez said. “Everybody wanted him and I showed him a little bit, but in the end I had to scratch him. I took him back home and gave him months off. I came back slowly and doing what is right for the horse. He had already shown me how good he was in April. So, I came over here and I galloped him.”
Asked if he was concerned about how buyers would react to the gallop instead of a timed workout, Cortez said, “I was super confident in the way the horse trained. He looked really, really nice in the video and he always trained like that. I was expecting everyone to see it the way I saw it. But at the same time, I was a little worried. But thank God everyone listened to what I was saying. This horse is nice. They [buyers] asked every time. And I said, 'This horse is really nice and he doesn't need to do it again. He already showed how good he is.'”
Hip 35 is out of Traffic Blimp (Medaglia d'Oro) and is a half-brother to multiple graded-placed Allworthy (Tonalist) and graded-placed Miss Mattie B (Tonalist). Cortez purchased the colt for $100,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.
“He's a super racy horse who looks really, really fast,” Cortez said of the colt's appeal last fall. “I said this is the right horse that I need to get. I took a picture of him and I sent it to the partners right away and I said, 'We have to buy this horse.' I just liked everything about him.”
Tuesday's profitable pinhook concluded a very successful season of selling for Cortez's Cortez Racing and Sales. The operation sold a colt by Justify, purchased for $110,000 at the Fasig October sale last year, for $250,000 at the OBS April sale. At the same auction, Cortez sold a filly by Tiz the Law for $150,000. She had been purchased for $28,000 at the Keeneland September sale.
Cortez, who spent 12 years working for Rudy Delguidice, Jr. before launching Cortez Training and Sales in 2022, had almost immediate success when selling a colt by Lookin at Lucky for $700,000 at the 2023 OBS April sale. Cortez and partners had purchased the youngster for $50,000 at the previous year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.
With the conclusion of the juvenile sales season, Cortez is looking for some time off before starting again at the yearling sales next month.
“I am going on a little vacation and then I will go again next year,” he said. “I just have to keep doing what I am doing. The main thing for me is to do what is right for the horses. Like this horse. So many people were telling me to work him, because the work will make the difference. But not really. I am super happy with myself because I did what is right for the horse.”
From $3k to $250k, Beau Liam Colt a Massive Score for Ramirez
“That was a pretty good return,” consignor Omar Ramirez said with a wide smile in perhaps the biggest understatement of the sale after watching his colt by Beau Liam (hip 829) sell for $250,000 to the bid of Bill Childs Wednesday at OBS. Ramirez had purchased the colt for $3,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Digital December sale.
“He had a small fracture in a hind leg,” Ramirez said. “He got it when he was two weeks old, so he had it all his life. You can see it didn't stop him from running.”
The colt proved the old fracture wouldn't slow him down with a quarter-mile work in :20 1/5 during last week's under-tack preview.
“He prepped really well,” Ramirez said. “He prepped :10 1/5 and galloped out :20 4/5 and 33 flat. So, I thought maybe he will go in :20 3/5, if he's unlucky, maybe he will go in :20 4/5. But :20 1/5? I was shocked.”
Of Wednesday's result, Ramirez said, “Well, I paid $3,000. I thought whatever he brings–$50,000 or $100,000–I'll be happy. And we got $250,000. I couldnt' believe it.”
Munoz with the Tunwoo Touch
Larry Munoz was in the right spot at the right time when he was working at Beth Bayer's consignment at last year's OBS October sale and he decided to pick up a colt by Tunwoo for $1,000. It all came right Wednesday in Ocala when the colt, who was catalogued at the June sale as hip 777 and was stabled in stall seven in Christy Whitman's Whitman Sales consignment, sold for $95,000 to Taproot Bloodstock.
“He was an RNA in October at Beth Bayer's consignment, that's where I work,” Munoz said. “I actually bought two Tunwoos there, both of them beautiful horses. One went to March and one came here.”
Larry Munoz and Hip 777 at OBS June | Jessica Martini
That first Tunwoo, also purchased for $1,000 from Bayer's October consignment, sold for $30,000 at the OBS March sale, which probably looked like a tidy profit until Wednesday.
“He was a smaller yearling, immature, just hadn't grown up and was in a growth spurt at the time,” Munoz said of hip 777. “So, I took Christy over there and asked what she thought and she said you can't go wrong for that price. So, I told Beth I would take him.”
Munoz continued, “We always liked him. I picked the perfect partner to break him and do the right stuff. Then Christy told me to wait on him, he's a bit immature, but when you go to June, you're going to have a really nice horse. This is the result.”
The colt is out of the unraced Sonhadora (Distorted Humor), a daughter of Grade I winner Swift Temper (Giant's Causeway). He worked a furlong in :10 flat at last week's under-tack preview.
“We set our reserve at $39,000 to sell at $40,000, but we knew there was a lot of interest in him,” Munoz said. “He had seven or eight scopes. The interest was there and it was the right people.”
Munoz admitted he keeps his pinhook operation on the small side.
“I usually only do one,” he said. “Some years I say I am not going to do it anymore. But I usually wind up with something and it's usually cheaper horses because that's all I can afford.”
Hip 777's price tag was the highest Munoz has sold a horse for.
“I was ecstatic,” Munoz said of what it was like to watch the colt sell.
Looking ahead to the yearling sales, he said, “I will continue in this game, but I will stay where I am comfortable with smaller horses. Hopefully, luck will continue on our side.”
Nothing But Net: 'Very Receptive': Oscar Performance Colt Gallops for the Win
Niall Brennan decided to work to the strengths of his colt by Oscar Performance, choosing to gallop hip 455 at last week's under-tack preview and the veteran consignor was rewarded in Ocala Wednesday when the juvenile sold for $280,000 to the bid of Kaleem Shah. The colt, a half-brother to graded winner Charming Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and graded-placed Queen'splatekitten (Kitten's Joy) and Portfolio Company (Kitten's Joy), was purchased for $57,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
“I picked him out as a yearling,” Brennan said. “I love the family. I love Oscar Performance, I think he's a heckuva stallion. And I was familiar with the family. We had Portfolio Company. I think he was immature, but I like that type. I don't necessarily buy them just because I think it's going to be a fast 2-year-old. I buy them if I like them.”
Of the decision to gallop the colt, Brennan said, “He did a nice two-minute lick. I told the owners, we are doing right by him. He's a May foal, he's still developing and he's a two-turn turf horse. He's a mile and an eighth, mile and a quarter turf horse. That's what he is. It's no secret. He's very sound, but he's not going to go in :10 or :10 1/5. And why try to make him do it? Let's just let him do his thing and go to his strengths. If people like him, they will come back and look at him. And if they want to know, I will tell them that's the reason he didn't breeze against the clock.”
Brennan said he was pleased with the reaction of buyers.
“People were very receptive,” he said. “People really liked him because he's a good-looking horse. And I think they liked the fact that he vetted clean. I was pleasantly surprised that people really took to him–he vetted like seven times. A couple of people were very strong. Kaleem Shah bought him and said he would send him to Bill Mott at Saratoga and he's just looking to have a nice turf horse down the road.”
Brennan concluded, “When these horses are standing in the winner's circle, it doesn't matter whether it was a turf race or a dirt race, people are happy. But we were very pleased with the result.”
The post With $975k Curlin Filly Leading the Way, OBS June Sale Smashes Records appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
