The second day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale June 13 looked a lot like the first as both days' session toppers sold for identical price tags of $400,000.
Thursday's highest-priced horse to go through the sales ring was Brown Sugar, a 2-year-old filly by Twirling Candy . John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock dropped the hammer for Hip 509 who was consigned by Tom McCrocklin. McCrocklin also consigned the top seller from Day 1 of the sale.
"Breezed really strong, galloped out, clean vetting, all the things that you need anymore," said McCrocklin. "Worked 20 and two and galloped out really fast. I'm very happy Resolute Racing bought her. I think they made a very, very good purchase."
Stewart said, "We felt like she is the type of horse that fits our program, and think that she has a lot of potential. I really like the way that she worked. She's a good mover ... and she has a quick turn of her foot."
Resolute hopes lightning strikes twice as the sire and dam—Cashmere—came together for Rombauer , who won the 2021 Preakness Stakes (G1) and was third in the Belmont Stakes (G1). The filly's second dam, Ultrafleet, produced graded stakes winners California Flag and Cambiocorsa.
"If you look in that second dam, there's a lot of good horses there. It's a very deep pedigree. And for somebody like Mr. Stewart who's buying fillies with pedigree and potential racing broodmare prospects, to me, this was a no-brainer. I thought she was one of the two best horses in the sale, and I'm really glad they got her. And think she has a bright future," McCrocklin said.
He said that when Brown Sugar's racing career is done she will move into Resolute's broodmare band. But first, she has to get on the track.
Stewart said that Brown Sugar will head to the barn of trainer Ignacio Correas IV, who won the New York Stakes (G1T) with Didia June 7 at Saratoga Race Course. Correas is also going to condition Australia-bred Tutta La Vita.
"When you win a grade 1, you get the first nod on horses who come into the stable," Stewart said.
Stewart also said Brown Sugar's price tag, which is tied for the highest at the sale, is a bargain.
"We picked up a lot of horses in the post-January sales cycle at pretty reasonable values. To pick her up for $400,000, I thought was like a steal," he said.
Brown Sugar's accomplished full brother was 3-1-2 from eight starts and amassed $1,040,500 in earnings. Rombauer entered stud this year and stands for $6,000 at War Horse Place near Lexington. Twirling Candy stands at Lane's End near Versailles, Ky., for $60,000.
Twirling Candy is the sire of six millionaires, led by Gear Jockey, who is a three-time Breeders' Cup participant and earned more than $1.5 million.
Brown Sugar, like her brother, was bred by John and Diane Fradkin. She had been included in a sale four other times, three of which resulted in RNAs (Fasig Tipton's 2022 The November Sale, 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and this year's OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training). Her one successful journey into the ring before Thursday came in the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale when Mustang Farm paid $140,000 for her out of the Gainesway consignment.
Brown Sugar is one of nine foals out of Cashmere. Six of those have started and all have won. In addition to Rombauer, Treasure Trove, by Tapizar, is the second-biggest earner with more than $500,000 in earnings.
Also worth noting from Thursday's session was Hip 624, a Justify filly out of the Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds consignment purchased by Tom Durant for $310,000. The dam, Etching, was lightly raced with just six career starts but the foal's second dam is Summerly, whose best graded stakes victory came in the 2005 Kentucky Oaks (G1).
The second session saw 193 sold out of 250 that were offered for gross sales of $6,911,900. This is down 8.6% from last year's second session. There were 348 hips cataloged for the session.
Last year's second day saw 216 sold for receipts of $7,561,200, which includes hips that didn't sell in the ring but did in a post or private sale after the horse left the ring. There were 57 that did not meet their reserves Thursday for an RNA rate of 22.8%
The average price increased slightly from last year, going from $35,006 to $35,813 (up 2.3%). The median price held steady at $20,000 for no change.
The sale resumes at 10 a.m., June 14 for its final day. The sale's conclusion will be livestreamed on the OBS and BloodHorse websites.
