Halfway through the first day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale March 10, consignor Cesar Loya experienced a milestone with the impressive profit from the Army Mule colt (Hip 139) he sold for $750,000 to Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm. The transaction set a new record price for a horse sold by Loya.
After securing the Arkansas-bred colt for $57,000 at the 2025 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling and Mixed Sale, Loya returned to the sales ring nearly a year later at OBS. This time, the colt's value skyrocketed after he blistered a furlong in a session-best time of :09 3/5 during the under-tack show.
"It's kind of surreal," Loya said. "Like I said before, the time didn't surprise me. The price did. The expectations on the breeze were pretty high. Obviously, the time doesn't lie, but when you're in the sales ring, you're at the mercy of the buyers, so I'm pleasantly surprised, very pleasantly surprised."
Loya recalled being drawn to the colt as a yearling, captivated by his natural athleticism and fluid movement.
"He was a very flawless-moving horse, and that's what really attracted me to him," he said.
Loya launched his own consignment in 2023 following a lengthy tenure with veteran consignor Steve Venosa of S G V Thoroughbreds. His early successes were highlighted by the sale of a $410,000 Arrogate colt in his debut year and a $325,000 Complexity filly during last year's OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
"It's very rewarding when you're selling at that level, at the top. There are so many good horsemen here in Ocala, and for that horse to perform at that level is very, very gratifying to me. Obviously, the money is great, but they're athletes, and that's what I love. I love that he performed at the highest level.
"I've shown a lot of nice horses—great horses, the one common denominator they've all had is how they handle all the stress and how they show."
He will send two juveniles to the ring on Day 2, Hip 403, a Texas-bred colt by Win Win Win , and Hip 496, a filly by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Both horses breezed a respectable furlong, going in :10 1/5 and :10, respectively.
Loya emphasized the importance of high-caliber performances during the under-tack show.
"If (buyers) want them, they're going to pay you," he said. "It doesn't matter who they're buying. It's a performance sale. I always tell people, this is like a combine, it's like an NFL combine."
