The atmosphere in the pavilion turned electric as the highly anticipated Flightline colt (Hip 1056) made his entrance into the ring during the April 17 finale of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Following a week of relentless buzz, the opening bid shattered expectations, starting the floor at a cool $1 million.
A spirited bidding war ensued, but Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Zedan Racing Stable, prevailed with a winning bid of $10.5 million, shattering the previous record for a juvenile at OBS. Grade 1 winner Brant, who was also bought by Zedan during last year's OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $3 million, had held the previous record.
Hip 1056 is the second-highest-priced 2-year-old ever sold in North America.
"Bob (Baffert) loved him. The first time he saw him, he loved him," Lanni said. "And obviously, Amr (Zedan), he's tough. He's tough to outbid. He's an emotional guy. He's great for the sport. He loves the racing. His enthusiasm is unbelievable."
Lanni said he expected the competition to be fierce, but had no idea the price would go that high.
Hip 1056 breezed an eye-catching furlong in :09 3/5 during the under-tack show for consignors Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds.
"When he worked, everybody got on that rail and watched. He delivered," Lanni said. "He did everything you asked him and plus. Bob said the only other horse that he (Hip 1056) reminded him of was Unbridled's Song at the 2-year-old in training sale when he went to Barretts."
From the first crop of 2022 Horse of the Year and Lane's End stallion Flightline, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Edward and Beverly Seltzer and W.S. Farish. Hip 1056 is out of the graded-placed, stakes-winning Into Mischief mare Lucrezia. He was purchased as a weanling for $575,000 by Tom Durant's Classic Equine at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
"(Flightline) is one of the greatest racehorses of all time," Lanni said. "And, he's out of an Into Mischief mare. This horse looks fast, and he looks like he'll carry his endurance like Flightline."
Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo's Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds now hold the record for the highest-priced colt and filly ever sold at an OBS 2-year-old sale. Earlier in the week, they sold a filly (Hip 570) by Jackie's Warrior for $2.3 million to Dermot Farrington.
"Amazing horse," Hartley said. "We rarely see these kinds of horses come through the 2-year-old sales. (We) thank Tom Durant so much, and his farm, and Jack Bruner, who runs the ranch out in Texas, for believing in us, that we could do this with these kind of caliber horses."
Hartley said the colt never missed a beat, breezing and then showing with the utmost class all week.
"When you're around him for five seconds, you can just see that he breathes a different air than other horses," Hartley said.
Hartley and DeRenzo have been consigning 2-year-olds since 1992. Some of their top graduates include the 2025 champion female sprinter, Shisospicy, and multiple grade 1 winner Taiba .
"It's hard to stay at that level," Hartley said. "There are so many good horsemen out here, and they're all trying to buy the same horses."
Hartley said they are constantly evaluating their program, making changes as necessary.
"I even switched breeze riders for this sale," he explained. "I just felt like I needed something different. I found this young kid named Adrian Martinez. He doesn't get on a lot of horses, but I saw something in him. He's the smoothest rider I've ever seen on a horse. It just felt right."
