An Eddie Woods-consigned colt by Three Chimneys Farm’s Gun Runner offered for an Ocala Breeders’ Gross sales document when the hammer dropped at $3 million on the closing session of the OBS March 2-Yr-Olds in Coaching Sale March 13. The earlier sale document was $2.45 million for the Tiznow colt Conquistador, established in 2017 on the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Yr-Olds in Coaching.
Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on the colt, consigned as Hip 654, on behalf of Zedan Racing. The grey or roan colt breezed the co-fastest eighth-mile of the sale, recording a furlong in :09 3/5 throughout the underneath tack present.
Hip 654, bred in Kentucky by PTK, was bought by St. Clair Stables for $200,000 on the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He’s the primary foal out of the Liam’s Map mare Tynan, a half sister to graded stakes winners Pappacap (additionally by Gun Runner) and Boppy O .
“Gun Runner’s an incredible stallion,” Lanni mentioned. “He labored actually good, he galloped out good, and he did all the pieces you need one to do. We’re enthusiastic about him. He is a pleasant horse and we’re right here to seek out good horses.
“That is what the boss needed, that is what Amr (Zedan) needed. He is fairly excited.”Join BloodHorse Each day
Picture: OBS Gross sales PhotoDonato Lanni (left) and Eddie Woods shake fingers after the sale of the $3 million Gun Runner colt on the OBS March Sale
Zedan Racing additionally bought final 12 months’s sale topper, Nooni , for $1.8 million. The daughter of Win Win Win gained the Sorrento Stakes (G3) and was second within the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at 2.
Woods mentioned he was shocked on the $3 million worth for Hip 654.
“No, $3 million I could not see coming,” mentioned Woods. “Baffert referred to as me concerning the horse (Hip 654) a short time earlier than he got here up within the ring. And he mentioned, ‘truthfully how a lot do you assume he’ll deliver?’ I mentioned $2 million. He says ‘oh God, my man cannot try this.’ After which he mentioned, ‘effectively, that is what occurs if you deliver a Rolls Royce to a scrap yard. Everybody desires to journey.’
“He is a particular horse. That is what it takes to get that factor accomplished.”
Though the Gun Runner colt’s profession is simply beginning to take form, Woods introduced he shall be retiring. A longtime fixture within the 2-year-old gross sales enviornment, promoting a number of champions in his 30-plus 12 months profession, Woods’ final consignment will come subsequent month on the OBS Spring sale. When requested what it is prefer to exit on prime with a record-breaking horse, he was overcome with emotion.
“It is like profitable the Olympics,” Woods mentioned. “Yeah, oh my God, the one technique to exit is on prime.
“Thirty-one years in April we began promoting right here. That is a superb time. We have accomplished effectively right here, we have made some huge cash right here, misplaced some huge cash right here. It is simply the way in which it’s.”
Picture: Images by ZTod Wojciechowski, OBS director of gross sales
“Eddie has been an enormous a part of OBS for quite a few years,” mentioned OBS director of gross sales Tod Wojciechowski. “Not solely is he considered one of our prime consignors, however he is additionally a member of our board. He is been instrumental within the progress and the evolution of the 2-year-olds in coaching gross sales.
“You’d prefer to see anyone have a $3 million horse, however yeah, it was sort of particular to see him have the ability to exit like that.”
Gross, Common Improve at March Sale
The OBS March Sale completed robust after a sluggish begin with a gross of $65,815,500 from 432 horses offered, simply above final 12 months’s $65,239,100 for 454 offered. The typical additionally elevated 6% to $152,351, from $143,698 in 2024. The median was down 2.8% at $70,000, in comparison with $72,000.
An RNA price of 17.6% represented the 92 horses who failed to satisfy their reserve, down in comparison with final 12 months’s 24% for the 143 horses who failed to vary fingers.
“We had an amazing day,” mentioned Wojciechowski. “The standard of horses was proven within the costs. We set an OBS document with a $3 million horse, and a March (Sale) document for the variety of horses offered for $1 million or extra (seven).”
The very best-priced filly of the sale was Hip 721, a filly by Darley’s first-crop sire Maxfield out of All in With Aces, offered to Marquee Bloodstock, agent, for $1.25 million. She went an eighth in :09 4/5 throughout the underneath tack present and was consigned by de Meric Gross sales.
“These horses stood out,” mentioned Wojciechowski on the success of the freshman sires. “Individuals actually flocked to them.”
High Line Gross sales offered 22 head from their draft for $6,954,000 to be the main consignor. They offered Hip 486, a filly by Good Magic , on the second day of the sale for $1.1 million to Kimmel and Sallusto, agent for Flanagan Racing. Zedan Racing’s single buy of Hip 654 for $3 million put it atop the consumers. Hideyuki Mori bought eight horses for a complete of $2,090,000.
For the primary time, OBS supplied a brand new entry possibility of gallop solely, the place sellers might enter their horses with the designation on the catalog web page. Two of the three gallop-only hips supplied offered, each from the Niall Brennan Stables, agent for Mt. Good Farm, consignment. A Curlin colt consigned as Hip 224 offered for $300,000 to coach Michael Maker, and a Munnings colt consigned as Hip 661 was bought by D. J. Steady and Robert Cotran for $210,000.
“There was power throughout,” he mentioned. “Quite a few the gallop-only horses offered effectively. The worldwide commerce, we have been very proud of that. What we have seen within the inventory market the previous couple of days did not actually appear to have an effect on the market very a lot. I felt prefer it was robust all through the entire three days.”
