Halfway into the primary day of the Ocala Breeders’ Gross sales March 2-12 months-Olds in Coaching Sale March 11, Hip 119, a colt by first-crop sire Maxfield  , commanded a worth of $1 million from Japanese coach Mitsu Nakauchida. The bay colt was a $75,000 yearling buy by Polo Bloodstock on the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The Wavertree Stables-consigned colt fought a powerful headwind on the primary day of the below tack present March 6, clocking an eighth of a mile in :09 4/5. The son of Maxfield was bred in Kentucky by Warfare Horse Place out of the stakes-winning, graded-placed Sky Mesa  mare Eyeinthesky .
“All of it comes right down to the work,” stated Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables. “It is a breeze present, and all of it comes right down to the work. He labored sensational on a day when horses had been struggling to work, and he produced. He confirmed himself good all week.”
“He breezed actually good,” Nakauchida stated. “Bodily, he seems to be actually robust and his motion was actually easy and good. I simply favored every little thing about him. I favored his breeze present first. Then I checked out him bodily, and I actually favored him. Plus, freshman sire Maxfield, he seems to be actually good. I can’t complain in regards to the stallion.”
Photograph: OBS Gross sales PhotoThe colt consigned as Hip 119 breezes an eighth-mile in the course of the below tack present on the OBS March SaleSign up for BloodHorse Each day
Racing as a homebred for Godolphin, Maxfield earned greater than $2 million on the monitor and notched grade 1 wins at 2 and 4. He gained the 2019 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by 5 1/2 lengths at 2 and capped his profession with a win within the 2021 Clark Stakes (G1) in his last begin. By no means worse than third in 11 profession begins, he gained eight races, together with 4 extra graded stakes victories. He stands for an marketed payment of $40,000 at Darley close to Lexington.
Coming into stud in 2022, Maxfield’s first yearlings had been nicely acquired on the 2024 gross sales. The son of Road Sense had 79 yearlings promote from 96 provided for a median of $203,057 and a $135,000 median. Two Maxfield yearlings offered for $1 million.
Nakauchida, who educated 2023 Japan filly Triple Crown winner Liberty Island , stated the colt will head to Japan and race there.
Of the $1 million price ticket, Dunne stated it was not even near what he was anticipating. “That is the opposite factor you haven’t any management over,” he stated. “Two individuals needed him, they usually had been keen to go to the mat for him. It is usually sufficient we stroll up there and we solely have one man, we had been fortunate at present we had two. The underbidder is extra essential or as essential as the customer.
“He jumped by way of all of the hoops, as cliché as it’s. He vetted good, he stayed sound, and he labored nice. Once they try this, it is simple.”
Day 1 Statistics
Photograph: Photographs by ZOBS director of gross sales Tod Wojciechowski
Day 1 noticed a lower in product sales from final 12 months’s first session, producing $15,902,000 from 117 horses to vary palms. The typical and median had been each up, with a median of $135,915Â and a median of $85,000. Fifty-three horses failed to satisfy their reserve, leading to an RNA charge of 31.2%.
Final 12 months’s opening day noticed 167 head promote for $21,859,000, with a median worth of $130,892Â and a median of $60,000. The RNA charge was 19.7%, representing the 41 horses who failed to satisfy their reserve.
“We’re happy to see that the typical and median had been up,” stated Tod Wojciechowski, director of gross sales at OBS. “The excellent news is we nonetheless have two days of some very nice horses to promote. It is sort of onerous to check session to session, 12 months to 12 months. Nevertheless it was begin and we look ahead to extra good horses tomorrow and the subsequent day.”
The best-priced filly of the day was Hip 65, a daughter of 2024 main freshman sire Vekoma  , who introduced $425,000 from Leland Ackerley. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the filly is out of the graded stakes-winning Wildcat Inheritor mare Daring Kathy . She was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, and bought as a yearling on the Keeneland September sale for $170,000 by Crimson Wings.
Photograph: OBS Gross sales PhotoThe Vekoma filly consigned as Hip 65 within the ring on the OBS March Sale
The main purchaser of the primary session was Ackerley with 4 purchases totaling $1,175,000. De Meric Gross sales led the consignors promoting 9 head for a complete of $1,920,000.
“It looks as if the sale is fairly robust for the horses that individuals need, like at all times,” stated Randy Hartley of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. “All people desires the highest horses, and in the event you occur to land and get by way of every little thing—the breeze, the gallop out, the vetting, then it looks as if you are fairly golden. It looks as if it needs to be robust all through.”
The sale continues March 12 at 11 a.m. ET with Hips 273-544 set to undergo the ring. As of Monday night, OBS has reported 70 outs.
