By Jessica Martini
A colt by Tapit (hip 42) attracted the highest bid of $225,000 during Tuesday's open session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Winter Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale when New York conditioner Dave Cannizzo outlasted trainer Mark Casse for the short yearling, who was consigned by Stuart Morris.
“He's the only horse I bid on today,” Cannizzo said Tuesday afternoon. “He was a standout. It's what we came here to do and we did it. We got in a little dogfight with Mark Casse, but we won the battle. We were well within ourselves at the $225,000 and we didn't mind giving it.”
Cannizzo purchased the yearling's half-brother by Uncle Mo for $230,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale and came to Ocala specifically to add another member of the family.
“Obviously, Tapit brings a ton of interest to the table,” Cannizzo said of the yearling's appeal. “We purchased his now 2-year-old brother at Keeneland September and we really like him, so it pushed us in the right direction. He was a standout at the sale today. We knew we had to get him.”
Cannizzo said he purchased both brothers for the same client.
“[The yearling] will probably end up in the Saratoga sale or back at Keeneland September and we will go from there,” Cannizzo said. “I'm not sure about the other one–it's all up in the air. I bought them for a client who does some pinhooking and he races, too. We will see how it all unfolds and how it turns out.”
The yearling, who was bred by Aaron Sones, is out of Heat Street (Street Cry {Ire}), an unraced half-sister to multiple stakes winner Dash of Humor (Distorted Humor). The mare is also the dam of stakes-placed Miss Boom Boom (Run Away and Hide).
Tuesday's return to the sales ring was a quick turnaround for the colt, who was purchased for $70,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale just over two months ago.
“He was purchased by a partnership of Ocala horsemen who purchased him to resell,” Morris said of the colt. “He was maybe in an awkward stage, maybe a bit immature in November, but he was heading in the right direction. He was a lovely colt who vetted well and looks like he'll make a nice racehorse.”
Morris said the market in Ocala–away from the pinhookers who were prevalent in Kentucky in November–may have helped produce the nifty profit Tuesday.
“I think he caught a good market with two end-users hooking up on him,” Morris said. “Mark Casse was the underbidder and he's always very aggressive down there buying horses for his racing program.”
During the consignor preferred session, 96 head sold for $2,601,700. The average was $27,101 and the median was $19,000.
At the close of business of last year's consignor preferred session, before the addition of post-sale transactions, 99 horses sold for a gross of $3,074,300. The average was $21,499 and the median was $10,000.
Hip 42 was one of two six-figure offerings during the consignor preferred section of Tuesday's sale. A colt from the first crop of Gunnevera (hip 29), consigned by Danielle Loya's Silver Oaks Farm, was purchased for $100,000 by Machmer Hall.
Riptide Rock (Point of Entry) (hip 342), part of a group of 11 supplemented horses owned by Stronach Stables and consigned by Richard Kent's Kaizen Sales, brought the highest price during the horses of racing age section of Tuesday's sale when bringing a final bid of $72,000 from Ocala horseman Randy Miles.
A 5-year-old gelding, Riptide Rock was second in the 2021 Queen's Plate and GIII Ontario Derby. He was seventh in the Nov. 6 GII Autumn S. in his most recent trip to the post for trainer Sid Attard.
The OBS Winter Mixed sale continues with an open session which begins Wednesday at noon.
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