Ocala March 2026

I watch the March Ocala sale just to get a “feel for the market.” There is a much better selection of stamina oriented horses in the April 14-17 sale. To me, the March sale is for owner who “want to win a two-year old race at Saratoga this July. That is not my goal.

Just for fun, let’s find 10 horses to follow after this sale.

Without having access to the “runout” times (private clockers time the 2 furlongs after the wire) it is really hard to judge the workouts.

My favorite photo is hip #28, a Charlatan colt out of an Australian mare

My second favorite photo is #794 a Independence Hall filly

My third favorite photo is #10 by MacLean’s Music

I have a modest interest in two American Pharoah fillies #6 and #55

Let’s watch to see what the smart owners, and the other partnerships do.

Last year the average sale price was $130,000, and the median was $70,000. I think the 9.4’s and 10.0’s will be too expensive, but maybe we can afford a 10.1

It is amazing the there are 12 Mo Donegal’s in this sale and 5 or them ran 9.4’s. I cannot explain that. The star of show is Drain the Clock, which had two foals run 20.2’s. It looks like the Jack Christopher’s are doing well.

My preference is for horses with stamina oriented pedigree’s that excuse average workout times. I want to pay $50,000 to $150,000.

I dislike this sale so much that my picks were just watching the smarter folks. Most of these prices are too high. Really #28 is the only horse I would have actually bought.

HORSES TO WATCH

1. #28 - c - Charlatan - Houtzen by I Am Invincible, - $80,000 - Bought by a first time owner. My favorite photo. D nick. 10.1 work

2. #67 - c - Keepmeinmind - Kaiserin by Tiznow - $60,000 - A Liz Crow selection. Selecting 3rd tier sires is an interesting strategy. I love the Tiznow/AP Indy female family. This is an A nick. Worked 10.3. OK photo.

3. #6 - f - American Pharoah - Harley Girl by Ghostzapper , $365,000, Peter Bradley is good judge of turf horses . A nick. Solid B photo. Worked 10.0. Third dam produced Zenyatta. Sequel Bloodstock, NY-bred, King’s Equine

4. #114 - c - Nyquist - Lookin Dynamic by Lookin at Lucky - $450,000 - My favorite of the West Point selections. A nick. Big price for a 10.2 work. One of my top 5 consignors, Scanlon.

5. #543 - c - Roadster -Alotofappeal by Trippi - $275,000 - Adelphi Racing/Reeves - Let’s follow Adelphi and a new son of Quality Road. A+ nick. 20.3 work. FL-bred

6. #367 - c - Justify - Sky Dreamer by Sky Mesa - $250,000 by AMO Racing. Nice photo - 10.0 work. Not sure you should buy this sire at this sale, but let’s experiment. A nick.

7. #388 - f - Cyberknife - Speightstown Gal by Cairo Prince - $170,000 - Oracle Bloodstock. B+ nick. A big price for a slow 10.2 work. I trust my friends at Oracle.

8. #586 - f - Flameaway - Beautiful Memories by Hard Spun - $270,000 - Klaravich Stables, 10.0 work, B+ nick

9. #651 - f - Liam’s Map - Casting Director by Bernardini - $200,000 - Eclipse Partners, 10.1 work, A+ nick, great photo and pedigree

10. #574 - f - Mo Donegal - Bakken Baby by Valid Expectations - $200,000 - Colt’s Neck Stables, 10.0 work, A+ nick, I love the photo, but the broodmare sire is one of my least favorite, let’s watch a Mo Donegal

11. #188 - f - Epicenter - More Than Folly by More Than Ready - $450,000 - West Point/David Ingordo, 9.4 work, A+ nick, Ingordo’s favorite from the sale

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The results for last years March Ocala top horses are at best mixed, and closer to disastrous.

1. 2025 there was a $3 million dollar Gun Runner colt in this sale that became Breeder’s Cup juvenile 3rd place Brant.

2. The $1 million Indy Hall became Rousseau, and has only 4 works last fall

3. the $1.3 million Maxfield became Mashallah, has 3 works at Palm Meadows

4. the $1.1 million Good magic became Magic Bijou, has no works

5. the $1.0 million Quality Road became Britain, has a MSW win and 5th in the Busanda for Chad Brown

6. the $1.0 million Maxfield became Magna Victor and has no works

7. the $1.0 million Nyquist became Epic Quest, he has a 2nd in one start for Pletcher at Saratoga , and no works since last fall

8. the $1.0 Army Mule became Soldier N Diplomat, has 2 wins and a 2nd in the Southwest Stakes

9. the $900,000 Yaupon became Abrigado, he has two 5th’s for Cox at Saratoga, and no works since

10. the $875,000 Gun Runner became Quite Baffling, she has a 5th in one start for Assmusen this March at Oaklawn.

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SALE PROGRESS

Day 1 was fairly strong, with the average up 20% but the median up just 7%. Corniche had the first day sale topper at $1.4 million. West Point bought 4 horses, but Eclipse stayed away. Dare to Dream bought a cheap sprinter. Repole and Klaravich stayed away. I have very little on day two other than maybe #536 an Epicenter with a stamina female family, and two very expensive looking Justify’s.

Lots of big prices on day 2, including a $2 million Nyquist filly with a 9.3 work. The median is now up to $90,000, a 25%+ increase from last year. RNA’s are a normal 24%. The big surprise was a small partnership called Adelphi Racing firing 3 big bullets. My Racehorse stepped up for 3 mid-price horses, but West Point was quiet. Mr. Zedan bought in for $850,000. Old friend Donato Lanni paid $1 million for a big strong Mo Town for Baffert. I have little on day 3, maybe looking for a Jack Christopher or a Mo Donegal.

Day 3 slowed down a little and the final median fell to $85,000. Each of the partnerships bought a few, and even Eclipse stepped in for two horses. Late in the day Seth Klarmen bought a mid-priced Flameway.

Overall the sale was quite strong. One interesting insight from bloodstock agent David Ingordo was that the quality of the horses offered at the Ocala sale has declined. As more “own to race” owners buy yearlings, the horses left over for pinhookers is of lower quality.