Sells to Saffie Joseph for $300,000 . . .
Six years after his sire stepped foot in the OBS sales pavilion and set his high-level career into motion, a son of Yaupon took his own turn in the ring at the 2025 OBS June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale - and departed with a highlight moment of his own.
The opening session of the OBS June sale showcased both market strength and the demand for one its most famous graduates. Hip 104, a dark bay or brown colt by Grade 1 winner and Spendthrift stallion Yaupon, sold to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. for $300,000 to lead the first day of the final major 2-year-old sale of the year, which posted gains in average and median.
With a stakes winner already to his credit, Yaupon – who sold at the 2019 OBS June Sale - has gotten off to hot start in his burgeoning stud career. The same precocity he showcased as a juvenile has shown itself in his offspring thus far with the session-topping colt the latest example of such.
Out of the winning mare After the Party, by OBS grad Into Mischief, the Yaupon colt was originally entered in the OBS March Sale where he breezed in :9 4/5 but had a minor ankle issue. He duplicated that effort during the under-tack show for June, covering an eighth in :9 4/5 once more for consignor Julie Davies.
“We came up here expecting him to sell well,” said Davies. “How well, you don’t know but he did have plenty of action. A lot of people liked his breeze and liked him on the shank. He’s very classy so he came out like he owns the place. He’s got a good mind to him, and he just presents himself well.”
From the female family of Grade 1 winners Callback, Girolamo, and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver, the Yaupon colt first caught Joseph’s eye back in March and the Grade 1 winning trainer was grateful for the opportunity to add him to his barn.
“If I like them, I buy them and then I worry about selling them after,” Joseph said. “I had seen this horse in March and obviously, he worked fast there. He came back and duplicated it and for me, if he can duplicate that time, that means you’re pretty good.”
The opening session got off to a strong start when Hip 35, a bay son of Constitution consigned by Cortez Racing & Sales, sold for $280,000 to Sleeper Thoroughbreds & Full of Run Racing LLC.
Out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Traffic Blimp, the colt is a half-brother to graded stakes-placed winners Allworthy and Miss Mattie B and is from the female family of multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina. The colt galloped during the under-tack show.
“He’s a super nice horse. We brought him here in April and he bruised his foot in a workout,” said Alex Cortez of Cortez Racing & Sales. “But everyone was on him. I did the right thing for the horse, I gave him time off and he came over here and I told everyone about him. Thank God everyone listened. (The price) was not surprising, because I know how good he is.”
Two youngsters posted the day’s third highest price: Hip 120, a chestnut colt by Munnings consigned by Paul Sharp, and Hip 410, a bay colt by Twirling Candy consigned by Tom McCrocklin, both of whom sold for $250,000. The Munnings colt, who breezed in :10 1/5, was purchased by trainer Dallas Stewart on behalf of John Hall. The colt is out of the Tapit mare Amagansett and is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner and OBS grad Tenma.
The son of Twirling Candy, who worked in :20 4/5, was purchased by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. He is out of the Speightstown mare Brooke and Emory, who is out of multiple Grade 1 winner Hard Not to Like.
Hip 421, a dark bay or brown colt by Charlatan consigned by Wavertree Stables, elicited the next highest price when he sold for $240,000 to JPM Bloodstock. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Elandess, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Peace Achieved.
Hip 399, a chestnut colt by Gun Runner consigned by Top Line Sales, brought the session’s fifth highest price when he was purchased for $220,000 by Salli Foushee. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the graded stakes winning After Market mare Volcat and is a half-brother to graded stakes placed winner Dream Friend, an OBS grad.
The session saw a total of 11 horses sell for $150,000 or more including:
Hip 390, a chestnut colt by Midshipman consigned by Top Line Sales who sold for $170,000 to Sean S. Perl Bloodstock LLC. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Gemologist mare The Girls, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Wink. The colt is a three-quarter sibling to Wink.
Hip 50, a bay colt by Vekoma consigned by Envision Equine who sold for $160,000 to Robert Hess Jr. The colt, who breezed in :10 1/5, is out of the Yes It’s True mare Twelve Jewels, a half-sister to Canadian champion Inglorious and graded stakes winner Dixie Strike.
Hip 174, a chestnut colt by Tiz the Law consigned by Navas Equine who sold for $160,000 to D. J. Stable. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Bernstein mare Blake’s Magic, who is a half-sister to Canadian champion Mobil.
Hip 16, a dark bay or brown colt by Caracaro consigned by Global Thoroughbreds who sold for $150,000 to Tonja Terranova, agent. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Purge mare Texas to a Tee and is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Mississippi Delta.
Hip 125, a dark bay or brown colt by Rock Your World who sold for $150,000 to Jim Divito. Consigned by Cardozo’s Brothers, the colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of winning, stakes-placed Tribal Rule mare Anniversary Kitty.
The strong returns yielded by the 2-year-old market this season added another notch to its belt Tuesday. The overall gross came in at $9,758,500 from 222 head sold while the average improved from $37,755 last year to $43,957 this session. The median came in $26,000, up from $20,000 one year ago.
The sale is being held over two days compared to last year’s auction which took place over three sessions.
“Good solid day,” said Tod Wojciechowski, Director of Sales for OBS. “It felt like horses were moving and changing hands and there was good depth of buyers. Given the strength of the market coming in, we were hopeful and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”
Top Line Sales led all consignors by gross with 12 head sold for $832,000. C.H.P.R was the leading buyer with 32 purchased for $422,500.