By Sarah Mace
The New York-bred contingent at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s October yearling auction saved its best for last. In the second of two open sessions following Tuesday’s selected session, a pair of colts by New York sires Giant Surprise and Central Banker established the high water marks for the whole group.
The New York-bred yearling topper was Hip 648, a chestnut colt by Giant Surprise from the family of Disco Partner. Bred by Dianne Boyken and consigned by Kelli Mitchell, Agent I, the youngster was hammered down to Bladen Bloodstock for $75,000.
The colt is out of No Mo Magic (Mo Mon), a New Jersey-bred stakes-placed homebred for Patricia and Frank Generazio. His second dam Mary Lou’s Magic (Concord’s Tune), also a Generazio homebred, is the dam of multiple stakes winner At the Disco (Disco Rico), who earned over $500,000, and graded stakes placed Dowse’s Beach. Her foal Lulu’s Number is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Disco Partner (Disco Rico).
No Mo Magic has already produced two winners, including juvenile Magical Tale by Forty Takes. She has a weanling colt by the same sire and was bred this year to War Dancer.
The colt’s sire Giant Surprise stands at Rockridge Stud in Hudson. He won his lone start by 4 1/4 lengths in a much-anticipated debut at Saratoga which earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. A non-displaced, condylar fracture cut short his racing career. His top progeny earner is multiple stakes winner Sudden Surprise, who has bankrolled $741,773, and his stud fee for 2018 was $4,000.
Coming in a close second to the Giant Surprise colt was Hip 756 from the first crop of Central Banker, who was hammered down to Champion Equine LLC for $72,000. Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, LLC & Spruce Lane Farm, the bay March 2017 colt nearly tripled his value after being purchased at the 2018 OBS Winter mixed sale by Dark Star Thoroughbreds and I. C. Stables for $24,000.
The colt’s dam Spirit of Rose is a stakes-placed New York-bred mare. His third dam Mop Mop (Royal Union), produced graded winner Bello, multiple graded-placed runner Buoy and stakes winner Cope. Spirit of Rose, whose 2018 foal was born dead, was bred back to Central Banker this year.
Central Banker, whose 2018 stud fee was $7,500, stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. He has six first-crop winners to date from 23 runners, led by Sassy Agnes, winner of the Lady Finger Stakes on September 8. A Grade 2-winning sprinter by Speightstown out of multiple stakes winner Rhum, Central Banker recorded three triple digit Beyers at 3 and 4, including his lifetime best 107 Beyer for his victory in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes.
Overall the New York-bred sale indicators outperformed the cumulative numbers at OBS October. The average New York-bred price of $15,763 outperformed the $13,164 overall sale average, as did the $9,000 median compared to $7,000 for the general population of the sale. The 26.0 RNA percentage (54 sold from 73 offered, including two private sales) was about on par with the overall rate of 24.0 percent.
