OCALA, Fla. – Central Florida is known for horsepower. And no, we’re not talking about the Daytona 500. A number of horses running in the 152nd Kentucky Derby and Oaks were born, sold, and trained in Central Florida.
“Ocala has been dubbed the horse capital of the world,” said Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales at Ocala Breeders Sales Co.
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OBS is one of the premier horse breeders and sellers in Central Florida, and the country as a whole. They sell more two-year-old racehorses than anyone else in the world, operating five sales a year, right in Marion County. Thirty percent of their horses are bred in Florida.
You’ll find two of their fillies in the Kentucky Oaks (one of the top races for 3-year-old young female horses) and five horses in the Kentucky Derby (the opening leg of the Triple Crown of top horse races in the country). Counting Stars (the 4 horse) and Dazzling Dame (7 horse) run in the Oaks Friday night. Dazzling Dame was also bred in Dunnellon. Intrepido (3), So Happy (8), The Puma (9), Further Ado (18), and Corona De Oro) run in the Derby Saturday evening.
“It’s extremely important to be able to say that, you know, horses that have passed through our hands or passed through our consignors hands that are on the biggest stage in the world as far as racing is concerned, it is extremely gratifying and it makes it makes you feel special,” explained Wojciechowski.
Of the four horses with the highest odds to win the derby, two have ties back to Ocala Breeders Sales (Further Ado, 6-1 & The Puma, 10-1). The horse with the fifth-best odds in the Oaks (Counting Stars, 8-1) is also one of theirs.
Three of their horses won the Derby, most recently when I’ll Have Another won the derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2012. They also went back-to-back in the Oaks, having worked with Blind Luck in 2010 and Plum Pretty the next year. Success in the Derby and Oaks can be big for business.
“The cache of the quality of horse that comes to our sales ring that attracts other quality horses and it also attracts buyers from all over the world,” Wojciechowski said. “The best recruiting tool for the buyers is the quality of horse and these horses going on and competing in the Kentucky Oakes or competing in the Kentucky Derby. That really adds credibility to the quality of horses that are coming through the sales room.”
And that can lead to big bucks. At their spring sale, a horse sold for $10.5 million dollars.
But if you’ve made it this far in the article to get a pick for the Kentucky Derby from one of the experts, think again.
“That’s like trying to pick between your children,” Wojciechowski said. “I’m just rooting for our graduates. They all have the license to be there and the credentials to be there. What transpires in the herd of 20 horses is very unpredictable. So not always the best horse wins, but we’re certainly hoping it’s an OBS graduate this year.”