Mor Spirit colt bidding soars to $700,000 Wednesday at OBS
March 17, 2022
Mor Spirit’s $700,000 colt in the ring at the 2022 OBS March 2yo sale – Judit Seipert photo
First-Crop sire Mor Spirit had one of the most sought-after 2-year-olds of the March 15-16 OBS Sale when hip No. 437 came into the ring Wednesday with a bullet :09 4/5 work on his resume.
The bidding was fast and furious and ended when Japanese buyer Hideyuki Mori came away the winner at a price of $700,000. The price wound up the second-most paid for a 2-year-old by a freshman sire at the sale, second only to fellow Spendthrift sire Bolt d’Oro’s $900,000 colt that also sold on Wednesday.
The chestnut colt, already named Mor Speed, was consigned by Wavertree’s Ciaran Dunne and bred by Brad King.
“It was a great result. It was a bit over what we expected, but it wasn’t a surprise because he was very popular,“ said Dunne afterward.
Purchased by Dunne for $160,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale, Mor Speed is a half-brother to stakes winner Proofsinthepuddin and stakes-placed Red Raider.
“(Mor Spirit and Mor Speed) have the same body style. Both of them are kind of light and lean horses with a great hip and walk. Both have an easy, relaxed demeanor and loved to train. Mor Spirit was just so athletic and this colt is a lot the same way.”
Mor Spirit stands this year at Spendthrift for $5,000 and is part of the farm’s Safe Bet program, which stipulates that he will sire at least one Graded / Group Stakes Winner by Dec. 31, 2022 from his first crop of two-year-old runners – or the breeders will not owe a stud fee.