“Stunning” Authentic colt lights up OBS board at $1 million

A colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Authentic was the early star of the Thursday session of the OBS March 2yo sale when chestnut colt garnered a winning bid of $1 million even from Resolute Bloodstock.

“Absolutely stunning physical,” Resolute’s Gavin O’Connor said of hip No. 601. “His breeze (of 9.4 seconds) was so fluent and he looked fantastic going a fast time. The cross through Authentic with Into Mischief over Smart Strike and his overall physical would make him a standout in any stallion barn in Kentucky,”

Consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, the colt was bred by Gainseway Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and sold for $260,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. The $1 million price tag was the top colt of the session.

This was the first million-dollar sale for Authentic, winner of the 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) for Spendthrift Farm. Authentic’s first 2-year-olds are averaging $480,000, second-best for any First-Crop sire.