Hundreds of race horses were up for sale Thursday in Ocala and for the first time since the historic Triple Crown win, horses with the same stallion as American Pharoah were auctioned off.
South Florida horseman Henry Collazo and John Kasbar were in Ocala Thursday, where a thousand horses potentially eligible to run for next year’s Triple Crown were up for sale.
“We just come up to try to find another American Pharoah,” he said.
Although there are no guarantees any horse in the sale could replicate his historic run, one horse whose owners never even gave it a name was attracting a lot of attention.
That’s because of his bloodline. The horse was sired by Pioneer of the Nile, the same stallion who sired American Pharoah.
Justin Casse, co-owner, of Ocala said as he watched American Pharoah race into history, dollars signs raced through his head.
“Immediately afterward you think this will definitely help us, how much it helps us remains to seen,” said Casse.
Horses in the June two-year-old sale typically go for about $30,000, but it was quickly apparent “Horse 617” would bring in much more.
Collazo ended up selling the horse for $130,000, while helping to add to what the Sale’s Publicity Director said has already seen record spending.
“I don’t know if we want to attribute that to American Pharoah, I know he’d like the credit, but I’d like to think it’s because we have some really good horses,” said Jay Friedman, the Sale’s Publicity Director.
That includes four more colts and this philly with the same sire as American Pharoah.
All are still longshots, but that’s what the sport is built upon.
“This has got to be a shot in the arm for the sport all over,” Collazo said.