A Gun Runner colt sold for an Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. record $3 million to top the company’s March sale of 2-year-olds in training, giving consignor Eddie Woods a big bang as he prepares to take down his shingle. Woods, who has consigned horses for more than three decades, told OBS that he plans to offer his final consignment at the company’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training next month. First, at the March sale, Woods sold 19 horses for a combined $6,448,500. Those were led by the Gun Runner colt, purchased by agent Donato Lanni for Zedan Racing. His price eclipsed the previous OBS record of $2.45 million paid by agent John Moynihan on behalf of Coolmore interests for a Tiznow colt at the 2017 OBS April sale. “It’s like winning the Olympics,” Woods said. “My God, the only way to go out is on top. That’s the only way. It’s been 31 years in April that we started selling here. We’ve done well here. We’ve made a lot of money here; we’ve lost a lot of money here. It’s just the way it is. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “The $3 million I couldn’t see coming,” Woods continued. “I mean, there hasn’t been a 2-year-old selling for $3 million in a long time. He’s just a special horse, and that’s what it takes to get that thing done. Now I hope he’s lucky for them.” The record-setting colt distinguished himself by working a furlong in 9 3/5 seconds during last week’s under-tack preview show on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack to tie for the bullet time at the distance. “I mean, he wasn’t a secret. He’s a pretty cool horse and everyone loved him,” Lanni said after signing the ticket. “Just very lucky to get him for Amr Zedan. We always come here to look for nice horses, and he was a nice horse. [Zedan] is pretty excited, and Gun Runner is a tremendous stallion. This colt worked really well. He galloped out good. He did everything you’d want one to do. Just excited about him.” The colt is the first foal out of the winning Liam’s Map mare Tynan, a half-sister to graded stakes winners Pappacap and Boppy O. Pappacap is by Gun Runner. Bred in Kentucky by PTK LLC, the $3 million colt became a successful pinhook after a $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by St. Clair Stable. The colt helped OBS kick off both its 50th anniversary juvenile sales season and the traditional breeze-up season in North America with encouraging figures. OBS reported that 432 juveniles sold at the March sale for gross receipts of $65,815,500. Last year, $65,239,100 was generated by 454 horses sold. With the Gun Runner colt leading seven horses sold for seven figures, the cumulative average price finished at $152,351, up 6 percent from $143,698 last year. The median dropped just 3 percent, to $70,000 from $72,000, while the cumulative buyback rate in a highly selective marketplace improved to 18 percent from 24 percent. “I thought it was a great sale. It was a fun three days,” OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “The quality of horses showed through in the prices. Really from the day after the under-tack show, when most of the people were getting here to look at horses, there was a ton of activity on the grounds. You could really feel the juice in the air.” OBS now looks ahead to its spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, from April 15-18. That will mark the final consignment for Woods, whose graduates over the years include dual classic winner and Eclipse Award champion Big Brown and Eclipse champions Lady Eli and Left Bank. Woods plans to remain involved in the sales business, working in consulting and helping to purchase horses as an agent. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.