A bumper crop of Maryland-bred 2-year-olds passed through the ring at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, held June 13-15 in Ocala, Fla.

A dark bay or brown colt by Nyquist was the highest-selling of the 15 sold, going for $250,000 to Robert B. Hess Jr. Consigned by Britton Peak, Agent IV, and bred by 2500 Determined Stud, the colt worked an eighth of a mile in 10.1 at the Under Tack Show held June 5-7. He's the first foal out of the stakes-placed Stormy Atlantic mare Tough Irma, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Turbo Compressor (Halo's Image) and a full sister to stakes winner and course record-setter Stormy Dixie, from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Southern Image.

The Nyquist colt has previously sold at auction twice, for $130,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November Sale to Sonny Stokes, then again for $120,000 to Ride the Coattails at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale. In between, he was a $140,000 RNA at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The other six-figure Maryland-bred was a Not This Time filly named Daughter of Time, who sold for $190,000 to Robert Lambe. She was consigned by Classic Bloodstock LLC, Agent II, and was bred by Charles and Cynthia McGinnes. She also worked an eighth of a mile in 10.1 at the Under Tack Show.

Descending from a long line of accomplished McGinnes-bred horses, the chestnut filly is out of Paradise Bird (Summer Bird), a half-sister to stakes winner Come Fly Away (El Prado-Ire) and Desiderata, who, in turn, the dam of stakes winner Everything Lovely (Pollard's Vision). Her third dam, stakes winner Muffies Muffin (by Lord Gaylord) produced four stakes winners, including graded winner Wicapi, All the Marbles and Cranberry Muffin, all bred by the McGinneses.

Of the 17 Maryland-breds offered at this year's sale, 13 Maryland-breds sold in the ring, with two more selling post-sale, for a total of $728,000, with an average of $48,533 and a median of $25,000. All figures are up from last year's sale, where 11 Maryland-breds sold for $300,500.