Falling Sky, a 3-year-old colt by Lion Heart, sold for a session-topping $425,000 Jan. 15 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s winter mixed sale. The two-day sale continues tomorrow at 10:30. Justin Casse, agent, took the day’s big horse from the consignment of Carlos Morales and Joe Appelbaum’s Off the Hook.
The sale will be streamed live by BloodHorse.com at http://www.bloodhorse.com/obs/
The colt, bred in Pennsylvania by Copper Penny Stables, has made three starts, winning twice. A four-length winner first time out at Calder Casino & Race Course Nov. 1, Falling Sky ran fourth, beaten five lengths by the highly-touted Purple Egg in the six-furlong Inaugural Stakes Dec. 1 at Tampa Bay Downs. Falling Sky returned Dec. 15 at Gulfstream to win an allowance/optional claiming event by 1 3/4 lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs. He was owned by Armachan Stable and Off the Hook and was trained by Antonio Sanio.
Falling Sky is out of the stakes-placed Sea Hero mare Sea Dragoness.
The session-topper was part of the horses of racing age section, where 103 horses brought a total of $1,608,500. At last year’s comparable session, 75 horses grossed $1,040,200. The average price was $15,617, up 12.6% from $13,869 last year, while the median price was $8,000, up 14.3% compared to $7,000 in 2012. The buy-back percentage was 22.6%, down from 24.2% last year.
The sale opened with a consignor preferred session. The 93 horses that were sold grossed $1,681,900 compared with 71 horses selling for a total of $1,267,000 a year ago. The average price was $18,085, a gain of 1.3% from $17,845 a year ago, while the median price was $14,000 compared with $15,000 in 2012. The buy-back percentage was 35.4%, up from 29% in 2012.
At Large, a colt by Orientate whose three-eighths work in :32 4/5 was the under tack show’s fastest at the distance, was sold to Alistair Roden Bloodstock for $65,000. Consigned by Thoroughbred Friends & Associates, agent, the unraced 3-year-old dark bay or brown 3-year-old colt is out of Catch Me Deputy, by Silver Deputy, a daughter of grade I winner Family Enterprize.
Backfield Run, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly by Put It Back, was sold to trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., agent, for $60,000. The chestnut filly, who worked three eighths in :33 3/5 during the under tack show, is out of Run Like Martha, by Jolie’s Halo, and is a half sister to graded stakes winner Birdrun . She was bred by Bridlewood Farm.
Nicks World also went for $60,000. The 3-year-old colt by Exchange Rate out of Sarah’s World, by Holy Bull, went to Charles Cella. The gray or roan colt, a half brother to graded stakes winner Higher World, was consigned by Craig L. Wheeler, agent. He worked in :33 2/5.
Casual Trick, second in last year’s Gulfstream Park Derby, was sold to Barry Berkelhammer, agent, for $55,000. The 4-year-old son of Bernardini was consigned by Scanlon Training Center, agent. He is out of the grade I-winning Casual Look, by Red Ransom.
During the consignor preferred session, Glencrest Farm went to $80,000 for the topper, a yearling filly from the first crop of Quality Road . Consigned by Select Sales, agent, the dark bay or brown filly is out of Migrate, by Storm Bird, and is a half sister to graded stakes winner Warning Zone. The filly was bred in Louisiana by Jay Adcock, who had purchased Migrate, then in foal to Quality Road, for $38,000 from the consignment of Lane's End, agent for fhe dispersal of the Estate of Edward P. Evans, at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
A yearling filly by Summer Bird out of stakes winner Season’s Flair, by D’Accord was sold to F M H B for $65,000. The half sister to stakes winner Super Fuse was consigned by Select Sales, agent.
The day’s highest priced broodmare was Golden Peach, an 8-year-old Touch Gold mare in foal to Scat Daddy, sold to H&E Ranch for $60,000. Consigned by Kaizen Sales (Richard Kent), agent, the chestnut mare is out of stakes winner Peaks Mill, by Stalwart, and is a half sister to graded stakes winner Belgravia.
