The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. August yearling sale has a smaller catalog and will be shorter in length compared to the 2009 edition. It also will begin one day later -- on a Tuesday instead of a Monday -- and the starting time on the opening day, when select horses will be offered, will be 1 p.m. EDT instead of the usual 10:30 a.m.
The Central Florida auction’s three-day run, down from four days last year, is scheduled for Aug. 24-26.
The changes involving the starting day and time were made “for the convenience of our buyers,” said Tom Ventura, the OBS general manager and director of sales, earlier this year. Shoppers will have more time to get to the auction following weekend stakes and they will have additional time the opening day to inspect yearlings.
The catalog lists 901 horses, down 21.7% from last year’s total of 1,151. Veteran sires with offspring in the auction include Unbridled's Song, Tiznow , Indian Charlie, Tapit , Empire Maker , Malibu Moon , and Candy Ride . Among the stallions with their first crops represented are Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday. Florida-based stallions whose progeny are scheduled to be offered include Congrats , Wildcat Heir, Montbrook, Put It Back, and With Distinction.
In 2009, the auction followed the same downward trend experienced by most other sales, suffering significant setbacks in its gross revenue, average price, and median price.
The 110 select yearlings that sold grossed $3,632,500 and averaged $33,023. The median price was $25,000. The 541 yearlings that sold during the three open sessions grossed $3,789,200 and averaged $7,004. The median price was $4,000.