The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. spring sale of 2-year-olds in training ended its four-day run in Central Florida with a bang April 22, posting increases of 4.4% in gross, 12.9% in average price, and 33.3% in median price. In addition, the auction’s top-priced horse, a $500,000 Limehouse filly named Delightful Mary, was sold during the closing session.
Trainer Mark Casse, agent, purchased Delightful Mary from Craig L. Wheeler, agent for the Hobeau Farm dispersal. Hobeau owner Jack J. Dreyfus Jr. died last March.
Bred in Florida by Hobeau, Delightful Mary is out of the winning French Deputy mare Deputy’s Delight and is a half sister to $1,083,033 earner Delightful Kiss (by Kissin Kris). Delightful Kiss captured the Ohio Derby (gr. II) in 2007, the All American (gr. III) and Turfway Park Fall Championship Stakes (gr. III) in 2008, and the Hal’s Hope Stakes (gr. III) in 2009. The gelding’s other efforts included a victory in the 2007 Iowa Derby, a runner-up finish in the 2008 Clark Handicap (gr. II), and third-place finishes in the 2010 Donn Handicap (gr. I), 2007 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), and 2009 OBS Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes.
Delightful Mary worked a quarter mile in :20 2/5, sharing the fastest time for the distance with three other horses.
The OBS spring auction’s final figures included a gross of $20,754,400 for the 739 juveniles that sold. The average was $28,084, and the median was $20,000. The buy-back rate was 26%, up from 24% in 2009.
During the final session, the 160 horses that sold grossed $4,983,300. The average was $31,146, and the median was $18,500. The buy-back rate was 33.3%.