Sheikh Mohammed, represented by John Ferguson Bloodstock, bought the session-topping horse for the second day in a row at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. Dubai’s ruler picked up a Snow Ridge filly for $180,000 April 21 after acquiring a $675,000 A.P. Indy colt during the auction’s opening session.
Consigned by Mike and Britt Mulligan’s Leprechaun Racing, agent, the Snow Ridge filly was making her third appearance in an auction. As a weanling, she was a $27,000 buy-back when offered by her breeder, Canyon Lake Thoroughbreds, at the 2007 OBS October mixed auction. The following year, Leprechaun purchased her for $20,000 from Crossroads Sales Agency, agent for Canyon Lake, at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale.
The chestnut Florida-bred filly, which is a half-sister to three winners, worked an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 prior to the OBS spring auction. She is out of the 12-year-old winning Gilded Time mare Placerita, who is a half-sister to 1997 Doubledogdare Stakes winner Singing Heart.
In all, 212 horses were sold during the second session for a gross of $5,036,300. The average price was $23,756, and the median price was $15,000. The buy-back rate was 19.4%. Compared to last year, the number sold rose 5% from 202, but the gross dropped 18.7% from $6,196,200. The average fell 22.6% from $30,674 while the median declined 28.6% from $21,000.
During this year’s first two sessions combined, the gross was $10,483,800 for the 421 horses sold. The average was $24,902, and the median was $15,000. The buy-back rate was 21.7%, with 117 of the 538 horses offered failing to find new homes.