Leyenda Dorada, the champion 3-year-old filly in Puerto Rico in 2005, sold for $50,000 Jan. 17 to top the second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. (OBS) winter mixed auction in Central Florida. Offered as a broodmare prospect, the 6-year-old daughter of Gold Legendout of the Vigors mare Itsallgreytome was purchased by Adena Springs from Derby Daze Farm, agent.
During what was the first of two open sessions, the 184 horses sold grossed $1,158,600 and averaged $6,297. The median price was $4,350, and the buy-back/ no bid rate was 37.6%, with 111 of the 295 horses offered failing to find new homes. It was difficult to compare the statistics to 2007's results because of the sale's format this year, which has one consignor-preferred session and two open sessions, is slightly different from last year's when there were two consignor-preferred sessions followed by two open sessions.
On the sale's second day in 2007, when there was a consignor-preferred session, 73 horses were sold for a gross of $2,172,000, an average price of $29,753, and a median of $22,000. The only open session, held on the third day, generated a gross of $1,124,000, an average of $6,142, and a median of $4,000 for the 183 horses sold.
The combined results for the first two days of this year's auction were 293 horses sold, a gross of $3,703,300, and an average of $12,639. Compared to 2006's two sessions, the number sold was up 98.0% from 148. But the gross was down 21.4% from $4,714,500, and the median was down 60.3% from $31,855.
The third and final session of the OBS auction is scheduled for Jan. 18, with selling beginning at 11 a.m. (EST).