An El Corredorweanling colt sold for $80,000 Oct. 11 to top the fourth session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. fall mixed auction in Central Florida. Bred in Florida by Brambly Lane Farm and Steve Dwoskin, the bay weanling is the first foal out of 4-year-old Ashlee's Lady (by Gilded Time), an unplaced half-sister to 2006 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) winner Healthy Addiction.
Buttonwood Bloodstock, agent, purchased the colt from Peggy S. Dellheim, agent.
Delheim, as agent, also consigned the session's top-priced mare, Tchula Miss, who brought a $60,000 final bid from Machmer Hall. An 8-year-old daughter of Pentelicus out of the unraced Majestic Light mare Underexposed, Tchula Miss captured the Vivace and Goldarama Stakes at Calder Race Course in 2003 and the Golden Or Stakes at Calder in 2004. Tchula Miss, who was barren to the cover of El Corredor in 2006, is in foal to With Distinction.
In all Thursday, 137 horses were sold for a gross of $1,017,400. Their average price was $7,426 and their median $4,000. The buy-back/no bid rate was 31.5%, with 63 of the 200 horses offered failing to find new homes.
The auction began Monday with two consignor-preferred sessions. Thursday's session was an open one, the second of three open sessions scheduled. The final open session and the final session for the entire sale is Friday. It begins at 11 a.m. (EDT).
Last year's sale had three consignor-preferred sessions and two open sessions, which makes day-to-day comparisons with this year's auction difficult. During the first open session in 2006, held on a Thursday, 126 horses were sold for a gross of $541,400, an average of $4,297, and a median of $2,850. During the second open session, held on a Friday, the 128 horses sold grossed $621,600 and averaged $4,856. The median was $2,500. This year, Thursday's results were above the figures for the number sold, gross, average, and median when compared with either of the two 2007 open sessions.