The first Oklahoma City summer Thoroughbred yearling sale began in spectacular fashion Aug. 18 with an Oklahoma-bred filly consigned by Celestial Acres topping the sale for $50,000. The Harlan’s Holiday filly was a homebred raised by Tom Orr’s Celestial Acres in Moore, Okla. The filly was purchased by Richard Eldo Staerkel, who plans to race the filly next year for record purses at Remington Park.
The leading consignor was Kelly/Yearsley Equine, which sold seven of eight horses consigned for $127,700.
“Being Oklahoma-bred easily added $5,000 to $10,000 to the value of each our horses” said Nancy Yearsley.
The leading buyers were Wayne and Norma Stockseth, buying two horses for $54,000. Both horses are Oklahoma-breds nominated to the Oklahoma Classics.
“We were buying to get in the Oklahoma-bred program. It is better for us to race in this circuit,” said Norma Stockseth.
After the sale, the Stockseth’s topped off the day by winning a $31,000 allowance race at Remington Park.
The sale cataloged 70 yearlings. With five outs, 65 were auctioned with 40 being sold. There was a 38% repurchase rate. The gross receipts were $333,900, with an average of $8,348 and a median of $12,424.
“With the median being 50% higher than the average, this shows that having the horse radiographed and scoped by the sale company prior to the sale gave buyers confidence in the middle,” said Dr. Joe Carter, co-owner of Carter Sales Company.