Organizers of the first Oklahoma City Summer Thoroughbred Yearling Sale, which produced a sale-topper that sold for $50,000, indicated the results are a sign of good things to come.
For the Aug. 18 event, 70 yearlings were cataloged, 65 were auctioned, and 40 were sold. Gross was $333,900 and average $8,348, according to a release. The repurchase rate was 38%.
An Oklahoma-bred filly consigned by Celestial Acres topped the sale at $50,000. The filly, by Harlan's Holiday--Culver City, by Afleet, 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 her next year for record purses at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
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” Nancy Yearsley said.
The leading buyers were Wayne and Norma Stockseth, who purchased 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,” Norma Stockseth said. “It is better for us to race on this circuit.”
After the sale, the Stockseths topped off their day when one of their horses won a $31,000 allowance race at Remington. Revenue from gaming machines at Remington has allowed the track to raise purses to all-time-high levels.
