Gross Increases in OBS Fall Sale's Opening Session; Average Drops

Behaving, an 11-year-old winning daughter of Rubiano, brought $165,000 Monday to top the first of three consignor-preferred sessions during Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s five-day fall mixed sale in Central Florida. Whisper Hill Farm purchased Behaving, who is in foal to Forest Danger, from Becky Boyd's Peacock Ridge, agent.

A half-sister to four stakes winners, Behaving is the dam of Changing Weather (by Storm Boot), who scored in this year's Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. He also finished second in the 2005 Futurity Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park and this year's Sunshine Millions Dash Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Another of Behaving's offspring, Xtra Jack (by Pleasant Tap), is a winner who finished second or third in four added-money events in 2004.

The session totals were 216 horses sold for a gross of $4,870,000. Both numbers were up from a year ago, when 191 horses were sold for $4,764,300. However, the average price fell from $24,944 last year to $22,546 this year.

The auction continues through Friday, with selling beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT) each day.