The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s select juvenile auction was marred by tragedy Tuesday when one of its top prospects, a daughter of Forest Camp, was euthanized following an accident just prior to when she was scheduled to be sold. Witnesses said the filly reared, appeared to slip, and then fell near the entrance to the walking ring at Calder Race Course. Veterinarians who tried to help the filly said she probably fractured her skull based on the convulsions she suffered afterward and the bleeding from her ears.Paige Graham, daughter of the filly's consignor Don Graham, was leading the 2-year-old at the time, but was not injured."It looked like she slipped back and fell and hit her head," said Graham of the filly. "My daughter is all right. That's the main thing. There will be more sales, and there will be more horses to sell, but I'm just glad my daughter didn't get hurt. It's one of those things. That's part of fooling with horses." . The bay filly turned in the fastest work for an eighth of a mile, covering the distance in :10 on Jan. 30 at Calder. Graham purchased her for $42,000 from the consignment of Beth Bayer, agent, during the 2005 OBS August yearling auction. Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin bred the filly in partnership in Kentucky and sold her under their Lakland banner as a weanling for $40,000 to Grand Oaks Stable at the 2004 Keeneland November breeding stock auction.
The filly was out of the winning In Reality mare Daggett, whose half-sister, stakes winner I'll Get Along, is the dam of champion and dual classic winner Smarty Jones."It's one of those freak accidents that happens in this business, and nobody ever gets used to it," said Tom Ventura, the OBS general manager and director of sales. "It was a sad thing, but it's one of those things that, unfortunately, we have to deal with."
