Predictable Numbers at OBSC Open Session

By Ryan Conley
After consignor-preferred sessions that produced strong numbers, Thursday's first open session of Ocala Breeders' Sales Fall Mixed Sale saw prices tumble to predictable lower plateaus.

The highest individual price recorded was $20,000 for four horses -- three mares that went to Triple Crown Trading of South Korea, and a Straight Man weanling colt that was purchased by M&M Stables. Additionally, 31 yearlings were sold in the session, with the $16,000 given for a Lost Soldier colt topping that portion.

With a total of 149 mares and weanling selling for $696,800, averages for that part of Thursday's session fell from $22,287 for the trio of consignor-preferred session to $4,677, and the median from $14,000 to $3,500. The average/median figures were also below those for the first open session last year, when an average of $6,212 and a median of $4,000 were generated from the sale of 129 horses for $801,400.

But the buyback rate for the mare/weanling portion of the first open session was only 13.9%, as compared to 25.3% last year. OBS director of sales Tom Ventura agreed that sellers were resolved to let horses go.

"People that were taking $5,000 for their horse were anxious to move them," he said. "They were willing to sell those that didn't fit into their programs anymore."

Triple Crown's top purchases were the Coronado Quest mare Dactique's Quest out of the Live Oak Stud consignment, the Unbridled's Song mare Bridlingbride out of the Summerfield Sales consignment, and the Mining mare Goldmakesmesmile out of the Tara Stables consignment. They are in-foal to Eltish, Favorite Trick and Essence of Dubai, respectively.

The Straight Man colt, from the Janey Roper consingment, is out of the Ocala Slew mare Italian Slew.

The 31 yearlings sold Thursday grossed $97,300, yielding an average of $3,193 and a median of $1,500. Last year, 15 sold for $125,900, yielding an average of $8,393 and a median of $5,000.

The five-day sale concludes Friday with another open session.