Led by Yes It's True Weanlings, OBSC Sale Soars

By Ryan Conley
Three weanlings by Yes It's True each received top bids of $85,000 Tuesday, helping boost a resurgent Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Fall Mixed Sale.

Two consignor preferred sessions that started Monday yielded reported combined gross sale totals of $8,730,000, a 70% increase over the same period in last year's sale.

The median of $15,000 was up 50%, and the average of $20,590 was up 23.2% over the same corresponding sessions of a year ago. The buyback rate was 25.4%, down from 27.2%.

"In my opinion, a large portion can be attributed to the weanlings," said OBS director of sales Tom Ventura. "Two-year-old sales were up across the board this year, yearling sales were up across the board this year, and weanlings are just following suit."

Two of the session-toppers were colts. A bay out of the Polish Pro mare Our Resurgence that sold to a new Florida operation called Sun Mist Farm, and a chestnut out of the Sejm mare Sejm's Smile that was acquired by Edward Turlington's Stoney Lane Farm of Lexington, Ky.

Sun Mist Farm is owned by Frank Berris, an executive with American Gas and Oil. Acquiring a Yes It's True foal was a no-brainer, particularly after the freshman sire realized his second graded stakes winner Saturday in Champagne Stakes (gr. 1) victor Proud Accolade, said Dean De Renzo, the Ocala agent who signed the ticket.

"It's easy to follow a winner," said De Renzo. "Yes It's True proved himself with a grade one on Saturday."

The two colts were purchased out of respective consignments of Robert and Saronda Smith's Wesfield Sales and Beth Bayer, agent.

The top-selling filly, who was out of the Sovereign Dancer mare Taba Dance, was sold to a Miami-based partnership called The Big Stable out of the Summerfield Sales consignment for Robert M. and Catherine Dickenson.

Two broodmares sold for $70,000 apiece. Another Par Three, a Spinning World mare in foal to Trippi, was sold to prominent Florida show horse breeder/owner Louise Courtelis, while Sweet Tease, a Storm Bird mare in foal to Diligence, was purchased by Copper Tree Farm.

The two were sold from the consignments of Janie Roper and Casse Sales, respectively.

For the day, OBS reported 222 horses sold for a gross of $4,329,000. The median was $14,500 while the average was $19.500. The buy-back rate was 21.5%.

The sale continues Wednesday with the first of two open sessions.

Complete Results from October 12 OBSC Session