In all, 161 horses were sold for a gross of $3,916,200 and an average price of $24,324. The median price was $14,500. Compared to a year ago, the gross was down by 12.6%, the average was down by 10.4%, and the median was down by 9.4%. The buy-back rate this year was 28.4% compared to 33.1% last year. For the second straight session, Nelson Bunker Hunt was the leading buyer, purchasing10 horses for $233,000.The sale's fourth and final session on Thursday begins at 10:30 a.m. (EDT).
A colt by Appealing Skier brought $155,000 Wednesday to top the third session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's spring auction of 2-year-olds in training. He is the most expensive horse sold so far during the sale, which ends on Thursday. Yusuf Mongroo purchased the bay colt from Halcyon Hammock Farm, agent.The colt is the first foal produced from the winning Marquetry mare Marque of Vogue. He is from the family of grade I winner Play Fellow. Bred in Florida by Glen Ridge Farm, the colt was sold for $7,500 by Beth Bayer, agent, to Out Back Ranch at the 2000 OBS October mixed sale. Last year, Highland Oaks Farm, agent, sold him for $5,500 to G.K. Whalen at the OBS January mixed auction. The colt turned in one of the fastest quarter mile works for the OBS spring juvenile sale, covering the distance in :21 2/5.Five other horses brought six-figure prices on Wednesday.