by Cynthia McFarland

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. wraps up its 2009 two-year-olds in training sale season with 513 two-year-olds and 27 older horses cataloged for the June sale of two-year-olds in training and horses of racing age, which has been a strong venue for bargain hunters.

The cumulative average sale price from 1999 through 2008 is $19,460 and the median is $11,000, but horses sold at OBSC June have earned well above those levels at an average of $28,839.

During the same period, 59.4% of the horses sold at the OBSC June sale were victorious once they hit the track, including 60 stakes winners. Four-time graded stakes winner Proud Man, a career earner of $1,034,520, was purchased for $10,000 at the 2000 June sale.

More than 77% of the horses sold at the June sale have brought a final bid of less than $25,000 during the previous ten years. Horses sold from 1999 through 2008 in the $10,000-to-$24,999 price range (for an average price of $15,522) have compiled average earnings of $31,333.

Grade 3 winner Miss Macy Sue was a $42,000 purchase by Tom McCrocklin, agent, out of the consignment of New Episode Training Center, agent in June 2005. She has amassed $880,915 in purse earnings.

Also among the graded stakes winners sold recently at the June sale is Visionaire, winner of the King’s Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course in 2008. The Grand Slam colt was consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds, agent, and brought $220,000, the second highest price of the 2007 June sale.

“On the catalog this year, we have Visionaire and Frolic’s Dream [winner of the 2009 Forward Gal Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park],” said Tom Ventura, OBSC general manager and director of sales. “There are certainly good horses that have been sold out of this sale, even though it’s the last opportunity for two-year-old buyers. The quality of this sale has improved over the years.

”We were pleased with the [OBSC Spring sale of two-year-olds in training]. The results were good and the sale held up very well. Hopefully, we can continue on.”

The OBSC June sale held two under-tack shows on June 13 and 14. The sale begins a two-day run on Tuesday, with sessions beginning daily at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

To view a catalog, click here.

For results of the under-tack show, click here.

Cynthia McFarland is a Florida-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent