by Cynthia McFarland

There still was strong competition for quality horses on Tuesday, but buyers were able to call all the shots on the final day of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. fall mixed sale.
 
By the end of the two-day sale, 301 horses sold for total receipts of $2,356,200. The combined average price of both the consignor preferred and the open sessions was $7,828, down 12.8% from the combined average of $8,973 last October.

Median this year was $4,200, a 6.7% drop from $4,500 during the three-day sale in 2008. The buy-back rate improved from 47% in 2008 to 40.9% this sale.

“The market is very demanding and the buyers certainly have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and buy some horses at reduced prices,” OBS General Manager Tom Ventura said. “There were still people buying at the very end; the last nine horses through the ring all found new homes. The numbers today [in the open session] were actually very similar to last year. The median was identical and the average was down $100, so the open [session] horses were basically on par.”

“As bad as everything is, if you follow one up [to the ring] that you really like, somebody else likes him, too. There’s still a market for a good horse. I was the immediate underbidder on three horses yesterday,” said Albert Davis, who bought a weanling filly by Congrats out of the Hennessy mare Baby Nance from the Summerfield consignment of Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck for $30,000 on day two.

Kentucky-based Baccari Bloodstock was the sale’s leading buyer, taking home six horses for a total of $230,500, including the sale topper—a $77,000 weanling colt by classic winner Jazil. Consigned by Barry Menefee, agent, the bay Florida-bred colt is out of the Pentelicus mare Pelicus Affair, a half sister to Grade 2 winner Pine Dance and stakes winner Village Dancer.

“I don’t just buy to pinhook. I really like the colt and can see myself racing him,” said Chris Baccari, who purchased the weanling for a partnership.

Barry and Jackiey Menefee offered the colt, a homebred from their small Ocala breeding operation. The Menefees also sold another homebred, a filly by Pomeroy, to Baccari Bloodstock for $50,000. Barry Menefee was the auction’s fifth-leading consignor, selling three horses for a total of $142,000, and leading consignor by average price.

Twin Peaks Racing purchased the sale’s highest-priced filly, a $52,000 Yes It’s True weanling. Out of the stakes-placed Carson City mare, City College, the filly is a half sister to three winners, including Grade 2-placed Trinity College. She was consigned by Summerfield, agent, the sale’s leading consignor with 46 horses sold for a total of $413,600.

T-Square Stud sold the sale’s highest-priced broodmare in Lakes Folly, a seven-year-old Exploit mare in foal to classic winner and classic sire Birdstone who brought $50,000. The dark bay or brown mare is out of stakes winner Circus Toons and is a half sister to four winners, including Group 3 winner Love Regardless.

Afredo Ronso, who signed the ticket on behalf of Ocala-based La Mulera Corp., a new Thoroughbred operation, said he expected to pay more for the mare. La Mulera was second leading buyer, purchasing ten horsesfor $177,200.

“If she didn’t bring her reserve, I was happy to keep her,” said consignor Adam Parker of T-Square Stud, who bought Lakes Folly at the 2009 OBS winter mixed sale for $1,100 and bred her to Birdstone. Although Parker planned on keeping the mare in his broodmare band, once Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Summer Bird took the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1), he realized this was an ideal time to sell her.

On day two, Lucky Equine went to $47,000 to take home session topper D’ Bus, a colt by D’wildcat, sire of multiple graded stakes-winning juvenile D’ Funnybone. Consigned by SonShine Acres, the chestnut colt is out of Garopaba, by River Special, a half sister to stakes-placed winner Bonham.

“I’m happy with that, considering the market,” said consignor Kelli Charles of SonShine Acres of the final bid on her homebred colt. “You have to hope you have a standout to cover the ones that aren’t standouts.”

Baccari Bloodstock also bought the top broodmare on day two, going to $40,000 for Babyexpectations, an 11-year-old stakes-placed Valid Appeal mare. Consigned by Live Oak Stud, the mare is a full sister to four stakes winners, including sires Valid Expectations and Littleexpectations. The mare sold in foal to 2007 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Corinthian.

“We bought her daughter [a three-year-old broodmare prospect by Yes It’s True] earlier today,” Baccari said. “We like Valid Appeal and she has two stud horses in the family. Littleexpectations has sired some pretty good racehorses.”.

Cynthia McFarland is a Florida-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent