$100,000 Congrats yearling contributes to gains across the board at OBS sale

A $100,000 Congrats yearling contributed to increases Tuesday at the opening consignor-preferred session at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s winter mixed sale.

The first of two sessions sold 113 horses for a combined $1,399,400, up dramatically from last year’s $900,000 gross for 92 horses. That represented a 55 percent gain in gross. The average price also increased by 27 percent, from $9,783 last year to $12,384. Median performed best of all against last year’s figure, rising 76 percent from $5,100 in 2010 to $9,000 this year. And buybacks dipped, falling from the 2010 figure of 33 percent to 31 percent.

Andy Cant, agent, sold the session-topping Congrats colt, currently named I’m Buyin’, to a buyer identified only by the initials FHMB. The dark bay or brown colt is out of the Salt Lake winner Toasttofriendship. He is from the family of stakes winners Miss Angel T. and Profit Option.

The first horse in the auction ring Tuesday was Magical Masquerade, the dam of The Green Monkey. The Green Monkey sold for a world-record $16 million as a juvenile in 2006. He placed at age 3 and now is a stallion at Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds in Florida. Magical Masquerade, offered in foal to Tiz Wonderful, sold Tuesday for $9,000 to Hartley/De Renzo. Agent Beth Bayer consigned Magical Masquerade, a 13-year-old Unbridled mare and half-sister to graded winner Magicalmysterycat.

The two-day auction in Ocala, Fla., started an hour later than originally scheduled in order to accommodate horsemen traveling up from the Eclipse Awards ceremony in south Florida. The delay pushed the start time from 11 a.m. to noon.