$100K Midnight Lute filly tops OBS August session; average and median rise

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A $100,000 filly by first-crop sire Midnight Lute topped Tuesday’s select session at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s August yearling sale, which saw gains in average and median.

SGV Thoroughbreds purchased the dark bay or brown filly, a half-sister to millionaire graded winner Desert Code. She is a daughter of stakes-placed Wasted Wisdom, by Gold Fever. Woodford Thoroughbred agents consigned the filly, one of two yearlings to fetch six-figure bids at the select session in Ocala, Fla.

The day’s other six-figure yearling was a Yes It’s True daughter of stakes-placed Wildcard Cat, by Forest Wildcat. Nick De Meric bought the filly from the Blue River Bloodstock agency for $105,000.

The session grossed $4,181,000 for 110 horses, down 14 percent from the total for last year’s larger group of 135 yearlings. Average rose 6 percent, from $35,841 last year to $38,009, and median performed even better, leaping 30 percent from last year’s figure of $26,000 to $34,000. Buy-backs inched up slightly, from 25 percent in 2010 to 26 percent.

The sale was interrupted by a severe thunderstorm that passed through Ocala late in the afternoon, and a power outage in part of the arena halted the auction for about 40 minutes at around 4 p.m.

The August yearling auction was to continue with two open sessions on Aug. 24-25. Both sessions were to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the OBS sale pavilion in Ocala.