Georgia's time to say thanks

Florida and Georgia have close Thoroughbred industry ties. Each year in January the Georgia Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association conducts a fund-raising auction of stallion seasons. Many of these stallion seasons are donated by Floridians. The Georgia owners and breeders reciprocates by sponsoring stakes races at Calder Race Course for the offspring of stallions whose seasons were donated to the year's fund-raising auction. These races have no statebred restrictions.

Calder Race Course will host two of these Georgia-funded races in the coming weeks. The first of these is the $60,000 Georgia Juvenile Fillies Turf Dash on July 29. This race is for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs on the turf. The $125 nomination fee is due on July 22.

A week later, Aug. 6, is the $60,000 Georgia Peaches Stakes for fillies and mares. This is a turf race at one mile and the $125 nomination fee is due on July 29.

The Georgia group's website (www.gtoba.com) has a list of those stallions whose services were donated this past January.

Second-best June auction

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's two-day auction of 2-year-olds in training on June 21-22, generated the second-best June sales numbers in the company's history. Only the 2004 sale had superior sales stats.

Compared with 2005, the OBS June sale had an 18.9 percent increase in its average price to $21,831. The median was up even higher, by 36.6 percent to $14,000. The buy-back rate dipped to 27.1 percent.

Barry Eisaman, who sells under the banner of Eisaman Equine Services, was the leading consignor, selling eight for a gross of $644,000. Eisaman sold the sales topper, a Smoke Glacken colt, for $220,000. Joe Brocklebank, agent, was the buyer. Eisaman Equine Services also sold the second highest priced 2-year-old, a Danzig filly, to Carolyn Wilson for $200,000.

The leading buyer was Thomas Clark Bloodstock Ltd., which acted as agent for the Korean Owners Association. The KOA bought 26 2-year-olds for $372,000; they depart for Korea pending quarantine.

Graeme Hall led the list of stallions with local connections. Three of his offspring sold for an average of $33,500. The son of Dehere stands at Winding Oaks Farm and had his first winner this past week.

There were few surprises at this sale, and the same may be said about the entire season of Florida's 2-year-old auctions. If a 2-year-old could dash a furlong in less than 11 seconds or a quarter in less than 22 seconds, that 2-year-old immediately made the buyers' "A" list, and with that designation came competitive bidding.

* Jules, a former shuttle stallion who stood in the Northern Hemisphere at Bridlewood Farm, died in stud several years ago in Brazil. He was the sire of Peace Rules, a Grade 1 winner and earner of $3 million, who stands at Vinery Stud in Summerfield, Fla. Jules is the sire of Quick Road, recent winner of the Cidade Jardin Stakes in Brazil. The Group 1 race is for 2-year-olds at one mile.

* Lambholm South's Max's Pal, by Marquetry, had his first winner this past week when Diamond Max, a colt out of the Mystery Storm matron Reigning Diamond, won his maiden at Woodbine. Diamond Max is from a first crop of 45 2-year-olds sired by Max's Pal, a nine-time stakes winner.

* Adena Springs South's Running Stag, by Cozzene, is Florida's leading third-crop sire at the half-year mark. A bay 12-year-old stallion, Running Stag has sired 68 winners, 3 stakes winners, and the earners of $3.4 million.