Half-brother to You leads OBS

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A $170,000 Candy Stripes half-brother to You was the session-leader as of 5:15 p.m. at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August yearling sale in Florida.

Journeyman Bloodstock, agent, purchased the Candy Stripes colt, who is out of the Homebuilder mare Our Dani. Our Dani's first foal was You, the 2-year-old You and I filly who recently won Saratoga's Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes. Summerfield, agent, sold the colt.

The Wednesday session was the third of five auction days at the OBS facility in Ocala. The sale began Monday with a single select session that peaked with a $305,000 Valid Expectations-Dame's Rocket (Timeless Native) colt bought by Padua Stables.

The Tuesday session, which followed Monday's one-day select portion, grossed $1,966,800 for 180 yearlings sold. Last year, 212 lots brought a total of $2,269,900. With fewer yearlings sold this year, the average price climbed 2 percent to $10,927. The median price fell 21 percent, from $7,000 last year to $5,500.

* In France, the Deauville yearling sale wrapped up Wednesday with increases in average and gross. Topped by a $905,003 Sadler's Wells-Luna Blue (Cure the Blues) colt bought by agent Demi O'Byrne, the auction grossed $33,584,119 for 371 yearlings sold. The average price gained 13 percent to $90,523. Buy-backs rose from 21 percent last year to 25 percent.