Half Ours filly tops Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana yearling sale

A filly by Half Ours topped the Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana yearling auction in West Monroe, La., on Tuesday when she brought $66,000 from Virginia Lazenby. The filly is a half-sister to both Icy Atlantic, a Grade 2 winner of $993,700, and Wild Promises, a Grade 3 winner of $699,610.

The Breeders Sales Company, which is a subsidiary of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, reported 120 horses sold for gross receipts of $1,110,000. The average was $9,250. There were 66 buybacks. Last year, 120 yearlings sold for $1,544,900 (down 28 percent), for an average of $12,874 (down 28 percent). There were 52 buybacks.

The Half Ours filly, who was bred in Louisiana, is out of the unraced Frosty the Snowman mare Frosty Promise, and was consigned by Clear Creek Stud, agent.

“This sale proved it is a good Southwest regional sale,” Tim Boyce, sales director of the Breeders Sales Company, said in a release. “The buyers showed up from all over the United States and kept our consignors busy showing their yearlings since Saturday. We are satisfied with the outcome of this sale.”

Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer of the LTBA, said this year's catalog had widespread appeal.

“The sire power drove the sale along with the breeders who produced some outstanding yearlings,” he said in a release. “We believe we gave buyers ample opportunities to find a horse for any program. We were fortunate to have Tim as our sales director, and he really produced for us during his first year on the job.”

The Louisiana-breds that passed through the sales ring are now eligible for the A.L. “Red” Erwin or the Elge Rasberry, a pair of 3-year-old stakes traditionally run at Louisiana Downs. In addition, yearlings sold through the auction are now eligible for a pair of new sales stakes at Evangeline Downs that will start in 2017.