OBS fall yearling sale closes with year-over-year gains

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. fall yearling sale wrapped up on Thursday evening with solid figures in its second year since shifting to a new place on the calendar.

OBS traditionally held its annual yearling sale in August, placing it early on that market’s calendar. But last year, the sale was shifted to October to attract buyers who were shut out of purchases at other major auctions and felt a sense of urgency as the end of the season approached.

At this year's sale, 433 yearlings sold for a total of $9,568,250 over the three-day auction, which began with a select session before two open sessions. The figures marked an 18 percent gain in revenues from 2017's two-day auction, when 406 yearlings grossed $8,120,500.

The cumulative average sale price finished at $22,098, rising 10 percent from $20,001 last year.

The median and buyback rates showed fairly steady figures in both the select and open sessions, indicators of a stable middle market. The select session's median finished at an unchanged $30,000; the open sessions checked in with a median of $7,000, a jump from $5,000 last year. The buyback percentage was 33 percent in the select session, compared with 34 percent in 2017. In the open sessions, it checked in at 24 percent, from 23 percent.

As expected, the sale's top prices came during the select session. A $340,000 colt by freshman sire Cairo Prince set a sale record, going to John Oxley. Cairo Prince, a son of Pioneerof the Nile, sits third on the freshman sire earnings list, and is the sire of Grade 3 winner Cairo Cat.

The colt, consigned by Stuart Morris as agent, is the first foal out of the Concord Point mare Minutia, a half sister to stakes winners Mykindasaint and Malibu Saint. It is the family of Grade 1 winner and Canadian champion Perfect Soul, and two more Canadian champions in Gentleman Conn and Queen Louie.

Young sires led the way, as the sale's other top prices were a $210,000 filly by freshman sire Uncaptured and a $200,000 colt from the first crop of Commissioner. The yearlings were purchased by Stonestreet Farm and de Meric Stables, respectively. Rounding out the top five prices overall were a $190,000 Kantharos colt purchased by Stonestreet and a $170,000 Into Mischief filly purchased by de Meric Stables, as agent for Backstretch Farms.

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