OBS June opener shows across-the-board gains

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A $200,000 Unbridled’s Song colt led across-the-board gains at Tuesday’s opening session at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s three-day June juvenile and racing-age sale in Florida.

The first session ended Tuesday evening with 211 horses sold, as compared to 176 last year. the 2012 gross was $4,949,300, up 35 percent from last year’s $3,662,500. The first day’s $23,456 average price increased 13 percent from 2011’s $20,810, and the $16,000 median made a gigantic move, rising 68 percent from last season’s $9,500.

The buyback rate also fell from 27 percent last year to 21 percent.

Blinkers On Racing Stable signed for the session-topper, a son of the Fusaichi Pegasus winner Kauai Calls. At the under-tack show last week, the colt breezed an eighth in 10 seconds, the co-fastest one-furlong time for the day. McKathan Brothers, agent, consigned the gray or roan colt, who was cataloged as Hip No. 56.

The second-highest price at that time was the $190,000 that J.J. Pletcher spent for Ocala Stud’s Hip No. 103, a Montbrook colt out of the Trippi mare Lucky Trip. The bay colt had the co-fastest quarter-mile time of 21.2 seconds at the auction’s first under-tack session.

Tuesday’s highest-priced filly was Hip No. 274, a $150,000 daughter of Circular Quay and Sister Charlie that Gayle Woods, agent, sold to the Journeyman Bloodstock agency. The bay filly had worked a quarter in 21.2 seconds.

The auction in Ocala, Fla., was to continue through Thursday. Sessions start each day at 10:30 a.m. in the OBS pavilion.