The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s winter mixed sale ends with gains in gross and average

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s winter mixed sale, the penultimate sale of the mixed auction season, wrapped up its two-day run on Wednesday continuing to prove out several trends of the season. A selective upper market continued to show demand for certain offerings, particularly for young horses, leading to a gain in average, while the median also rose, displaying a healthy middle market.

A yearling colt by Union Rags sold for $165,000 during Tuesday's opening session, designated as a consignor-select session of broodmares and prospects, yearlings, and horses of racing age, to lead the way. Buoyed by that colt and four others sold for six-figure price tags, the sale, which concluded with an open session on Wednesday, OBS reported 359 horses sold for gross revenues of $4,957,800. That figure was improved from 2019 despite selling fewer horses, as last year’s auction finished with 399 horses sold for $4,459,900.

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The sale's cumulative average price finished at $13,810, up 24 percent from $11,178 in 2019. The median price rose 17 percent to $7,000, compared with $6,000 a year ago. The buyback rate was 25 percent in the selective market, rising from an outstanding 19 percent in 2019.

The sale-leading Union Rags colt sold to Blue Sky Stables from the consignment of Pelican State Thoroughbreds, as agent. He was the second horse through the ring at the sale, and held the top spot through the next two days as demand for short yearlings continued, with that crop holding nine of the top 13 spots on the leaderboard by price. Last fall's weanling market, and its continuation into the short yearling market, has been strong thanks to the improvement of the formal yearling market in summer and fall, creating strong competition from end users and pinhookers looking to strike early for young horses.

The sale topper is out of the Mr. Greeley mare La Milanesa, whose two winners from three starters are led by stakes winner Ginger N Rye. The colt's second dam is stakes winner Hometown Queen, whose multiple Grade 1 placings included a runner-up effort in the 1987 Kentucky Oaks. That makes La Milanesa a half-sister to Grade 2-winning millionaire Bowman's Band, the sire of champion Groupie Doll, and to Etats Unis, the dam of Grade 2-winning millionaire Pollard's Vision, the sire of champion Blind Luck. Hometown Queen is a half-sister to Viviana, the dam of multiple Grade 1 winners Sightseek and Tates Creek. This is the extended family of champions Chief's Crown, Chris Evert, Deep Sky, Dr Action, Faaz, Giulia, Special Duty, and Winning Colors, and additional Grade 1/Group 1 winners Classic Crown, Confessional, Dominican, Eskimo Kisses, Etoile Montante, Excellent Art, Expert Eye, Kings Will Dream, Lambent Light, Missed the Storm, Perfect Alibi, and Tap Dance City.

The major-market mixed sale season has one final stop at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale on Feb. 10 and 11, with most breeding sheds in North America opening that same week.