Ocala sale continues strongly

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring juvenile sale entered its next-to-last session Wednesday off two days of healthy returns.

The top seller by 5 p.m. was Hip No. 769, a $250,000 Sweetsouthernsaint colt that Evelyn Pollard bought from Danzel Brendemuehl's Classic Bloodstock agency. The colt is out of the Two Punch mare Blazing Punch.

On Tuesday, at the second of four sessions, a $375,000 Aptitude colt was the day's top lot on a final bid from Robert and Lawana Low, who were represented by agent Tom McCrocklin. Eisaman Equine, agent, consigned the gray/roan son of stakes-placed Wolfer. That colt, sold as Hip No. 636, led a day that saw 206 juveniles bring $6,672,100, up substantially from last year's second day, when 223 horses grossed $6,048,600.

The average price rose 19 percent, to $32,389, and the $19,500 median was an increase of 15 percent over last year's figure. Despite the gains, buybacks rose to 24 percent, up sharply from last year's extraordinarily low 13 percent.