Ocala sale's third day down in gross, average

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's spring 2-year-old auction ended its third of four sessions Wednesday losses in average and gross and a $170,000 session-topper. That was what Roger Dreyer paid for Hip No. 859, a bay Stormy Atlantic filly out of the Mr. Greeley mare Virginia Miss. Randy Miles, agent, was the consignor.

After opening Monday with gains in gross receipts and average price, the auction came back to earth on Tuesday and Wednesday with declines, fitting a broader pattern of downturns at most of the season's juvenile sales so far. But Wednesday's median held steady with last year's figure.

Wednesday's session closed with 191 horses sold for $4,839,500, down 24 percent from last year's gross for 193 juveniles. The $25,338 average also was 24 percent lower than last season's third-day average. The $17,000 median was identical to last year's at the equivalent session.

Buy-backs dropped slightly, from 28 percent in 2008 to 26 percent this season.

The auction was to continue at OBS through Thursday, with sessions starting daily at 10:30 a.m.