Prices down at Ocala opener

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s winter mixed sale opened Wednesday in Ocala, Fla., with mixed results as gross increased but average and median declined.

Wednesday's consignor-preferred session sold 109 horses for gross receipts of $2,544,700, up from a total of $2,542,500 for 75 horses at last year's first of two consignor-preferred sessions. The average price fell from $33,900 to $23,346, a decrease of 31 percent, and the median price dropped from $21,000 to $16,000, a 24 percent decline. The 2007 buy-back figure was not available as of 6 p.m.

Wednesday's session-topper was a $95,000 yearling Posse-Navarro Rose colt out of the stakes-placed mare Navarro Rose that Josham Farms, agent, purchased from Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Bloodstock agency.

The sale was to continue through Friday with two open sessions.