A yearling colt by Destin sold for $95,000 to lead a strong open session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s winter mixed sale Wednesday, pushing the auction across the wire with overall gains.
A yearling filly by leading young sire Gun Runner sold for $275,000 to lead the way as the two-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s winter mixed sale opened Tuesday.
A demand for young racing stock at an opportune time on the calendar has provided a spark to the marketplace for the mixed sale season, which began last November and continues this week with the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s winter mixed sale. That trend will look to continue as a pair of stakes-placed newly turned 3-year-olds are among the highlight offerings for the sale.
The Keeneland April horses of racing age sale, a re-imagined event in recent years, will take another shift this spring as it is presented the evening following the final card of Keeneland's spring race meeting.
A draft of mares from the powerhouse Godolphin operation – an Eclipse Award finalist for both outstanding breeder and owner – brought a spark to the back half of the Keeneland January catalog.
In the continuation of a competitive marketplace that began last fall, the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale closed its four-day run Friday night with solid figures.
The broodmare Crowning Jewel, a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, sold for $480,000 to lead a session with double-digit gains as the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale opened its Book 2 portion.
The promising colt Belgrade, the final horse through the ring, sold for $700,000 to lead Wednesday's activity, carrying the Book 1 portion of the Keeneland January horses of all age sale across the finish line.
With the 2-year-old sale season still months away, the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale is not the conventional venue for newly turned juveniles. But a pair of well-bred fillies from this class, Princesse Lele and Justly, were among the day's top prices as Keeneland January opened with gains Tuesday.
The 2-year-old filly Princesse Lele sold for $750,000 as the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale began its four-day run with gains on Tuesday.
