The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company saw strong gains, a $220,000 sale-topper, and some behind-the-scenes legal maneuvering Tuesday at its June 2-year-old and racing-age sale.
The one-day auction in Ocala, Fla., sold 230 juveniles for $4,912,100, up 5 percent from last year's total for 284 juveniles. More impressively, the 2010 sale's average and median soared 29 percent and 67 percent to $21,357 and $15,000, respectively. Buybacks rose from 27 percent to 31 percent.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A $170,000 Sharp Humor juvenile filly who impressed with a fast eighth-mile work at the under-tack show was the sale-leader Tuesday at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June juvenile and racing-age auction.
The one-day sale in Ocala, Fla., was still under way at 3:30 p.m., and the filly was the only six-figure horse at that point, less than halfway through the catalog.
Three juveniles, two consigned by the Eisaman Equine agency, breezed an eighth-mile in 10 seconds as the fastest workers at that distance Sunday in Ocala, Fla. The workouts were part of the final under-tack show for the June 15 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's juvenile and racing-age auction.
The trio were Hip No. 243, a juvenile Strong Contender-Halo Miss America filly, and Hip No. 285, a 2-year-old Songandaprayer-Kickapoo Princess colt, both consigned by Eisaman, as well as Hip No. 286, a juvenile Woke Up Dreamin-Lac de Gras filly offered by McKathan Brothers, agent.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Three juveniles, two consigned by the Eisaman Equine agency, breezed an eighth-mile in 10 seconds as the fastest workers at that distance Sunday in Ocala, Fla. The workouts were part of the final under-tack show for the June 15 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's juvenile and racing-age auction.
Southern California trainer Jenine Sahadi could not grab her phone fast enough after Drosselmeyer's win in the Belmont Stakes on June 5. She had to get in touch with retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron and retired racing veterinarian Jack Robbins to share old memories.
Sahadi and McCarron teamed to win four stakes in 2000 and 2001 with Golden Ballet, Drosselmeyer's dam, who was bred in California. Robbins and Sahadi are close friends.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - There were clues throughout 2009 that Acclamation was capable of reaching racing's highest level. He was second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby and third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in the final four months of the year, tantalizingly close to a stakes win but failing to carry his speed to the line.
The questions have changed this spring. Acclamation has no trouble staying in front. Now, it's a matter of how much further improvement the 4-year-old Acclamation can show.
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company will hold the under-tack show for its June 15 juvenile and racing-age sale this weekend. The breeze shows, like the auction, will be held at the OBS facility in Ocala, Fla.
Hip Nos. 1-200 will breeze Saturday beginning at 8 a.m., and Hip Nos. 201-409 will work on Sunday, also starting at 8 a.m. Entries in the 34-horse supplemental catalog, Hip Nos. 410-434, will be divided between the Saturday and Sunday sessions.
The sale will take place June 15 starting at 10:30 a.m.
Last year's 3-year-old champion, Summer Bird, will enter stud in 2011 at Ben P. Walden, Jr.'s Pauls Mill in Versailles, Ky.
Summer Bird will be syndicated, Walden said in making the announcement. The 4-year-old Birdstone colt's stud fee will be announced later.
Owner Kalarikkal Jayaraman cited his longtime relationship with Walden as a factor in the decision to stand Summer Bird at Pauls Mill, the former Valhalla Farm that Walden purchased in August 2008. Jayaraman also said he and his wife would "remain a part of Summer Bird's stud career."
Ahmed Zayat has retained an undisclosed number of breeding rights in Grade 1 winner Eskendereya and has placed proceeds from selling an interest in the colt into an interest-bearing escrow account as part of Zayat Stable's Chapter 11 reorganization.