OBS August Sale Posts Steep Declines

Archarcharch | spendthriftfarm.com

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A filly by Archarcharch and a colt by leading freshman sire Dialed In each fetched bids of $55,000 to top Thursday's second and final open session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August Yearling Sale in Central Florida.

The two-day open sale saw significant statistical declines in all categories, as turnover for 371 horses sold reached $3,083,000, a loss 43.5% from the gross receipts of $5,456,400 achieved at the 2015 sale for 404 horses to change hands. The cumulative average of $8,310 was down 38.5% from the $13,506 registered last summer, while the median price of $4,500 represented a 52.6% decrease over last August. The not-sold rate was nearly double that of last year, as 37.8% of the horses through the ring were marked as RNAs. For Tuesday's preferred session, topped by a Flatter colt (hip 24) on a bid of $210,000 from Stan Hough, agent for Sagamore Farm, 138 yearlings sold for $5,612,100. The average fell 10% to $40,667 and the median declined 28.6% to $25,000.

“There are a lot of different reasons you can subscribe to. I don't think there's just one thing you can point to,” commented Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales at OBS. “Certainly the results are disappointing, but that's the state of the market now.”

He continued, “Not to oversimplify too much, but it certainly looks like supply is outpacing demand–there just doesn't seem to be robust demand that there has been in the last couple of years.”

In spite of the dramatic losses, Wojciechowski assures that sales officials will study the results carefully and without a sense of panic.

“I do think we have to not make knee-jerk reactions when we see results like this,” he commented. “We'll be thoughtful about the process and we'll look for things we can improve on. Despite the results, there are still people who will be looking to stock up on horses and we can provide them with those opportunities.”

Hip 672, an April-foaled filly consigned to the August sale by Marcial Galan, agent, was the first to achieve the day's top price. Bred in Kentucky by R. L. Glosson, the bay was making her second trip through the OBS sales pavilion, having sold to $12,500 to Derby Daze Farm as a short yearling at the auction house's January Sale. Hip 672 is a maternal granddaughter of GSW Screamer (Roanoke), dam of MGSW El Roblar (War Chant) and GSP Denver (Fusaichi Pegasus). Jason Hall, agent, delivered the winning bid.

Beth Bayer, Agent XL, consigned the session's co-topper as hip 838. Bred in Florida by Bridle Oaks Farm Inc. and by the sire of recent GII Saratoga Special S. winner Gunnevera, the Mar. 19 foal is a half-brother to the dam of SW Valery Stripe (Cool Coal Man)–also a paternal grandson of Mineshaft–and hails from the solid Sunshine State family of the stakes-winning half-brothers Unruled and Boy Genius. Hip 838 is likely bound for the 2-year-old sales after noted reseller Eddie Woods signed the ticket in the name of his Quarter Pole Enterprises.

With the OBS Fall Mixed Sale suspended for 2016 due to the renovation of the sales pavilion, the next sale on the calendar is the 2016 Winter Mixed Sale scheduled for Wednesday through Friday, Jan. 25-27, 2017.

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