Flatter Colt Tops OBS Opener

A colt by Flatter topped Tuesday's select session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August Yearling Sale when attracting a final bid of $210,000, but overall figures for the day were down. For the session, 138 yearlings sold for $5,612,100. The average fell 10% to $40,667 and the median declined 28.6% to $25,000. During last year's select session, 150 yearlings grossed $6,774,500 for an average of $45,163 and a median of $35,000. Of the 274 yearlings catalogued, 223 went through the ring Tuesday and 138 were reported not sold for a buy-back rate of 38.1%. That figure was 25% at the close of business a year ago and dropped to 21.9% with the inclusion of post-sale transactions.

Fifteen yearlings sold for $100,000 or more Tuesday in Ocala, while 11 reached that level a year ago.

Stan Hough, bidding on behalf of Sagamore Farm, paid the day's highest price, going to $210,000 to secure hip 24. By Flatter, the sale-topper is out of Madoffwiththecash (Dixie Union), a full-sister to graded stakes winner and multiple Grade I placed Nothing But Fun. The yearling was consigned by Stuart Morris. Morris and partner W.D. North purchased the youngster for $80,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale.

“Willy North and I felt he was a horse worth that kind of money from the beginning,” Stuart said Tuesday. “He has grown and evolved as we hoped he would. He has matured into a beautiful horse and he's very intelligent. When he comes out on the line in the show ring, he takes over the whole stage. He is a very impressive and imposing animal.”

Stuart continued, “Obviously with the traffic not being as deep and strong here as we hoped from the buyer base, we were a little anxious this morning, but we were confident in the animal and believed in him. We are fortunate he is going to a good home with Stan Hough and Sagamore, who will give the horse a great opportunity. We think he is a really special type of animal with a chance to reward those folks for paying for the horse.”

Morris enjoyed a strong day throughout, selling all but two of his 13 offerings and three yearlings for six figures. He was the session's second leading consignor with 11 sold for $795,000.

“I felt like it was a very fair, honest market,” he said. “I know there were a lot of long faces down here–I haven't had a chance to read the whole result sheets to know exactly how the whole thing went–but I thought it was a very fair market. I felt like there were one or two horses I had that I thought would bring more, but overall we've been very blessed today with a good reception for our consignment. We sold our horses well and I am hopeful to get the last two RNAs sold by tomorrow morning.”

Tuesday's results mirrored downward trends at yearling sales in Kentucky and New York this summer and, with uncertainty in the marketplace and in the economy at large, Morris said placing his horses has become even more important.

“Willy and I were speaking a lot this winter and felt like with all the economic global turmoil and the uncertainty of an election year that we wanted to bring horses to sales where they would be in the top part of the catalogue, to be conspicuous in the book,” Morris explained. “And that was our intent from the beginning of the year.”

Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield was the select session's leading consignor with 16 sold for $928,200. De Meric Stables, agent, was the day's leading buyer with seven purchased for $395,000.

The OBS August sale continues with open sessions Wednesday and Thursday beginning at 10:30 a.m.