by Cynthia McFarland

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. has cataloged 1,381 horses for the spring sale of two-year-olds in training, a four-day sale that begins Monday and concludes on Thursday.

A wide variety of juveniles by prominent national and Florida sires worked on the new OBSC all-weather Safetrack surface during last week’s four under-tack shows. The sale comes on the heels of two record-setting OBSC sales.

The OBSC March sale of selected two-year-olds in training established new records for totals sales, average price, and median, and the OBSC February sale of selected two-year-olds in training concluded with records for average price and median.

“The April sale has been a really good sale for buyers and sellers in that there’s a horse for every buyer at every price level,” said Tom Ventura, general manager and director of sales for OBSC.

“From the sellers’ end, that helps because there are buyers here to look at every horse since this sale attracts the broadest group of buyers. You can get a horse for $15,000 or a horse for $500,000,” Ventura said. “The sale has a history of producing runners, and the combination of these things makes it an attractive sale for anyone looking for two-year-olds.”

Graduates of the spring sale include 1997 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Silver Charm and ‘92 Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee. Other graduates include 2004 champion turf male Kitten’s Joy; multiple group or graded stakes winner Roses in May; multiple Grade 1 winners Val’s Prince, Heritage of Gold, and Cutlass Reality; Grade 1 winner Buzzards Bay; ‘02 Canadian Horse of the Year Wake At Noon; ’00 Canadian champion three-year-old male Kiss a Native; and Bluesthestandard, a multiple Grade 2 winner who earned $1,041,618 in six seasons.

Wicked Style sold for $75,000 from the consignment of Costanzo Sales, agent, at the 2007 spring sale and went on to win the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1). Monterey Jazz sold for $85,000 at the ’06 spring sale.  From the consignment of breeder Danzel Brendemuehl’s Classic Bloodstock, agent, Monterey Jazz won this year’s Strub Stakes (G2).

“We had two excellent sales in February and March,” Ventura said. “Hopefully, we’ll pick up where we left off there.”

Sessions begin daily at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

Cynthia McFarland is a Florida-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent