by Cynthia McFarland

Following a record March sale of selected two-year-olds in training, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. spring sale of two-year-olds in training closed strongly on Thursday with gains in average price and median.

A total of 771 horses sold for total receipts of $22,571,000, down slightly from last year when 786 horses brought $22,698,400.

The average price was $29,275, an increase of 1.4% from $28,878 in 2007. Median price climbed to $18,000, up 5.9% from $17,000. The buy-back rate was 28.1%, almost identical to last year’s 28%. Thirty-four horses brought $100,000 or more compared with 35 in 2007.

“It was a very good sale. We had our hopes up based on the first two sales [in February and March],” said Tom Ventura, OBSC general manager and director of sales.

“This is a little different market obviously, because there’s a horse for every budget.”

The sale topper was a $400,000 Storm Cat colt purchased by John Fort on Wednesday, day three of the four-day sale. The colt is out of Grade 1 winner Nany’s Sweep, by End Sweep, and is a half brother to graded stakes winner She’s Indy Money. Consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds, agent for Vision Sales, the dark bay or brown colt breezed a furlong in a brisk :10.20.

The session topper on Thursday was a stunning colt by leading second-crop sire Harlan’s Holiday. The bay colt brought a final bid of $370,000, the second-highest price of the sale, from Padua Stables.

The first foal out of the unraced Wavering Monarch mare Act So Noble, he is named Cruisinforabruisen. Consigned by Another Episode Farm, agent, the colt worked one furlong in :10.20.

Belmont Park-based trainer Linda Rice, agent, went to $300,000 on Thursday for an athletic filly by freshman sire Friends Lake. Consigned by Eisaman Equine, agent, she was the top-selling filly of the sale.

Out of the winning Carson City mare Trix City, the chestnut filly worked a quarter-mile in a swift :21.20.

“I like the A.P. Indy line and I personally love Carson City mares,” Rice said, who bought the filly for an undisclosed client. “The mare made money and I think [the filly] has the ability to be a good two-year-old.”

Cynthia McFarland is a Florida-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent

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