by Cynthia McFarland

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. June sale of two-year-olds and horses of racing age, the final two-year-olds in training sale on the company’s 2008 calendar, begins Tuesday in Ocala.

The majority of the 591 horses cataloged for the sale are two-day juveniles, although a number of horses of racing age also will be offered. Florida-, Kentucky-, and New York-bred horses comprise the majority of the sale entries.

The last opportunity of the year to buy a racing prospect at OBSC has yielded solid returns where it counts the most—at the racetrack.

“This sale has improved in quality over the years. Last year, two top horses came out of this sale and were on the Triple Crown trail,” OBSC Director of Sales Tom Ventura said. “We’ve had quite a lot of activity from the buyers from South Korea in April and they are on the grounds now looking to buy more, so that’s a good sign.”

Behindatthebar, a 2007 June sale graduate, won the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2), and has earned $277,100 to date. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Behindatthebar is owned by Padua Stables, Satish Sanan, Michael Shustek, and Don Stanley.

The Forest Wildcat colt was consigned by Cloverleaf Farms II and Brent Fernung, agent, and sold for $140,000 last year.

Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Visionaire also was sold at last year’s June sale. Consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds, the Grand Slam colt brought $220,000, the second-highest price of the sale.

Owned by Team Valor International and Vision Racing, the colt is trained by Michael Matz and has earned $269,687 to date.

Last year, Zayat Stables went to a sale-high $260,000 to purchase Tempered Fate, a two-year-old Distorted Humor colt, from the consignment of Sequel Bloodstock. Overall 316 of 467 horses offered sold for $6,860,700, with an average price of $21,711 and a median of $13,000.

Although the June sale has produced horses that sold for as high as $310,000, the vast majority of graduates from this sale from 1997 through 2006 sold for less than $25,000. Moderate sales prices have not dictated racetrack performance, however, as horses selling for from $10,000 to $24,999 have earned an avearge of $36,725.

The June sale concludes Wednesday. Both sessions begin at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

Cynthia McFarland is a Florida-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent