by John P. Sparkman

Average price soared 47.9% to $143,041 on the first day of the 2008 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of selected two-year-olds in training, which was topped by a $625,000 Broken Vow colt purchased by Zayat Stables.

Sohby Sonbol, representing Ahmed Zayat, signed the ticket for session-topper Red Vow, a half brother to Japanese stakes winner Eishin Hampton. Out of Sedona Berry, by Strawberry Road (Aus), the Broken Vow colt breezed a quarter-mile in :21.40 at the first presale breeze show.

“He's a beautiful physical and his breeze here was great," Sonbol said. "He's out of a Strawberry Road mare and he looks a lot like Strawberry Road. [The price was] a little more than we thought, but if it's the right one, it doesn't matter. He was definitely the one."

Consigned by Terry Oliver’s and Bo Hunt's O & H Bloodstock, agent, Third Street Partners purchased the colt for $65,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale.

"I'm the world's worst appraising them, but we thought he worked really well and showed well here, so we were hopeful," Oliver said.

OBSC reported 110 horses as sold for $15,734,500, producing a March session record average price of $143,041. At the opening session last year, 126 horses brought $12,182,000, an average price of $96,683. Median rose 12.5% to $90,000, while the buy-back rate was stable at 35.7%.

“There were just a lot of competitors banging away for the top horses,” said Tom Ventura, director of sales for OBSC.

“Going in, I was hopeful that we had the right horses and the right people here, and based on our first sale there was reason to be optimistic. But with all that was going on in the financial markets this week, it tempered my optimism. This sale has been so productive, though that it attracts the buyers.”

Veteran Kentucky horseman Tom Gentry, acting on behalf of Irish trainer Jim Bolger, signed the ticket for the highest-priced filly of the session when he went to $550,000 to land a Mr. Greeley filly.

“It's for a group of Bolger's clients,” Gentry said. “All the parts and pieces [of the filly] were in the right places. If you go by conformation, she's hard to fault. She's one of those fillies that caught my eye the first time I looked at her.”

Bolger trained two standout fillies by Mr. Greeley—2006 European champion two-year-old filly and 2007 dual classic winner Finsceal Beo and 2007 Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-G1) winner Saoirse Abu.

The sale continues at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

John P. Sparkman is Thoroughbred Times bloodstock editor