The Ocala Breeders 2yo Sale in Florida suffered an average decline of 8.4% while turnover plunged 33% but there were some bright spots during the one-day auction on Tuesday.

Three horses sold for $400,000 or more which exceeded last year’s peak price of $340,000 and the clearance rate rose to 71%.

“Certainly, there was money for the right horses and they brought a fair price,” OBS general manager Tom Ventura said.  “The results show that the market is a little bit polarized right now.  But I wouldn’t read too much into results as only 108 horses went through the ring.”

The gross of $6.41 million was the smallest amount generated by the February auction since 1994 and the average of $97,182, was the smallest since 1998.

A flashy Tiznow colt brought $475,000 to the bid of Illinois businessman Chuck Sandford.  He is out of the winning Tale of the Cat mare Six Pack Sally and worked 200m in 10.20s prior to the sale.

“We just got into the horse business last June,” Sandford said.  “It’s a terrific industry, and I’ve met some real nice people.”

The Tiznow colt originally sold to Carl Bowling’s Straightaway Farm for $55,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale.  “I wasn’t too surprised by the price,” Bowling said.  “I had gotten offers of $350,000 to sell him privately but I wasn’t going to take him out of the sale. A lot of the Tiznows are real big and powerful but his horse leans to the Tale of the Cat side; he’s more refined and smaller.”

A Yes It’s True colt sold for the second-highest price of $425,000, going to trainer Amy Tarrant of Hardacre Farm.  “He’s one of the nicest horses of the sale, that’s for sure,” Tarrant said.  “He wasn’t even on our short list, but when I saw him it was an instant connection.”

He was a $53,000 buy at Keeneland last September.  His dam Debit Or Credit is a half-sister to three stakes winners including Alke (Grand Slam) who scored at G3 level in the 2004 Deputy Minister Handicap at Gulfstream Park.