With a changed format that brings its new stand-alone online sales into play, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s winter mixed sale will conduct its live session on Jan. 28, providing one of the final opportunities to purchase broodmares and broodmare prospects at public auction as the breeding season nears. Breeding sheds in North America open on or around Feb. 10. There are two major-market public auctions offering breeding stock in the United States prior to that – the OBS January sale, and the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale on Feb. 3. Both are single-session auctions that last year ran over two days. Both companies now have stand-alone online platforms that will showcase some of the offerings. Last year, the OBS winter mixed sale began with a consignor-preferred section and horses of racing age section that offered a total of 213 hips. It was followed the next day by an open session of 263 hips. This year’s single-session live sale on Jan. 28 has 342 hips cataloged, including supplemental entries, as of Jan. 24. Broodmares in foal on offer include mares set to deliver from the first crops of some of Florida’s exciting young sires. There is one mare in foal to Grade 1 winner Doppelganger, a son of leading sire and sire of sires Into Mischief. Four mares are in foal to Grade 3 winner Verifying, among the first sons to stud for Triple Crown winner and breakout young sire Justify. :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  Concurrently, the OBS online platform, which debuted in October, will conduct a January 2-year-olds and horses of racing age sale. The digital sale has a catalog of 24 horses. Bidding opened Jan. 23 and will close Jan. 30. The group includes last-out winner Moon Factor. A May foal, the 3-year-old won a starter/optional-claiming race on Jan. 5 at Gulfstream Park. The majority of the horses in the online catalog participated in an optional under-tack preview show held at the Ocala Training Center on Jan. 17. Consignors also have the option to show their horses on the OBS sale grounds along with the live offerings on Jan. 27-28. Because of the format change, year-to-year statistical comparisons of the sale will not be apples to apples. Last year’s two-day sale finished with 280 horses sold for gross receipts of $4,484,300, compared to 380 horses bringing $6,346,200 at the 2023 edition. The average was $16,015, a relatively steady number that dipped just 4 percent from $16,701 in 2023. The crucial median figure dipped 16 percent, to $8,000, compared with $9,500. The buyback rate in what has continued to be a selective marketplace was 21 percent, compared to 11 percent a year prior. The sale was topped by a yearling filly from the third crop of Omaha Beach, who sold for $100,000 to Discovery Bay Bloodstock. She went on to sell for $120,000 to Little Red Feather Racing at the Keeneland September yearling sale. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.