The action proved fast and furious early in the fourth session of Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s June sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing under tack preview June 11 at Ocala Training Center.
The first set of the day featured five co-bullet moves, three at one furlong and two at the quarter-mile distance. All told, four youngsters turned in the fastest eighth of a mile of the day, each stopping the timer in :09 4/5.
Two of the co-bullet workers—Hips 603 and 624—were led over by consignor Bobby Dodd.
Hip 603, who worked early in the first set, is a gray or roan filly by Unbridled's Song. The Kentucky-bred filly is produced from the winning Dixie Union mare Miss Abita, a half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Away. An earner of $277,550, Away is the dam of the ill-fated multiple graded stakes winner Eight Belles.
Grand Oaks acquired the Unbridled's Song filly out of the Eaton Sales consignment at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale for $200,000.
Hip 624, who took to the track in the second set of the day, is a Florida-bred colt by High Cotton out of the unraced Grand Slam mare Moonshot, a half sister to graded stakes winner Cat by the Tale. Named Implementation, the chestnut colt is a half brother to stakes-placed Full Moon's Back. He was acquired by Grand Oaks for $40,000 at the 2014 OBS August sale, where he was consigned by TdM Sales (Tristan and Valery de Meric).
"They are both nice horses," said Dodd. "They have been the whole time. No hiccups and they've not been in any other sale. We wanted to come here (June sale) with them. That's been the plan all along.
"Of course, I never think they are going to go in :09 4/5," Dodd added. "I thought they would both go in :10 flat. To me, the difference in :10 flat and :09 4/5 pretty much depends on whether their head is up or down on the line. That's about it."
Hip 712 is aCandy Ride filly named Royal Tart consigned by de Meric Sales, agent. A half sister to grade II winner Carolyn's Cat, Royal Tart is produced from the graded stakes-winning Meadowlake mare People's Princess, a full sister to stakes winners Meadow Flight and North Lake Jane.
Lane's End consigned the Kentucky-bred filly to last year's Keeneland September sale, where she failed to meet her reserve and exited the ring on a final bid of $45,000.
Niall Brennan Stables, agent, sent out Hip 616, a daughter of Malibu Moon out of the unraced Southern Halo mare Miss Simpatia, a full sister to Group I winner Miss Linda, a champion in her native Argentina and winner of the 2001 Overbrook Spinster Stakes (gr.I) at Keeneland during a stellar racing career.
The most expensive pinhook in the June sale, the filly is a half sister to Miss Match, a group I winner in Argentina and the U.S. and is from the female family of grade II winner Lord Nelson . She was bred by Spendthrift Farm and sold for $410,000 to Three Chimneys Farm out of the Warrendale Sales consignment at last year's Keeneland September sale.
"She was immature in March and April, so this was the only other option," said Brennan. "She's made amazing progress because she wasn't even in serious training in April. Only a good horse can do what she's done. It's that simple. She has been trained at the farm as if she was going to the racetrack. She hasn't been prepped, per se, to go to a 2-year-old sale. She's just naturally very talented.
"I can't say I expected she would work in :09 4/5," Brennan continued, "but I expected her to work very well. In fact, I would have sent her a quarter if I had one more good work under her belt at home. She's only been working nice, easy quarter-miles at the farm, but because she's a good mover and a powerful filly she was able to do that today."
While Brennan is confident that the filly will sell well, he enters the sale cautiously optimistic.
"It's a little hard to know at this time of year," Brennan said. "You have to put it in perspective; she's a talented filly with a lovely pedigree. She deserves to be a sought-after filly. But we are in June now, so you have to be a little conservative in your thinking. These kinds are usually OK. These fillies with pedigree, there are usually people for them any time of the year. In an earlier sale, she would have been a huge number."
A pair of juveniles—Hips 663 and 158—working in the day's first set topped the breeze tab at a quarter of a mile, each getting the distance in :20 4/5.
Hip 663 is a filly by Warrior's Reward consigned by Eddie Woods, agent. Out of the winning Vindication mare Nurse Donna, a half sister to stakes winner Seven Nation Army, the dark or brown Kentucky-bred filly hails from the family of grade I winner Victory Ride.
Hubert Guy Bloodstock paid $40,000 for the filly out of Brandywine Farm's consignment at the 2014 Keeneland September sale.
Hip 158 (worked out of order) is a City Place colt named El Koreano. Consigned by Price Thoroughbreds, the Florida-bred is produced from the stakes-placed Malabar Gold mare Bridge to Gold, and is from the family of graded stakes winners Zensational, Departing, and Ageless.
Price Thoroughbreds acquired the colt for $9,500 out of Beth Bayer's consignment at last year's OBS Winter Mixed sale. Price Thoroughbreds subsequently entered her in the OBS August sale, where she was an $8,500 RNA.
Hip 704, the first horse to breeze on the day, clocked the fastest time at three furlongs, getting the distance in :33. The dark bay or brown filly is by Discreet Cat out of the stakes-placed Fusaichi Pegasus mare Patience Pays, a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Mamselle Bebette.
Consigned by All Dreams Equine, the Kentucky-bred filly was bought by Juan Centeno for $18,000 out of the Eaton Sales consignment at the 2013 Keeneland November sale. She went through the ring earlier this year at the OBS April sale, where she was a $23,000 RNA for All Dreams Equine.
The under tack preview continues June 12 with hips 768-962 scheduled to breeze in the fifth of six sessions. The breeze show will be streamed live at bloodhorse.com/OBS beginning at 7:30 a.m.
