A colt by Into Mischief (Hip 509) consigned by Jaime Mejia's Thoroughbred Champions Training Center posted the fastest quarter of a mile breeze of the third under tack preview for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s June sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age at Ocala Training Center June 10, stepping the distance in a lively :20 3/5.
Produced from the unraced Roman Ruler mare Kiss the King, the Kentucky-bred colt hails from the female family of grade I winner Alphabet Kisses.
Purchased by Mejia out of the Brandywine Farm Consignment at the 2014 Keeneland September sale for $11,000, the colt was a $95,000 RNA at this year's OBS March selected sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Speaking through an interpreter, Mejia said the colt has benefitted from the additional time since he failed to meet his reserve at the March sale.
"He was still a little green at the select sale," Mejia said. "He has grown up and matured a lot since then. I have liked him all along, and I like Into Mischief as a sire."
The June sale last year marked Mejia's first foray into the auction arena. He sold a Candy Ride colt to Donato Lanni, agent for Three Amigos, for $110,000 out of his consignment at the 2014 sale.
Now named Still Standing, that colt, who is out of the Dynaformer mare Dyna Del, worked an eighth of a mile in :10 at the under tack preview last year.
Still Standing flashed his speed in breaking his maiden at first asking as a 3-year-old May 2 at Santa Anita Park for owners Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert, leading a field of maiden special weight runners virtually wire to wire at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Two youngsters breezed a quarter-mile in :20 4/5 on the day.
Hip 445 is a filly by Malibu Moon consigned by Classic Bloodstock (Danzel Brendemuehl), agent. The Kentucky-bred filly is out of the Holy Bull mare Holy Princess, and is a half sister to stakes winners Silver Heart, Aspenglow, and Silver Cub.
Raul Reyes' King's Equine, agent, consigns Hip 572, a colt from the first crop of First Dude . The Florida-bred colt is produced from the unraced Montbrook mare Magical Promise, a half sister to stakes winner Promise Me A Cat.
Hip 469, a colt by Majesticperfection , turned in the fastest time of the session at an eighth of a mile, hitting the line in :09 4/5.
Consigned by McKathan Bros, agent, the colt is out of the stakes-winning Untuttable mare Into Reality, and is a half brother to stakes winner Meadowood.
Bred in Kentucky by Scott Dilworth, the colt was a $110,000 RNA in the VanMeter Sales consignment at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.
"He's been a nice horse all winter," said J.B. McKathan. "He's a homebred for one of our clients. I actually bought the mare for the client. It's kind of neat to have evolved to this. And now we have this nice colt.
"We took our time with him," McKathan added. "He came to us kind of late and that's why he's in the June sale. I knew he was going to go fast; you never know they are going to go :09 4/5. He always showed himself to be fast at the farm when we prepped him there. You never expect them to go that fast, but we weren't surprised."
Hip 491, a Florida-bred filly by Yesbyjimminy consigned by Golden Noguez Stars, worked the fastest three furlongs of the day, getting the distance in :33 2/5.
Named Jules of the Nile, the bay filly is out of the Werblin mare Julias Gentle Girl.
While not among the bullet workers of the day, Hip 443, an Awesome Again half brother to 2014 Eclipse champion female sprinter Judy the Beauty, breezed one furlong in :10 1/5 for Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent.
The second most expensive pinhook in the sale—costing Hartley/De Renzo $400,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale—the Kentucky-bred colt is produced from the stakes-winning Holy Bull mare Holy Blitz.
The under tack preview continues June 11 with hips 573-767 slated to breeze. The preview's fourth session will be streamed live at bloodhorse.com/OBS beginning at 7:30 a.m.
