A quartet of fillies topped the breeze tab at Ocala Training Center in Ocala, Fla., April 15 during the first of four under-tack previews for next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.
The breeze show began promptly at 8 a.m. EDT and stretched to late afternoon due to a weather delay caused by a late-morning thunderstorm that swept through the area, dumping heavy rain on the training center's SafeTrack synthetic surface.
The session's fastest times were recorded by horses breezing in the early portion of the preview before rain moved in. Once the strong system cleared, gusting headwinds swirled for the remainder of the afternoon.
The initial preview featured Hip No.'s 1-302 (to be offered April 21) stretching their legs for prospective buyers, and four fillies clocked the session's fastest time for a furlong, each stopping the timer in :09 4/5.
Hip No. 20, a filly by Cowtown Cat —Five Star Annie, by Five Star Day, is consigned by Silver Star. Bred in Florida by Brenda Jones and Silver Star Farm, the chestnut filly is from the female family of graded stakes winners Artichoke and Scrimshaw.
Hip No. 67 is an Ontario-bred filly from the first crop of Warrior's Reward out of the stakes-winning Comic Strip mare G G's Dolly, consigned by King's Equine, agent for breeder Spendthrift Farm.
Eisaman Equine, agent, consigns Hip No. 161, a Kentucky-bred filly by Flatter out of the winning Southern Halo mare Hurricane Hannah, a half sister to graded stakes winner Lovely Lil and stakes winner Sweet Sweet.
"She's always been very athletic," said Barry Eisaman of the dark bay or brown filly. "The track condition today was healthy and good. It's been that way. We've been here two weeks, and I appreciate the soundness of all of our horses in the sale."
Hip No. 168 is a daughter of first-crop sire Cool Coal Man produced from the unraced Seattle Sleet mare Inaspecial Way. Consigned by Hal Hatch's Halcyon Hammock Farm, agent, the Florida-bred filly is a half sister to stakes-placed Forbidden Bear.
"She went great," said Hatch. "She has been real nice at the farm. She was accepted into the (OBS) March select sale, but I felt she would be a standout in this sale. She's definitely in the top group of my horses this year."
Twenty-one horses breezed an eighth in :10, including Hip No. 25, a half sister to Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Dance With Fate. Consigned by Best A Luck Farm, agent, the dark bay or brown filly is by In Summation out of Flirting With Fate, by Saint Ballado.
Dance With Fate was bred and sold by Best A Luck Farm. Joseph Ciaglia Jr. paid $120,000 for the son of Two Step Salsa at last year's spring sale. Trained by Peter Eurton, Dance With Fate, in addition to his victory in the Blue Grass Stakes April 12, also finished second in this year's El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields. He is currently ranked third on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 108 points and boasts earnings of $680,050.
A colt by Temple City (Hip No. 207) consigned by Off the Hook LLC turned in the fastest breeze at a quarter mile, getting the distance in :20 4/5. Bred in Florida, the colt is out of the winning Mr. Greeley mare Juneau and hails from the family of 22-time winner Chris's Bad Boy.
Eight horses worked a quarter mile in :21. Hip No. 15, a bay filly by Posse consigned by Jimmy Miranda, agent; Hip No. 51, Peace Tree, a Broken Vow filly consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent; Hip No. 126, a colt by Into Mischief consigned by Sun Thoroughbred Stable Corp., agent; Hip No. 128, a Big Brown colt named Louisiana Brown consigned by Hoppel's Horse and Cattle Co., agent; Hip No. 138, a Yes It's True filly consigned by Southern Chase Farm (Greg and Karen Dodd), agent; Hip No. 220, a Kantharos colt consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent; and Hip No. 288, a Ready's Image colt consigned by Woodside Ranch, agent.
The under-tack preview continues April 16 with Hip No.'s 303-604 (to be offered April 22) and will be streamed live at bloodhorse.com/OBS.