For many prospective buyers and their representatives, the time between the under-tack previews and sale day is spent tirelessly evaluating individuals and gathering as much information as possible on potential purchases, much like scouts and coaches mine for athletic talent in probable draftees at the National Football League's scouting combine.
In the days leading up to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s selected 2-year-olds in training sale March 11, buyers and agents have scoured the packed OBS sales grounds in search of racing's next headliners.
"It looks like there is a strong group of horses all the way through the sale," said consignor Niall Brennan. "Buyers have had plenty of time to do their work. We have nice stock in our consignment, and I know others feel the same way about the horses they've brought. There are a lot of people here to buy horses."
Following are some of the 2-year-olds consignors have singled out as top prospects.
Hip No. 18, a filly by Warrior's Reward --Unbridled Appeal, by Unbridled. Consigned by Eisaman Equine, agent.
"She's quite quick," said Barry Eisaman of the $95,000 Keeneland September sale acquisition. "She worked in :10 1/5. She has a great mind, and the physical appearance of the Valid Appeal line, her bottom side. Her female family is pure Florida speed."
Hip No. 33, a colt by War Front --Wildlife Festival, by Seeking the Gold. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent.
"He's an amazing horse by an amazing sire," said Dean De Renzo of the colt, who was bought for $100,000 at Keeneland September and worked in :10 2/5 at the under-tack preview. "He worked really well despite challenging conditions in the first breeze show."
Hip No. 37, a filly by Ghostzapper --Wings of Gold, by Mineshaft. Consigned by Eisaman Equine, agent.
"She worked in :10 1/5 at the breeze show," said Eisaman. "She's a big, pretty filly, and she looks like she will go long."
Hip No. 47, a colt by Tapit --Acacia, by Cherokee Run. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent.
"He's a gorgeous individual," said De Renzo of the colt from the family of multiple graded stakes winner Zanjero. The colt who worked an eighth in :10 3/5 at the under tack preview. "He breezed well."
Hip No. 48, a filly by Malibu Moon --Acey Deucey, by Abaginone. Consigned by Scanlon Training Center, agent.
"She's a really good mover," said David Scanlon of the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale graduate who breezed an eighth in :10 3/5 at the first under tack preview. "She's smooth and has beautiful action. She's a New York-bred, and we get a good group of New York buyers through here every year."
Hip No. 51, a colt by Street Boss --Albany County, by Forest Wildcat. Consigned by de Meric Sales, agent.
"He's an absolute crackerjack," Nick de Meric said of the colt, who cost $105,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale and turned in a bullet quarter mile time of :21 flat at the first under-tack preview. "This horse's training has been understated to this point. It's almost like he breezes in slow motion when you watch him. Then when you look at your watch, you realize what he just did. I don't think there's a ceiling on what he can do on the racetrack."
Hip No. 58, a filly by Tale of the Cat --A. P. Baby, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Eddie Woods, agent.
"She's a beautiful filly," said Woods of the $90,000 Keeneland September graduate, who traveled an eighth in :10 1/5 at the under-tack preview. "She's been very popular."
Hip No. 68, a filly by Smart Strike--Awe That, by Boundary. Consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent.
"She's from a great family. She's a two-turn filly, and she worked in tough conditions on the first day of the breeze show," said Dunne of the filly, who covered an eighth in :10 2/5 and cost $180,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September. "She has showed herself well here."
Hip No. 81, a filly by Unbridled's Song--Be My Prospect, by Forest Wildcat. Consigned by de Meric Sales, agent.
"She's a beautiful example of the classic Unbridled's Song type," de Meric said of the $270,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale graduate, who breezed an eighth in :10 2/5 at the preview. "She's a classy filly with a great big long shoulder."
Hip No. 89, a filly by Afleet Alex --Toccet Over, by Toccet. Consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent.
"We sold her half brother (Mexikoma) here at OBS last April," Dunne said of the filly, who recorded a :10 1/5 eighth at the under-tack preview. "He was forward and ran in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) last year. She's a bigger, stronger version of him, and she had a super work."
Hip No. 131, a colt by Street Cry--Dixie Holiday, by Dixieland Band. Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent.
"He's a beautiful colt with a great mind," said Brennan of the $190,000 Keeneland September graduate, who breezed an eighth in :10 3/5 at the preview. "He's very typical of the family. He's a solid colt with a great future."
Hip No. 135, a colt by Distorted Humor --Endless Journey, by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Scanlon Training Center, agent.
"He's from a great family," said Scanlon of the colt, who was purchased for $300,000 at the 2013 Keeneland January sale. "He worked in :10 1/5 at the first breeze show, and that show was a bit tricky with the weather. The headwind was definitely a factor. He's a really strong colt. He has a nice, big hip on him."
Hip No. 139, a colt by Midshipman --Eye'll Be Fine, by Montbrook. Consigned by Halcyon Hammock Farm, agent.
"He's a strong-willed colt, like a lot of the Montbrooks, and has the precocity of Midshipman," said Hal Hatch of the colt, who fired a bullet eighth in :09 4/5 at the first under tack preview. "He's tall and balanced. He looks like a horse that will go two turns. He has a large amount of daylight under him when he stands over the ground."
Hip No. 162, a colt by Henny Hughes--Giggly, by Distorted Humor. Consigned by Eddie Woods, agent.
"He's a lovely colt," Woods said of the colt, who sped an eighth in :10 at the breeze show and cost $90,000 at Fasig-Tipton's New York-bred preferred yearling sale. "He's been popular."
Hip No. 164, a colt by Super Saver --Girl of Gold, by Seeking the Gold. Consigned by King's Equine, agent.
"As soon as the preview ended a lot of people came back to the barn to see him," said Raul Reyes of the $100,000 Keeneland September graduate, who worked an eighth in :10 2/5 at the under-tack preview. "He's always been a nice colt, but he has stepped up and shown very well here. He has surprised me a little bit."
Hip No. 199, a filly by Blame --I'm From Dixie, by Dixieland Band. Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent.
"I'm very high on the Blame's based on the ones we have in training," said Brennan of the filly, who worked an eighth in :10 2/5. "She's quite forward and mature. She's a powerful filly and a tremendous mover on the track. She has a competitive spirit. I love everything about her. If Blame is going to make it, she's going to be one of them."
Hip No. 201, a filly by Ghostzapper --In a Haze, by Smoke Glacken. Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent.
"She's a big, strong filly with a lot of scope," Brennan said of the $95,000 Keeneland September graduate, who worked an eighth in :10 3/5 at the preview. "She's not going to be a now horse. She'll be a two-turn filly. She has a ton of quality."
Hip No. 215, a colt by Indian Charlie--Just a Jingle, by Unbridled's Song. Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent.
"He's out of a sister to Songandaprayer," Brennan said of the colt, who worked an eighth in :10 3/5 at the preview. "He has a lot of presence and a great mind for a young horse. He is a colt with tremendous potential."
Hip No. 223, a filly by Indian Charlie--Lady Cerise, by Honor Grades. Consigned by Eisaman Equine, agent.
"She's very correct and athletic," said Eisaman. "We're approaching the end of the Indian Charlie's, and she's a good one. She worked in :10 1/5."
Hip No. 228, a colt by Kitten's Joy --Lastofthsummerwine, by Sky Mesa. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds.
"This colt has been on every buyer's list," said De Renzo of the $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale purchase, who worked an eighth in :10 at the breeze show. "He's been extremely popular."
Hip No. 247, a filly by Super Saver --Lunargal, by Yes It's True. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent.
"She's been on everyone's list," said De Renzo of the filly out of stakes winner Lunargal who worked an eighth in :10 1/5 and cost $165,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. "We have three Super Saver's in the sale, and we love them all. They have class and have trained well all season."
Hip No. 248, a colt by Indian Charlie--Macoumba, by Mr. Prospector. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds.
"He's one of the top colts in our consignment," said De Renzo of the $100,000 Keeneland September purchase, who worked an eighth in :10 1/5 at the preview. "The colt is out of group I winner Macoumba and is a half brother to Malibu Moon even though it doesn't show in the catalog."
Hip No. 249, a colt by Quality Road --Madame Red, by Forest Wildcat. Consigned by de Meric Sales, agent.
"This son of first-crop sire Quality Road has a freakish turn of foot," de Meric said of the colt, who drilled an eighth in :10 at the preview.
Hip No. 301, a filly by Ghostzapper --Nosmallachievement, by Smart Strike. Consigned by Northwest Stud.
"She is one of the best Ghostzapper fillies I have ever seen," said Northwest Stud's Alfredo Lichoa of the $170,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale graduate, who worked an eighth in :10 1/5 at the first under-tack preview. "She was a steal at the yearling sale. She has conformation and intelligence. She looks like a colt."
Hip No. 305, a colt by Curlin --Ocean Goddess, by Stormy Atlantic. Consigned by de Meric Sales, agent.
"He had a freaky good work," de Meric said of the bay colt, who drilled a bullet quarter mile in :20 3/5 at the second under-tack show. "He's by a sire of the moment in Curlin, and he's a big, rugged colt."
Hip No. 312, a filly by War Front --Pammie From Miami, by Cozzene. Consigned by Classic Bloodstock (Danzel Brendemuehl), agent.
"She looked really good in her breeze. She has a great video," said Brendemuehl of the $170,000 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale graduate, who worked an eighth in :10 4/5 at the under-tack preview. "We were stunned her breeze time wasn't faster because she's always been among the fastest we have."
Hip No. 317, a colt by Half Ours--Pata Fresca, by Indian Charlie. Consigned by Nick de Meric, agent.
"He's as nice a Louisiana-bred as I've ever seen," de Meric said of the colt, who breezed a quarter mile in :20 4/5. "He looks like he could go anywhere. He's a straight-forward colt with a lot of bone and substance."
Hip No. 334, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro --Queen Martha, by Rahy. Consigned by Eisaman Equine, agent.
"He has good bone, and he had a great gallop out in his breeze," said Eisaman of the $160,000 Keeneland September purchase, who worked an eighth in :10 1/5 at the under- tack preview. "He has good bone, and he had a great gallop out in his breeze."
Hip No. 343, a colt by Giant's Causeway --Rebridled Dreams, by Unbridled's Song. Consigned by Northwest Stud.
"He's doing everything right," Northwest Stud's Alfredo Lichoa said of the $550,000 Keeneland September purchase, who worked an eighth in :10 1/5 at the under-tack preview. "He's well balanced and athletic. He has the mind of a top horse. He completely understands everything he is doing. He has all the right parts in the right places. He looked like a horse in training when we bought him last year at the yearling sale."
Hip No. 350, a colt by Tapit --Rhumb Line, by Mr. Greeley. Consigned by Eddie Woods, agent.
"He is a total racehorse with a racehorse's pedigree," Woods said of the full brother to grade I winner Zazu and grade II winner Flashback , who worked an eighth in :10 2/5 at the under-tack preview. "He is a beautiful racehorse. If anyone wants a nice horse, here he is."
Hip No. 366, a colt by Northern Afleet --Selective, by Tapit. Consigned by Paul Sharp, agent.
"He's a very professional colt," said Sharp of the colt, who worked an eighth in :10 2/5 at the under-tack show. "He's done everything right. He's the big one in our consignment. He's a good-moving horse and an attractive colt. He does everything well within himself, and he definitely has eye appeal. Buyers are shopping him. The right people are doing their work."
Hip No. 408, a filly by Malibu Moon --Sunshine for Life, by Giant's Causeway. Consigned by Niall Brennan, agent.
"She's one of the best in the sale," Brennan said. "She's the star of our show. She's outstanding. She's truly one of only a few in each crop that has the chance at elite status. In the proper hands, she will be an exceptional racehorse. She's beautiful. She's a homebred of a client and hasn't been through a sale yet. She's a lovely filly with a ton of talent."
