A Dixie Union filly and a Thewayyouare colt registered the fastest times for their respective breeze distances April 4 at the Keeneland Preview Show in advance of the April 2-year-olds in training sale.
The sale will begin at 4 p.m. Monday, April 8 in Lexington.
On an overcast spring day with a chill in the air, a Dixie Union filly named Dixie Blossom heated things up with a furlong breeze in :9 4/5 on the Polytrack. Dixie Blossom is consigned by Ocala-based Niall Brennan Stables, agent.
"She's always been a lovely mover and she's trained well here this week," Brennan said. "I was expecting a nice breeze from her because I thought coming up here she was one of our best horses. I loved the quality of her and her temperament. She's acted with a lot of class.
"She had a beautiful breeze today. Not only is she naturally fast but it's the way she did it. She's a beautiful mover on the racetrack. She didn't look like a Quarter Horse; she looked like a filly that would stretch out."
Dixie Blossom (hip 78) is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Blossom, who has produced a winner from her first two starters. Dixie Blossom's second dam is Canadian champion grass horse Hero's Love. Bred in Kentucky by Kinsman Farm, she was purchased by Inlander Stable for $100,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.
"She's out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare so there's no limit as to how far this filly will be able to run. I was very happy that she went that well," Brennan said. "She's grown. In the last three days we've seen a change in her physically. She's always been a lovely mover and she's trained well here this week."
Nine juveniles completed a furlong in 10 seconds to tie for second as the fastest moves at the distance.
The fastest quarter-mile move on the Polytrack was turned in by a Thewayyouare colt consigned by Ocala-based Eddie Woods, agent, who completed the distance in :21. The colt (Hip 1) is out of the winning Polish Numbers mare Tanca, who has produced a winner from her first two starters. The colt's second dam is the stakes-placed Pleasant Tap mare Waltz.
The colt is the only horse in the catalog by Irish-based Thewayyouare, an 8-year-old son of Kingmambo. Bred in Maryland by Robert Manfuso and Katharine Voss, the colt was landed by Happy Days Stables for $60,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale.
Three horses worked a quarter-mile in :21 1/5, including a Candy Ride filly (hip 25), a Bernstein colt (hip 69), and a Stormy Atlantic colt (hip 113) named Rough Passage.
"The track played fair, and times were consistent from start to finish," said Walt Robertson, Keeneland vice president of sales. "We were very pleased with the crowd. The works were well attended on a cool spring day."
Preview day works will be posted on Keeneland.com later on April 4. Videos will be available for viewing through the April 8 sale. Work replays also will be available in the Keeneland sales pavilion TV viewing room beginning at 8 a.m. on April 5, through the sale.
Hip #78, a Dixie Union filly named Dixie Blossom, worked a furlong in :9 4/5.
