A Full Mandatefilly turned in the fastest quarter mile work Saturday during the last under tack show for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. (OBS) select sale of 2-year-olds in training in Central Florida. She covered the distance in :20 4/5, equaling the previous fastest clocking that was turned in by a Yonaguska – Noon Time Dancer filly on March 10.
The Full Mandate filly was among the early workers during a session that began at 9 a.m. (EDT) over the OBS oval’s synthetic Safetrack surface. That proved to be a good thing because a blustery crosswind/headwind developed later in the morning and slowed down the times.
“It was a tough day,” said Tom Ventura, the OBS general manager and director of sales. “It started out fine this morning, and then the winds really whipped up probably about 10:30 or 11 o’clock, so after the first hour and a half, a lot of the consignors decided to keep their horses in the barn. We recorded the wind at up to 20 to 25 miles an hour at different times.”
The cool, cloudy weather at the beginning of the show was hot and partly cloudy by the end. The Full Mandate filly’s consignor, Paul Sharp, was happy she worked before the wind picked up, but added that he was confident she had the potential to go very fast. The dark bay or brown 2-year-old had worked an eighth of a mile on March 9 in a brisk, but not scorching, :10 2/5.
“She was ready to go a quarter the first time,” Sharp said, “but we just wanted to let her have a look at the track and see how she handled it, basically, because we knew she was going to be fast. If you watched her video, you know she did it well within herself. It really wasn’t a whipping and driving kind of work. She galloped out as expected for me last time and that’s what gave me the initiative to go ahead and work her the quarter. Obviously, we were hoping she would work well the second time, and she worked very well. I think she had just settled in more and was more familiar the surroundings, which gave her the confidence to go like she wanted to go.”
The filly is out of the 16-year-old unraced Gulch mare Sweet Alabastar, who is a half-sister to grade III winner Rose Bouquet (by Full Out) and to an added-money winner in France, Big Sink Hope (by Green Dancer). Sweet Albastastar has produced the winners Melody’s Slasher (by Meadowlake), Song of Angels (by Unbridled’s Song), Sweet Blessing (by Saint Ballado), and Sweetstart (by Jump Start ). Sharp, as agent, purchased the Full Mandate filly for $42,000 at the 2007 OBS August yearling auction.
Three horses tied for the quickest work at an eighth Saturday, stopping the clock in :10. They were a Kafwain – Storm Struck colt, consigned by Candy Store, agent; a D’wildcat – Good for Us colt, consigned by Mike and Britt Mulligan’s Leprechaun Racing, agent; and a Dream Run – Guilty Pleasure colt named Guilty Dreams, consigned by Becky Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock, agent. The Kafwain and D’wildcat colts had not breezed previously for the OBS auction, but Guilty Dreams had worked an eighth in :10 2/5 on March 10.
A Flatter – Katie Katie filly was the fastest Saturday at three-eighths of a mile with her time of :33 4/5. She is consigned by Shadybrook Farm (Michael Yates), agent. The filly had breezed a quarter in :21 2/5 on March 10.
The first round of under tack shows was held March 9 and 10 after being postponed from March 7 and 8 because of a forecast for severe weather. The second round was scheduled for March 14 and 15 but was consolidated into one session on the 15th because the number of horses scheduled by their consignors to work again was not high enough to justify spreading them over two days.
“I think the horses struggled a little bit today; the wind was against them,” said Florida horseman Barry Berkelhammer. “The sales companies and the consignors are all leaning toward the one breeze show format, and I think that’s going to be a good idea because it’s a little less abusive to the horses. The number of horses that moved up today was very small, and I think the benefit of being a little kinder to them (with just one show) will far outweigh the couple of horses that might have a chance to prove themselves (in a second show).”
Fasig-Tipton had only one under tack show instead of its usual two for its Florida select auction in February, and Keeneland will have only one under tack show for its April sale.
The OBS March auction is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with selling beginning each day at 11 a.m.
