A bay filly by Arch broke the 10-second barrier Sunday at Calder Race Course in South Florida. Working in preparation for the Fasig-Tipton select sale of 2-year-olds in training, she covered the one-eighth of a mile distance in :9 4/5 on turf. The time was a sale record for grass, and it equaled the auction's fastest ever time on dirt.
Sale company officials and consignors said the conditions were better than for the first under tack show a week ago, when there was a stiff headwind that dried out the dirt surface quickly and made it difficult for some horses to handle. This time around, the wind appeared to vary in direction and speed for much of the day, but toward the end of the under tack show, it turned into a brisk tailwind that was strong enough to blow a plastic chair across the track's apron.
"There were some awful good horses that went last week, and they didn't come back," said Fasig-Tipton president Walt Robertson. "But most of the horses did come back, and by and large, they had better times."
The Arch filly's clocking on turf was a dramatic improvement from her :11 work on dirt during the sale's first under tack show. Consigned by Kings Equine, agent, she is out of the unraced Copelan mare Insight to Hope and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Regal Countess (by Regal Search). Insight to Hope is a full sister to stakes winner Insight to Cope and is from the family of champion sprinter Precisionist and grade I winner Wedge Shot. Cabin Creek Farm purchased the Arch filly for $72,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale.
An El Corredor– Jin Mill colt also turned in an impressive effort on turf, zipping an eighth in :10 after breezing :11 1/5 on dirt in the first under tack show. Leprechaun Racing, agent, consigns the colt, who is a member of his sire's first crop.
The fastest worker on dirt at an eighth was a Songandaprayer – Sparkle Proof filly with a clocking of :10 1/5. Southern Chase Farm, agent, consigns the filly, who is from her sire's first crop. She went the same distance in :10 4/5 during the first under tack show.
"She was wonderful; she knew exactly what to do," said Stacy Leppala, who rode the filly. "She has a big, long stride, and she's an effortless mover."
At a quarter mile, the fastest workers were on dirt, with three fillies stopping the clock at :21 3/5. Paul Sharp, agent, consigns two of the fillies: Winandaprayer (Songandaprayer – Always On the Go) and a daughter of City Zip – Meadow Dream. Parrish Farm consigns the other quick filly, a daughter of Tiger Ridge – Salute the Girl.
The Fasig-Tipton sale's second and final under tack show attracted a number of top juvenile buyers including Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock manager, John Ferguson, and Buzz Chace. Fusao Sekiguchi, the flamboyant Japanese entrepreneur who paid a world record price of $4.5 million for Fusaichi Samurai last year, is not expected at this year's auction. However, prominent Japanese owner and breeder Terry Yoshida is in Florida for the sale, and Shigeyuke Okada of Big Red Farm was scheduled to arrive on Monday.
"It has the potential to be a very good sale," said Kentucky bloodstock agent Peter Bradley, who pinhooks horses with Nick de Meric. "I've seen more people looking and doing serious homework slightly earlier than in the past – right after the first breeze show and then Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (before the second under tack show)."
The sale will be held Tuesday, beginning at 11 a.m. (EST).
