"He is my favorite horse in the sale," said Murray Smith, a consignor who has 2-year-olds stabled in the Exploit colt's barn. "I wish he belonged to me. He's got a great mind. He's got good sense. He looks like he's not stressed one bit. I've never heard him cough. He's never acted bad. He just acts like he's got class, and he's very balanced. He's steady; he's like a Trojan. You know how in the Army, they just keep marching. That's him; every day he acts the same. He's a good colt."The Barretts sale is scheduled for Tuesday, beginning at 2 p.m. (PST).
Fillies by first crop sires Anet and Tactical Cat were the fastest workers Sunday during the second and final under tack show for the Barretts March select sale of 2-year-olds in training. The Anet filly zipped an eighth of a mile in :10 while the Tactical Cat filly blazed a quarter in :21.1 at Fairplex Park in Southern California. Both had breezed an eighth in :10.1 to rank among the fastest workers during the first under tack show on Feb. 24.Consigned by B.C.3 Thoroughbreds, the Anet filly was purchased last year for $65,000 by Tee Time Farm at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Her dam is a 10-year-old unraced daughter of Dixieland Band named Dixieland Fantasy, who has produced the winners Admiration (by Marquetry) and Fantasy Band (by Rubiano). Consignor Becky Thomas of Sequel Bloodstock flashed a big smile and made a "thumbs-up" gesture after the Tactical Cat filly completed her quick work. She said the filly had been headstrong and difficult to break, but settled down and turned into a professional after her training became more demanding. Thomas purchased the filly privately last year after she was bought back by her consignor for $14,000 at the Keeneland September auction."I had to give more than that ($14,000) for her," Thomas said.Produced from the 19-year-old grade II-winning Mr. Leader mare Ransomed Captive, the filly is a half-sister to Norfolk Stakes (gr. II) winner Shepherd's Field (by Spectacular Bid).Sunday's workouts were conducted under sunny skies over a surface that was drying out from a hard rain the previous night. The only glitch was an electrical short in Barretts' timing system that sometimes made it difficult for spectators to keep track of the results.Another horse that attracted attention was an almost white son of Exploit that drew gasps from the crowd when the first eighth of his quarter-mile work was clocked in :9.8. His final time was :21.5. He had breezed an eighth in :10.1 on Feb. 24.Consigned by Chapman Farms, the colt was purchased for $195,000 by James K. Chapman at the 2002 Keeneland September sale. The colt's dam is multiple stakes winner Two Punch Lil, an 11-year-old daughter of Two Punch.