The sale is scheduled for Tuesday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The catalogue lists 249 horses. As of Monday afternoon, 58 (23.3%) had been scratched.
A Grand Slam filly zipped a quarter mile in :20 4/5, turning in the fastest time for the distance Monday during the final under tack show for Keeneland's April juvenile auction. She worked in a light breeze over a track that was listed as fast. Her clocking equaled the fastest quarter of a week ago, when a gusting tailwind helped boost times during the sale's first session of workouts.Produced from the stakes-placed mare Voluptuous, the filly is consigned to the auction by the Asmussen Horse Center, agent for Grunwald Racing. Grunwald Racing purchased her for $72,000 last July at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling sale. Luis de Hechavarria bought her as a weanling for $55,000 at the Keeneand November breeding stock auction. On April 8 at Keeneland, she covered an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5.Last week's fastest quarter also was turned in by another daughter of Grand Slam. She is out of the Ogygian mare Starr County.A Smart Strike filly turned in the fastest time for an eighth of a mile of :10 1/5 on Monday, bettering her clocking on April 8 of :10 2/5. Her dam, the grade III-placed Dior's Angel (by Fight Over), is a half-sister to stakes winner Superabundance (by Exuberant). The fast-working filly is consigned to the auction by Allen Jenkins of H.T. Stables, agent for North Wales Farm. Bred by North Wales, she was bought back for $55,000 at the 2001 Saratoga yearling sale.A daughter of Pulpit posted the fastest time for three furlongs, covering the distance in :33 2/5. Produced from the stakes-winning Housebuster mare Aces, she is consigned to the sale by Kirkwood Stables as agent for Claiborne Farm. Last week, the filly worked a quarter in :21.On the grass, the four horses turned in the fastest clocking of :10 2/5 for an eighth. They were a Red Ransom--Brittan Lee filly; a Cherokee Run--Channel Three colt named Newsontherun; a Deputy Commander--Go Kathy Go colt; and a Silver Deputy--Light Lite filly. The fastest clocking for a quarter on turf, :21 1/5,.was posted by a Coronado's Quest--Reluctant Diva filly and a Quiet American--Stock Picker filly named Market Guru.The final under tack show attracted a big crowd that include Irish veterinarian Demi O'Byrne, representatives of the Yoshida family, and trainers Patrick Biancone, John Kimmel, Craig Dollase, Todd Pletcher, and Neil Drysdale."The quality of workout times is on par with our 1997 sale," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of sales. "That sale produced several grade I winners, and we are expecting similar results with this group."