Millennium Force, a daughter of Hansen, turned in the fastest furlong work of :09 4/5 at the under tack preview for the Barretts May 2-year-old sale at Del Mar. Among those working a quarter-mile, a son of Speightstown posted the fastest time, zipping to :20 3/5.
The Speightstown colt, Hip 99, is the only offering by that stallion in the catalog. Consigned by Raul Reyes' Kings Equine, he is out of the stakes-winning Dixie Union mare Reunited. Barretts reported his first furlong fraction was :10 1/5.
The youngster, bred by W.S. Farish in Kentucky, has gone through the sale ring twice before. He sold for $155,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale and for $100,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-year-old sale.
Adrian Gonzalez's Checkmate Thoroughbreds consigned Millennium Force to the Barretts sale as Hip 107. TEC Racing bred the filly in Kentucky from the Royal Academy mare Sararoyal. Millennium Force sold for $35,000 at the 2015 Keeneland January mixed sale and was a $40,000 buy-back at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.
"Quite a few horses went through the preview very well," said Kim Lloyd, general manager of Barretts. "The track was consistent all day, and it was also consistent with what we had at the March sale.
"We had a nice crowd too. They were spread out all over the grandstand. People are getting used to sales down here."
This will be the second May sale Barretts has conducted at Del Mar, after Fairplex Park closed in Pomona early last year and the sale company moved south.
In lieu of breezing, several horses galloped, some who had already raced. Milton Freewater and Mr Ability have both won maiden races.
Milton Freewater, Hip 60 by Creative Cause , scored in an April 22 maiden race for California-breds and California-sired 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos Race Course. The Cal-bred established a track record of :51.37 for 4 1/2 furlongs (the first time the distance was run since that track was expanded) and was the first winner for his sire. Andy Havens' Havens Bloodstock Agency has consigned Milton Freewater, who is out of the stakes-placed Swiss Yodeler mare Lovehi.
Mr Ability defeated Harvest a Storm by 4 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita Park May 20, going 4 1/2 furlongs in :53.01. Havens also consigned Mr Ability, Hip 80, a Kentucky-bred son of Empire Way—Neeko, by Swiss Yodeler.
The sale begins May 27, at 1 p.m. PT. The main catalog consists of 138 2-year-olds, with several juveniles and a few older horses of racing age added as supplemental entries.
