Keyed Entry filly, Wildcat Heir colt quickest at April Under Tack show’s second session

Press Release, Joe DiOrio Photo


Hip No. 363, a filly by the Bridlewood Farm stallion Keyed Entry, and Hip No. 488, a colt by the Journeyman Stud stallion Wildcat Heir, worked quarters in :20 4/5 to post the fastest works at the distance at the second session of the Under Tack Show for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2012 Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. The bay filly by Keyed Entry, consigned by H.J. Parra Racing Stables, is out of Dixie Image, by Halo’s Image, a full sister to millionaire OBS graduate Southern Image. The chestnut colt by Wildcat Heir, named Spare No Expense and consigned by Journeyman Bloodstock (Brent and Crystal Fernung), Agent, is out of Golden Horseshoe, by Belong to Me, a daughter of stakes winner Striking Profile.

Three horses worked quarters in :21 flat. Hip No. 316, consigned by Nickajack/Rey de Oros, is a dark bay or brown colt by Bob and John out of Credential, by Valid Appeal, a half sister to stakes winner Table the Motion. Hip No. 352, a gray or roan Concorde’s Tune colt consigned by Ocala Stud, is out of Delta Silks, by the Ocala Stud stallion Montbrook, a half sister to stakes winner Rocky River. Hip No. 379, Dubai Bob, consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent, is a chestnut colt by Forestry out of Dreamworld, by Unbridled’s Song, a half sister to graded stakes placed Womble.

Six youngsters shared honors for the session’s fastest eighth, each stopping the timer in :10 flat. Hip No. 469, consigned by Ricky Leppala, Agent, is a bay filly by Tiznow out of Gdanska, by Danzig. Hip No. 518, Foundthecandy, is a chestnut filly by Candy Ride (ARG) consigned by Old South Farm, Agent, out of Harlow Gold, by Orientate, a half sister to graded stakes winning OBS graduate Sea of Tranquility. Hip No. 529, Shawtown, consigned by Costanzo Sales, is a chestnut colt by Cowtown Cat out of grade one stakes placed Her She Shawklit, by Air Forbes Won, and is a half brother to graded stakes winning millionaire Crafty Shaw. Hip No. 566, a bay colt by Sky Mesa consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent, is out of graded stakes winner Ing Ing (FR), by Bering (GB), a half sister to grade one winner Execute. Hip No. 567, consigned by McKathan Bros., Agent, is a chestnut filly by Candy Ride (ARG) out of stakes winner Into Reality, by Untuttable. Hip No. 584, Indian Splendor, a dark bay or brown filly by Indian Ocean consigned by Ravensway (Rick and Christine Lopez), Agent, is out of Jeet, by Tactical Advantage, a half sister to stakes winner Rich Pearl.

Two horses worked three eighths in :33 3/5. Hip No. 489, a bay colt by Wild Desert consigned by Blue River Bloodstock, Agent, is out of Golden Park, by Touch Gold, and is a half brother to stakes placed Artie Luvsto Party. Hip No. 502, La Thali, a chestnut filly by Ecclesiastic consigned by Tres Potrillos, is out of Gratorious, by Honor Grades, a half sister to stakes placed Voluptuous.
The Under Tack Show resumes Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. with Hip No’s 599 – 898 scheduled to breeze.

The workouts were recorded and videos will be available on the OBS website at obssales.com, in their entirety or by individual hip number. They will also be available for viewing in the video room adjacent to the Horsemen’s Lounge in the sales pavilion as well as several kiosks in the lobby and the covered walking ring. In-room viewing is available at Holiday Inn, The Courtyard by Marriott, Homewood Suites, Residence Inn and the Ocala Hilton, plus lounge viewing is available at the Hilton. Under Tack Show results are posted on the OBS website.

In addition to catalogs for upcoming sales, the OBS website includes sales results, the latest news regarding OBS graduates, sales schedules, nominations, credit requests, travel information and other news relevant to OBS consignors and customers. E-Mail should be addressed to obs@obssales.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For catalogs or more information regarding the OBS Spring Sale or OBS website, please call (352) 237-2154.

Near miss Saturday for Florida-breds

Close is only good in horseshoes and hand granades. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Close but no cigar.

Well, you get the point.

It was a day of near misses in big races for Florida-breds on Saturday as five horses that are a product of the Sunshine State finished second in five different graded races around the country. Obviously, finishing second is not as good as winning, but a near miss in a graded stake is nothing to sneeze at and quite frankly, is a proud accomplishment.

Plus, it does create some very nice black type. And black type with a “Gr” in a sale catalogue or stallion advertisement can often have a positive financial impact that is far greater than the difference between a first and second-place check in a race.

In the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes for older fillies and mares at Keeneland, the Adena Springs-bred mare Bay to Bay finished second to winner Daisy Devine in the 1 1/16-mile race.

It happened twice at Oaklawn Park as Santa Anita Handicap (Gr. 1) winner Ron the Greek, who was bred by Jack T. Hammer, made a furious rally in the final strides of the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap but was unable to catch winner Alternation. Earlier that day at the Arkansas track, Donald Dizney’s homebred 5-year-old horse Apriority, was caught five wide in the far turn of the six furlong Count Fleet (G3), then drifted out in the stretch to lose narrowly to Outta Tune.

Duke of Mischief, a product of Marilyn McMaster’s Florida breeding program, tried to defend his title in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) and looked like he might repeat when he took the lead at the top of the stretch. But the successful defense was not to be as he was caught and passed by eventual winner Caixa Electronica.

Further north in New York, C C’s Pal was unable to pull the upset over It’s Tricky, but hung on for second in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap. Bred in Florida by Beth Bayer, the 5-year-old mare is also a $7,000 graduate of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company October Sale as a weanling in 2007.

Do not despair too much Florida breeders. There were plenty of Florida-bred winners on the day including Master Rick, winner of the Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn and Immortal Eyes’ victory in the Webb Snyder Stakes at Charles Town.

Florida-breds also won several nice allowance races that day including June Cleaver, a Paul Sharp-bred filly who captured a $49,000 non-winners other than race at Keeneland; They Call Him El, a 5-year-old gelding bred by Tiffany A. Atteberry DVM and Beth Hendry who won a similarly conditioned $33,040 allowance race at Golden Gate; and Joyous Music, who was bred in Florida by John O. Sutton and won a $35,000 allowance event at Charles Town. E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Florida home-bred R King of the Road also took a very nice $62,000 allowance at Aqueduct.

Oaklawn fans witnessed Deadly Card, a 3-year-old Florida gelding bred by Guilherme and Angela Bombonato, break his maiden; while Jewelian Rose did the same a Tampa Bay Downs for breeder Annie-o-Productions.

Master Rick Takes Northern Spur Stakes

The results of the $100,000 Northern Spur Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn Park answer the age old question as to why they run horse races.

Before the race, it was difficult to see how Drill could be beat. He was a Southern California-based multiple stakes winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and the Grade 2 San Vincente. He came from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who had won his fifth and sixth consecutive stakes at the Arkansas track later in the day when Alternation won the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Bodemeister took the Arkansas Derby (G1). Drill was by far the richest competitor in the Northern Spur with $339,710 and the only one with even a six figures bankroll. His pilot was Rafael Bejarano, the second leading rider at the current Santa Anita meeting. Obviously the wagering public thought the same as they made Drill the odds-on favorite at 3-5.

But none of that mattered to Florida-bred Master Rick.

During the early stages of the race, jockey Corey Nakatani had Master Rick placed behind the moderate pace of leader Double Rah Rah, who ran the first quarter of a mile in :24 seconds and the half in an even slower :48.40. Around the far turn, Master Rick came from between horses to get to the front while Drill raced four-wide to get to even terms with the leader and the two began their battle. They bobbed heads until just inside the eighth pole when Master Rick pulled away, winning by 1 ¼ legnths. Master Rick completed the one mile Northern Spur in 1:36.73.

Master Rick gave his supporters $12.60 for their $2 win tickets and gave trainer Steve Asmussen and Nakatani their fifth win together on the day.

Asmussen began the final two days of the Oaklawn meeting one race behind Allen Milligan, who had led the standings for most of the meeting. But Asmussen won three races on Friday to Milligan’s one, then pulled ahead for the title with the big final day concluding the “Fifth Season” with 36 wins to Milligan’s 31.

“It’s a great day for Steve [Asmussen] and I’m really happy to be part of his team,” Nakatani said after winning on Master Rick. “And I’m very [happy] for owner [Richard L. Davis.]” Despite all the success the jockey and Asmussen had earlier, like those who bet Drill and 9-5 second choice Explain, even Nakatani was taken aback by Master Rick’s performance in the Northern Spur. “It shaped up a little better than I thought it would,” he continued. “I was biding my time and about the half-mile pole, I let him out a little bit and when Drill came to me, I opened up a little bit on him. Hoping it would work and it did.”

It was only the second win for Master Rick who had just broke his maiden at Oaklawn Mar. 17 after four tries in previous races. Bred by English Ranch Farms, Master Rick earned $60,000 for the win and increased his earnings to $94,930.

Master Rick is a graduate of the last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training where he sold for $47,000. That same sale begins a week from today and runs four days through Apr. 28 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company located on SW 60th Avenue.

“It was a good opportunity for [Master Rick] today,” Asmussen said. “But we’re going to find more big races for him.”

Drill, who was bred in Kentucky by Stonewall Farm which is now located in Ocala, hung on for second and finished eight lengths ahead of third-place finisher Explain. Drill, a son of the late stallion Lawyer Ron, only returned $2.20 for a $2 place ticket but the $2 exacta with Master Rick on top paid a nice $26.00.