Bolt d'Oro Colt Fastest On OBS Friday

Delayed a day due to severe weather in central Florida, the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training got back underway Friday with a colt from the third crop of Spendthrift stallion Bolt d'Oro (hip 787) setting the high mark at :9 3/5. Consigned by Top Line Sales, which continued to be well-represented Friday after posting five of the top 18 fastest furlong works during Wednesday's session, the juvenile was purchased as a yearling by Cash Bloodstock at Keeneland September last year for $90,000. One of three to hit the :9 3/5 mark so far this week, he is out of a winning Speightstown dam who has produced five winners from six to race, led by stakes winner Blame J D (Blame) and stakes-placed $350,000 OBS March grad Golden Nugget  (Mendelssohn).

New York Going Strong

A registered New York-bred filly (hip 752) by Central Banker posted one of only two :9 4/5 works Friday. Three Diamond Farm's Kirk Wycoff signed the ticket as Bronco Bloodstock when he went to $32,000 to purchase the filly last year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-Bred Yearling Sale. It was one of five yearling purchases made by Bronco Bloodstock over the two-day sale. Four of those five yearlings are being resold at OBS April, with two (hip 637 and hip 253) joining hip 752 by working in :9 4/5 earlier in the week. The last of the four (hip 869) is expected to breeze Saturday. All four hips sell with the Wavertree Stables consignment.

“It's two chances for the price of one,” said Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables. “Kirk Wycoff is in a spot where, if something happened and he wasn't able to sell, then he's quite happy to race. That's the main appeal of the New York-breds. He likes to race at Saratoga, so he tried to pick some that he thought fit that bill.”

After several nice days of breeze-friendly weather, including a tail wind down the lane, conditions weren't quite as kind to workers Friday.

“She [hip 752] was fortunate enough that she got out there before the wind got up,” Dunne said. “I think the track was fair. We expected her to work well. I think the main difference today is that we've had the tail wind all week and then it turns around and it's in their face, so that was a double whammy.”

Hip 752 is the second foal out of the unraced Tanmawwy (Candy Ride {Arg}), a daughter of group-placed Wasseema (Danzig) and a half-sister to stakes-placed Ekhtibaar (Bernardini). This is also the family of French group winner Funny Kid (Lemon Drop Kid) and MGSW Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}).

The same line of storms that canceled Thursday's under-tack show dropped north of an inch of rain around the Ocala area, but Dunne was quick to compliment track conditions even after the deluge.

“The track is fine.” he said. “That's the great thing about this surface is that, even after weather like that, it's still usable and it's still safe. The wind was the bigger factor today and she was lucky to get out there early.”

Sellers, Dunne included, continue to look forward to OBS April off of a strong and steady March renewal.

Hip 752 | Judit Seipert

“We're cautiously optimistic,” said Dunne. “March was solid without being outstanding and, I think as April gets stronger, it puts more pressure on March. People know there are 1200 hips more to come, so it's easier to sit back [in March] and say you'll wait a little. But April is obviously the big one now, so we've been optimistic.”

Also working in :9 4/5 Friday was hip 839, a colt by Army Mule out of Waltzing (Candy Ride {Arg}), who is a half-sister to graded winner Dancing Solo (Giant's Causeway) and Grade I-placed Dancing (Bernardini). The dark bay is consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock on behalf of Eric Delvalle, who purchased him for $45,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Also on behalf of Delvalle, Ramirez sent out a filly by Omaha Beach (hip 308) to work the furlong in :9 3/5 during Monday's second session of the under-tack show.

A colt from the first crop of McKinzie (hip 862) was responsible for Friday's fastest quarter-mile work, working in :21. Out of a stakes-winning first dam, the juvenile, consigned by Pick View LLC, sold for $110,000 at Keeneland last September to Stock Thoroughbreds.

The under-tack show continues Saturday with hips 864-1035, with an additional day added Sunday for hips 1036-1208 to compensate for Thursday's unexpected cancellation. The OBS Spring sale will be held Tuesday through Friday, with bidding starting each day at 10:30 a.m.