By Jessica Martini
TIMONIUM, MD – The under-tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded with a third session Friday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium and after an initial session of headwinds and a second session punctuated by tailwinds, conditions were calm with overcast skies during the show's finale.
A filly by Bolt d'Oro (hip 401) had the fastest furlong work of Friday's session, covering the distance in :10 flat during the day's third set. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the bay filly is out of Werewolf (Arch) and is a half-sister to stakes winner and graded-placed Howling Time (Not This Time).
“We thought she would work as good as one could work up here,” Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne said. “We were nervous only because when you have such high expectations, usually it is tough to meet them. But I think she worked as good as one is going to work here today.”
The filly was purchased for $335,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
“She is a big, pretty filly,” Dunne said of the juvenile's appeal last fall. “She's the type of horse we like. Physically, she's strong and she's balanced and she moves good. There is nothing to not like.”
Of her progression over the winter, Dunne said, “She was right there with the best of what we had this year. She was supposed to go to the April sale, but she had a little setback. We gave her the time and she's never done anything other than advertise herself as top class.”
A colt from the first crop of GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (hip 565) set the bullet mark for a quarter-mile Friday when covering the distance in :21 2/5 during the session's second set. Consigned by Pick View, LLC, the dark bay is out of Jeannie S (Sky Mesa) and is a half-brother to multiple stakes-winner Shanghai Starlet (Shanghai Bobby).
The colt will be making a quick reappearance in the sales ring after bringing $150,000 at the OBS April sale last month. Veteran horseman Hoby Kight purchased the youngster, who worked a furlong in :10 flat at the Florida auction, on behalf of a group of partners.
“I was looking for a couple of horses to buy to bring up here that worked good, that were real horses that I thought would work well on the dirt,” Kight said. “I do it every year. And it works out for me.”
Asked what he looked for in horses to buy in Ocala to reoffer in Timonium, Kight said, “I like a horse with pedigree and work. And this horse worked good. He is a big stretchy horse, the kind I like.”
Of the colt's work at OBS, Kight said, “There are so many horses who go :10 flat at OBS which are not real. This was real. There are a lot of horses there that work good that are real horses and there are some horses who work good where the synthetic just helps them a little bit. I don't want that horse.”
Kight was impressed by the colt's bullet drill in Timonium Friday.
“I think it was awesome,” he said. “A :21 2/5 on the dirt, seven times out of 10 is a stakes horse.”
The juvenile's work was no surprise to consignor Joe Pickerrell.
“He worked really good in April, so we expected him to work big,” Pickerrell said. “He's a big, beautiful two-turn colt. He was up to the task today. [OBS April consignor] Top Line [Sales] did a great job with him.”
Of Kight, Pickerrell added, “Hoby is one of the best that ever did it. He's always buying and selling and in parts of the market that people kind of forget about. That's why he is so successful because he thinks outside of the box. If something outworks him today, I am sure Hoby will be there to look at it because we like fast horses. We are thankful he chose us to offer a horse like him.”
In addition to hip 565, Authentic was represented by two of the five juveniles to share the week's fastest quarter-mile time of :21 1/5.
The Pick View consignment was busy throughout the under-tack show, sending 25 juveniles to the track over the three days.
“The track has been great,” Pickerrell said. “These guys do a phenomenal job of dealing with the weather on this track. We are lucky to have these track guys and Fasig does an excellent job. They made the right call by delaying the breeze show and I think it's been fair for everybody. A little bit of a headwind one day and a little tailwind the other day–I feel like the buyers will be able to sort that out. There is so much separation here with dirt horses. There is a lot more that goes into it here than just a fast work. I feel like people are here to buy good dirt horses and they are going to find them.”
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday with bidding beginning each day at 11 a.m.
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