OBS March

Following the announcement of the cancellation of the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale on Friday afternoon, the atmosphere at the OBS March Sale was tense. Becky Thomas of Sequel Bloodstock made an analogy. "There was a movie years ago with Jim Carrey called the Truman Show, where Jim Carrey did not realize he was actually the subject of a TV series. That's the way I feel. We're going through the motions, but we don't really know if it's real or not." Consignors gathered in the barns following the breeze show, expecting to...

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company reiterated its decision to continue on with its March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, amid COVID-19 concerns which have prompted Keeneland to cancel its April 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale scheduled for Apr. 7 and Fasig-Tipton to cancel its Apr. 1 Gulfstream Sale of Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training. "We are moving forward with the sale," confirmed OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski Friday evening shortly after a meeting of shareholders. "We have been listening to...

A filly by American Pharoah breezed the fastest quarter-mile of :20 2/5 Friday, while seven juveniles tied for the quickest eighth-of-a-mile breeze of :9 4/5 during the second of three under-tack shows ahead of next Tuesday and Wednesday's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The American Pharoah filly is consigned to the sale by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, Inc. as hip 237. The half-sister to MSP My Sweet Stella (Eskendereya) was a $70,000 KEENOV weanling and $165,000 KEESEP yearling. The following horses breezed in :9 4/5: Hip...

A colt by The Factor (hip 129) and a son of Dialed In (hip 141) breezed the quickest eighth and quarter, respectively, during Thursday's first of three breeze shows for next Tuesday and Wednesday's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Consigned by GOP Racing Stable Corp., hip 129 covered a furlong in :9 4/5 despite starting his breeze well out into the track and finishing it close to the fence. A $22,000 KEENOV weanling RNA and $17,000 OBSOCT yearling, the Maryland-bred is out of SW and GSP...

With the OBS March Sale slated to kick off the 2-year-old auction season Mar. 17 & 18, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack caught up with prominent bloodstock agent Mike Ryan for a Q&A session. Structor (Palace Malice)--an $850,000 OBS March (:21 1/5) purchase by Ryan from the Pick View LLC, Agent II, consignment at this sale last year--capped a perfect three-for-three season for owners Jeff Drown and Don Rachel and trainer Chad Brown with a dramatic win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. Fellow OBS March...

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training will continue as scheduled, OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski told the TDN Tuesday. The decision comes as organizers and administrators for institutions and events around the world grapple with just how seriously to take the Coronavirus outbreak. "We're monitoring the situation, but we are moving forward with the sale," Wojciechowski said. "There have been no restrictions placed on us by a government agency--it's a fluid situation, but right now with the investment that's at stake for our consignors...

MONEY MOVES (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Citizen Advocate, by Proud Citizen), a $975,000 OBS April purchase last year after a :10 flat breeze, figured things out late in his Saturday unveiling to begin repaying his owners' investment. Slowly away, he advanced some down the backside and on the turn but still had his work cut out for him as longshot Sagamore Mischief (Into Mischief) headed for home well in front. Money Moves found his stride down the center of the muddy stretch, however, and inhaled the pacesetter to score by...

2nd-Santa Anita, $55,000, Msw, 2-1, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:25.48, ft. CLIVETTY (f, 3, Into Mischief--Rosemonde, by Indian Charlie) brought $375,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and RNA'd for $400,000 at OBS the following March, but returned to the Ocala auction ring in June, topping the sale at $900,000 after breezing in a snappy :20 4/5. Sent off at 5-1 in this career bow, the hulking bay filly was off a half-step slow and trailed the quintet as Eyes Open (Street Sense) clocked early splits of :22.37 and...

1st-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, 12:00 p.m. ET Debby Oxley's FEELING FUNNY (American Pharoah) was well meant when entered in a five-furlong turf test at the Hallandale oval Dec. 22, however, failed to get the job done after the race came off the turf and had to settle for third as the 6-5 favorite. The $875,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad has been training sharply at Palm Meadows for Mark Casse since then, including a four-furlong move there in a bullet :47.10 Jan. 5. Out of stakes winning Funny Feeling (Distorted...

6th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 8fT, 2:02 p.m. ET Courtlandt Farm's OR'EFFICE (Medaglia d'Oro), a $725,000 KEESEP yearling, took some money in his career bow going a mile on the dirt at Aqueduct Dec. 7 and finished fourth. Out of multiple graded-stakes winner Grace Hall (Empire Maker), the Mark Hennig trainee will receive the services of Javier Castellano for his turf debut. TJCIS PPs 4th-FG, $50K, Alw/Opt.Clm., 3yo, 8.5f, 2:27 p.m. ET West Point Thoroughbreds, Chester and Mary Broman and Woodford Racing's CHESTERTOWN (Tapit), the $2-million topper from last year's OBS...

4th-Del Mar, $62,053, Msw, 8-11, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.31, ft. INSPIRESSA (f, 2, The Big Beast--Lucky Trip, by Trippi) wasthe priciest filly and co-fourth topper at OBS March at $850,000. She proved to be the fastest of a promising looking bunch to score first up at Del Mar and become the fourth winner for her sire (Yes It's True). The :20 4/5 breezer quickly emerged between foes to vie for command through an opening quarter in :22.06, before shaking clear and almost appearing to run off through a :45.87...