Speightster

Raul Reyes of King's Equine sent out two of the four bullet furlong workers at the final day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale breeze show Saturday. "They both breezed well, no surprises," Reyes said. "They have both been training well all around." One of Reyes's bullet workers was Hip 1179, a NY-bred son of Honor Code (video). Consigned on behalf of breeder Pine Ridge Stables, the colt is out of the stakes-placed Indian Charlie mare Indian Rush, who is also responsible for stakes winner's March X Press...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Sheriff Bianco (c, 2, by Speightster--Summer Rules, by Perfect Soul {Ire}), a strong second after a tardy beginning and wide trip on debut for trainer Wesley Ward at Churchill Downs May 22, will look to earn his diploma at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting. Drawn on the extreme outside in post 11 going 4 1/2 furlongs over the main track beneath the Twin Spires, the Qatar Racing colorbearer...

A filly by Not This Time, mirroring the quick start of her freshman sire's progeny on the racetrack, claimed the fastest quarter-mile breeze time of the week so far when covering the distance in :20 1/5 during Monday's second under-tack preview ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Consigned by Top Line Sales, hip 1254 is out of graded stakes winner Sheza Smoke Show (Wilko). "When we led her up there, we knew she would go fast, but we had no idea she...

5th-Gulfstream, $42,000, Msw, 5-29, 2yo, f, 5f, :59.54, ft. QUEEN ARELLA (f, 2, Speightster--Unbridled Sonya, by Unbridled's Song) became the first winner for her freshman sire (by Speightstown) at Gulfstream Friday. Overlooked at 8-1 for this career bow despite a half-mile bullet in :47 flat at Gulfstream West (1/15), the bay raced back off a :22.78 opening quarter. Progressing up the outside approaching the bend, she swept up four-wide at the top of the lane and sailed clear to score by four lengths over Hara (Hard Spun). The winner has...

Even if most racing is delayed, we're all hoping it will get underway sometime this spring or early summer, if for no other reason than so we can all find out the answer to our annual favorite question. We surveyed some top judges on who their leading first-crop sire is, and to give us some under-the-radar picks as well. LINDA RICE I am a big fan of Nyquist. He was a brilliant 2-year-old, winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Eclipse Award, and he carried that into his 3-year-old year,...

Speightster would be my first pick. I have one Speightster and he is probably the fastest horse that we have. He's as fast as anything that I've probably ever taken to a 2-year-old sale. He's a very good-looking horse. He's a good size at around 16 hands. He's just a solid, beautiful horse and is terrifically fast. We have high hopes for him and hopefully we can get a decent amount of money and somebody can do well with him and make us famous. I have a Not This Time...

I think that in terms of number of winners in 2020, the leading first-crop sire will by Speightster. I could name at least half a dozen off the top of my head that the consignors in Ocala like. They are "win first out," early types that will likely be hard to out-sprint. That being said, in terms of progeny earnings by the end of 2020, my choice would be Frosted. I've seen plenty of quality individuals throughout Ocala by this son of Tapit (who has started to show signs of...