Dobson Looks to Capitalize on OBS Updates

Everett Dobson, whose Cheyenne Stables is coming off a banner year on the track, will look to translate that success to the sales arena next week at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds when he will offer a pair of pinhooking prospects with significant updates. Through Randy Bradshaw's consignment, Dobson will sell a full-brother to graded stakes winning sophomore Toews on Ice (Archarcharch) as hip 416, while Eisaman Equine will offer Dobson's City Zip half-sister to recent GII Twinspires.com Rachel Alexandra S. winner Venus Valentine (Congrats) as hip 378.

Bradshaw signed the ticket on the Archarcharch colt at $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, just days after Toews on Ice stormed to a 7 1/2-length maiden score in the Barretts Juvenile S. The Bob Baffert-trained colt went on to add the Speakeasy S. and GIII Bob Hope S. before concluding his juvenile campaign with a runner-up effort behind Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity.

“We think he's exceptional,” Dobson said of Toews on Ice's full-brother. “He's very professional and a good-minded horse.”

Under the name of his Candy Meadows, Dobson purchased the City Zip filly for $65,000 as a weanling at the 2014 Keeneland November sale.

“We always planned on selling her,” Dobson said of the filly. “We thought she might fit the 2-year-old sales better than the yearling sale and that she would benefit from a little extra time.”

That extra time looked like an even more prescient move when Venus Valentine upset the Rachel Alexandra at odds of 74-1 two months ago.

Asked if that victory made him re-think selling the juvenile, Dobson, who has spent the last several years building a broodmare band, laughed, “We are always tempted, but we were very pleased that we caught a catalogue update right at the right time. I bought her with a partner and my partner and I always planned on pinhooking her, so she'll be for sale.”

Of the filly, who is also from the family of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Gal in a Ruckus, Dobson added, “She's doing great. She is a very attractive City Zip–she has a little more size and scope than a lot of them, but she is very athletic and gets over the ground very well.”

On behalf of Dobson, Eisaman Equine will also offer hip 494, a filly by More Than Ready. Out of Aristocratic Lady (Kris S.), the juvenile is a half to Grade I winner Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley). Purchased by Candy Meadows for $180,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale, the dark bay RNA'd for $220,000 at the Keeneland September sale last fall.

Cheyenne Stables has been represented recently by graded stakes winner Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky), second in Saturday's GIII Excelsior S., and stakes winner and graded stakes placed Clothes Fall Off (Daaher), as well as the promising unbeaten filly Kinsley Kisses (Congrats).

Dobson admits, compared to his racing stable, his pinhooking ventures are limited.

“We pinhook just a small handful,” he said. “We will dabble in between two and five. We pinhook a little bit from the weanling to the yearling and the yearling to the 2-year-olds, but it's not a major part of our operation. I like to participate in all facets of the sport and that's an area that I'm looking at. I am looking at pretty much every book at Saratoga and at Keeneland September and I always have my eye out for something that might be a nice prospect to pinhook.”

One aspect of Cheyenne Stables that has been expanding over the last several years is the breeding operation. Among Dobson's offerings at next week's OBS sale is hip 980, a colt by Spring at Last who was bred by Candy Meadows in partnership with Jim Wells. The youngster is out of Jill's Gem, a mare purchased by Wells for $95,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale.

“I have about 25 broodmares,” Dobson said. “We do breed to sell–we need to sell a few every year to support the operation, but we do race some.”

Dobson began buying yearling fillies back in 2008 with an eye towards developing a first-rate broodmare band at his 218-acre farm in Lexington.

“The broodmares that I've been buying, it started back in 2008 when I started to buying fillies at yearlings sales, they are just now starting to produce,” he explained. “So I'll start running a few of those and selling a few more. Typically, we will try to develop families and keep the fillies and sell the colts.”

A member of The Jockey Club and on the board of trustees of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Dobson has experience across a wide spectrum of the racing industry, but it didn't take him long to pinpoint a favorite.

“If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the breeding side of the business,” he smiled. “I'm sitting here at the farm now looking out at some babies born just right now. It's a fun time to be in the breeding industry.”

The Spring sale's under-tack show, which began Monday in Ocala, continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday beginning each day at 10:30 a.m.