By Jessica Martini
TIMONIUM, Md – The under-tack preview for next week's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale got underway with the first of three sessions in Timonium Tuesday and a pair of juveniles sharing the bullet time of :10 flat and four youngsters sharing the fastest quarter-mile time of :21 3/5.
Hip 6, a colt from the first crop of GI Preakness S. winner Shackleford (Forestry), was the first to hit the :10 flat mark. The chestnut, consigned by Justin Casse's Casse Sales on behalf of Kinsman Farm, is out of the unraced Intentional Cry (Street Cry {Ire}), a daughter of graded stakes winner Gold Mover (Gold Fever) and a half-sister to stakes winners Giant Mover (Giant's Causeway) and Maleeh (Indian Charlie). Kinsman Farm purchased the juvenile for $95,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
“He's a very efficient mover,” Casse said of the bullet breezer. “He's built and looks a lot like a Street Cry, but he's got the chrome on him that you would expect from a son of Forestry. He's very straightforward. We knew he was fast, but didn't realize he was that fast.”
Also working in :10 flat was hip 185, a daughter of Gone Astray. The filly is out of the unraced Salsa City (Salt Lake), a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Runaway Dancer (Runaway Groom). She is consigned by Crane Thoroughbreds and was purchased by Harry Weisleder for $19,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
“She's been really, really fast all year,” confirmed Clovis Crane. “I was debating on taking her to California for the [Barretts] select sale, but she just wasn't quite right. We decided to just give her a month and freshen her up because she'd been going really fast, but she came into this doing great and was back to where we expected her to be.”
Times during the session, which began under overcast skies and with temperatures in the low 50s, were noticeably slower earlier and picked up as intermittent showers grew in intensity throughout the day.
“The first set was very demanding,” Crane said. “The horses didn't go nearly as fast as the rest of the day. The track was more traditional as the day wore on. Yes, it was raining and it was gross out, but honestly the track stayed really good and, after it got some rain on it, it was better. I don't think they put a lot of water on it early because they knew the rain was coming and it ended up getting better as the day went on. I think it was fair from the second set on, but those horses in the first set really got hindered.”
Consignor Eddie Woods, who sent out one of the four bullet quarter-mile breezers and two of the five with the day's second fastest time of :21 4/5, agreed the rain made for a better surface.
“This track, in my opinion, is better with a lot of moisture in it rather than when it's drying out and it gets loose and cuppy,” he explained. “We were fortunate, we breezed eight horses here today and they all came back perfect. We're happy with them all.”
Woods consigns hip 162, a filly from the first crop of GI Malibu S. winner The Factor (War Front) who worked in :21 3/5. The gray is out of Ramblin Rosie (Roar), a half-sister to Grade I winner Buddy Gil (Eastern Echo) and to the dam of the speedy Alsvid (Officer). She was purchased by Gainesway for $250,000 out of last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale.
“The Factor is a good filly and, like everything by that stallion, she can run,” Woods said. “She is very attractive. We expected a good move from her and she gave it to us.”
Sharing the quarter-mile bullet were hip 85, a daughter of Wicked Rich consigned by Wes Carter; hip 112, a filly by Malibu Moon consigned by De Meric Sales; and hip 170, a colt from the first crop of GI Florida Derby winner Ice Box (Pulpit) consigned by Wavertree Stables.
The Midlantic breeze show continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday, with bidding each day commencing at 10 a.m.
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