New Fastest Furlong Time at OBSAPR

A pair of juveniles turned in bullet works at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April Sale breeze show Thursday when clocking a furlong in :9 3/5, eclipsing the previous fastest furlong time of :9 4/5 set earlier in the week.

Bobby Dodd consigns one of those :9 3/5 breezers in Hip 793, a Tiznow colt out of Moonbow (Distorted Humor).

“I was very pleased with the work,” Dodd commented Thursday afternoon. “I knew the horse was going to work fast. I didn't know he'd work in :9 3/5. I thought for sure he'd work in :9 4/5 or :10 flat and gallop out good, but he worked really good. He is just an easy mover so he really didn't look like he was going that fast.”

Dodd signed the $125,000 ticket on the bay colt at Keeneland September on behalf of Brad Grady's Grand Oaks, where he holds the position of farm manager. Dodd and Grady have already had a major score during this juvenile sales season, selling a Union Rags colt they purchased for $135,000 at Keeneland September to bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill for $950,000 at OBS March after a :10 flat breeze. The duo also have a starter in this year's GI Kentucky Derby in MGSW Girvin (Tale of Ekati), a $130,000 FTKOCT purchase.

“He's just a big, pretty, strong colt,” Dodd remarked. “He's a good physical. He's correct enough and he has a good, fashionable pedigree so we were really fortunate to get him for $125,000. I think if everything goes good, which I'm satisfied it will, that he will bring a very nice price and we will all be happy.”

Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables sent out the other :09 3/5 breezer in Hip 778, a More Than Ready filly out of Grade II-placed Miss Mary Apples (Clever Trick).

“We were a little upset when we didn't make [OBS] March,” Dunne said. “She got a little bit of a virus in early February, which knocked her out for a few weeks and just took March off the table. She was the kind of horse that we thought when we got her [to the sale] it wouldn't matter where, or when, or how, she would showcase herself among the best of the best. That is what she always looked like and today she showed up.”

Hip 778, a half-sister to MSW Miss Red Delicious (Empire Maker) and SW and GSP Dr. Diamonds Prize (Pure Prize), summoned $390,000 from Joe Minor's JSM Equine as a yearling at last term's Keeneland September sale.

“She's an absolutely beautiful filly,” Dunne offered. “She always has been, as you can tell by the yearling purchase price. Physically she looks like a 3-year-old colt. She is a big filly, but she is not disproportionate. She is strong everywhere that she needs to be strong, through her hind end, through her gaskin and through her forearm, but she has a feminine neck and head on her. She's as pretty as they come. I said to someone earlier today, 'If you don't like her, you just don't like horses.'”

Dunne did not feel that the track condition had any effect on the new fastest furlong time Thursday.

“Today was a strange day. It wasn't like everything was blazing down through there today,” Dunne observed. “It was kind of weird. In the first set there were a lot of horses in :10 2/5 and :10 3/5 and then Bobby [Dodd]'s horse worked phenomenally, so you were kind of scratching your head after the first break wondering, is the track good or is the track bad? It didn't seem to make any sense, but then [Hip 778] went :9 3/5 in the second set and the last horse went :10 flat. I wouldn't give the track much credit. I think those horses pretty much would have worked like that on any racetrack.”

Both Dunne and Dodd emphasized the importance of fast breeze times to the juvenile buyers and their effect on how much interest a horse gets.

“Everybody wants to say that time doesn't matter, but I guess that the ones that go the fastest move the best because they are the ones they come to see,” Dunne commented. “Obviously I think going :9 3/5 will garner a lot of interest. Plus, as I said, if you see her and you don't like her, I don't think I am ever going to be able to sell you one.”

Dodd concurred, but added that the gallop-out times are also of great significance to the buyers.

“I think the breeze times are really important to the buyers, but I think the gallop out is more important,” Dodd said. “Even though this horse worked his first eighth of a mile in :9 3/5, he galloped out in :20 2/5 and :32 3/5, which is even more impressive.”

The fastest quarter-mile breeze of the day went to Hip 734, a Teuflesberg filly from the New Hope LLC consignment, who stopped the clock in :21 flat. The New York-bred is out of Malibu Mystique (Malibu Moon), who also produced SW Brenda's Way (Weigelia). A Wildcat Heir colt (hip 200) still boasts the fastest quarter-mile breeze so far having worked in :20 2/5 Monday.

The under-tack show runs through Saturday with sessions beginning at 8 a.m. The April sale will start next Tuesday and continues through Friday.