OBS

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses. While the 3-year-old filly set was front and center for last weekend's G1 Oka Sho, their male counterparts get their chance in Sunday's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), and though there are no American-bred runners...

Five juveniles shared the fastest furlong time of :9 4/5 Wednesday during the fourth session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale breeze show and three others worked a quarter in a bullet :20 3/5. The quartet of :9 4/5 workers were an Uncle Mo filly from Clary Bloodstock (Hip 537) (video); a Goldencents colt consigned by Eddie Woods (Hip 546) (video); a filly by Street Sense from the Lucan Bloodstock shedrow (Hip 611) (video); a Macho Uno colt consigned by Grassroots Training and Sales (Hip 674) (video); and...

3rd-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 4-10, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.99, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. DISTINCTLYPOSSIBLE (f, 3, Curlin--Funny Proposition {GSW, $230,295}, by Medaglia d'Oro) closed off nicely to be second on her six-furlong debut at Saratoga last August and was last seen finishing runner-up to Juju's Map (Liam's Map) when last seen in this track's GI Darley Alcibiades S. in October. A slight drift in the markets saw the bay jump at a fairly generous even money Sunday and she hit the ground running before being securing a rail-skimming spot by...

The breeze show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's upcoming Spring Sale gets underway Sunday and runs through Saturday, Apr. 16. Hips 1-176 will breeze Sunday; followed by Hips 177-352 Monday; Hips 353-528 Tuesday; Hips 529-704 Wednesday; Hips 705-880 Thursday; Hips 881-1056 Friday; and Hips 1057-1231 Saturday. The Spring Sale runs Tuesday, Apr. 19 through Friday, Apr. 22 with each session beginning at 10 a.m. Hips 1-308 go on the block Tuesday; followed by Hips 309-616; Wednesday, Hips 617-924 Thursday; and Hips. 925-1231 Friday.

Given a perfectly rationed ride from the front by the evergreen Yutaka Take, Jean Gros (More Than Ready) became the first winner at group level in Japan for his legendary sire in Saturday's $841,637 G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama, a steppingstone to next month's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. The 6-1 third favourite off a stalk-and-pounce success in listed company over 1200 metres Feb. 27, the full-brother to MGSW & GISP Tom's Ready was kicked straight into the lead from gate six and led through reasonable fractions...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses, the latter of which plays host to the first of this year's Japanese Classics--the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 meters: Saturday, April 9, 2022 11th-NKY, New Zealand Trophy-G2, ¥103.5m ($835k), 3yo, 1mT JEAN...

The 2022 Thoroughbred Owner Conference virtual series continued Apr. 5 with a panel who discussed pedigree and conformation considerations when selecting racehorses. The series is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Dean Dorton Equine, and Stoll Keenon Ogden. Sponsored by Ocala Breeders' Sales Company (OBS), Tuesday's session was moderated by Caton Bredar and included panelists Phil Hager, Taproot Bloodstock; Chad Schumer, Schumer Bloodstock Agency; Gayle Van Leer, Gayle Van Leer Thoroughbred Services; and Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales, OBS....

A total of 1,231 2-year-olds in training have been cataloged for the Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Spring Sale, to be held Tuesday through Friday, Apr. 19-22 at the auction house's Central Florida complex. Gracing the cover of the 2022 catalog is 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road), who topped last year's renewal on a bid of $1.5 million from Marette Farrell, agent for Speedway Stables, and who went on to cap an undefeated championship season with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. OBS April graduates...

A filly by American Pharoah (Hip 532) added to a banner OBS March sale for Jimbo & Torie Gladwell's Top Line Sales, bringing $1-million from Donato Lanni, who was bidding on behalf of Susan Chu. The :10 flat breezer was bred by the Gladwells and E.V.S. Corp. The filly will be trained by her sire's Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

The 2-year-old sales season gets underway Tuesday with the start of the two-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale. Hips 1-316 sell Tuesday and Hips 317-635 go under the hammer Wednesday. "I have been very pleased with the horses we have seen on the grounds," said Tod Wojciechowski, OBS director of sales. "The interest from buyers has been very good." He added, "We have been able to add another level of horse that maybe doesn't fit the upper-echelon price range, but are very good horses. March is a key sale...

Extreme weather conditions have prompted OBS officials to delay Sunday's OBS March breeze show, which will now begin at 10:00a.m. The third breeze session was originally slated for Saturday, however, forecasts of heavy precipitation prevailing in the area prompted the late change in plans. A tornado also reportedly tore through the Ocala area Saturday, although sales' officials confirmed that the OBS grounds were largely not impacted. Temperatures, expected to plummet Saturday evening giving rise to a chilly Sunday morning, in the vicinity of 30s. Additionally, Daylight Savings Time begins overnight...

A colt by Good Samaritan (Hip 177) worked the fastest quarter-mile in :20 3/5 on the opening day of the OBS March 2-Year-Old in Training Sale's three-day breeze show Thursday. "He has done things on the racetrack that only a few horses have done that we had our hands on," said Joe Pickerrell of consignor Pick View. "We were going to be very disappointed if he didn't work like that." Bred by St. Elias Stable, the gray is out of Sweat and Saddle (Speightstown), a daughter of GSW & MGISP...