The Sun Shines in Williston

by Jessica Martini 

The under tack preview of the Fasig-Tipton Florida s juvenile sales season to be unaffected by rain. 
“It’s a lovely day to get sunburned,” joked one fair-skinned consignor. 

In the mid-50s when horses started breezing shortly after 9 a.m., temperatures rose quickly to the upper 70s with a slight tailwind and work times seemed consistent throughout. 

“We had a terrific under tack show,” confirmed Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “The weather conditions were ideal, the track conditions were very, very safe and consistent throughout. We had lots of quality horses who went across the racetrack from start to finish and there were plenty of quality buyers and interested parties in attendance today, so it really couldn’t have gone much better than it did.” 

After spending the last two years at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, the Florida sale moved north to Williston this year due to the ongoing dates controversy between Gulfstream Park and Calder. 

“There was a little bit of a wait and see attitude,” Browning admitted of the new location. “At the end of the day, for both buyers and sellers, it’s all about the horses. I think there was a clear demonstration today of the type of horses our consignors have brought to us. And I think it’s a fabulous facility.” 

Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables enjoyed a strong day on the track. Three of the fastest furlong workers, as well as the co-fastest quarter-mile worker, came from the Ocala-based operation. 

“We brought some of our better horses for the year here and they showed up,” Dunne said. “They are a really good bunch of horses. We’ve been quietly chewing our nails all winter because they’ve trained so good and acted so well on the farm.” 

Hip 144, a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Majesticperfection (Harlan’s Holiday) was the first from the Wavertree consignment to work in :9 4/5. The colt, out of Ms. Cornstalk (Indian Charlie), is a half to Canadian champions Biofuel (Stormin’ Fever) and Tu Endie Wei (Johar). 

“The Majesticperfection is just a magnificent horse,” Dunne said. “He’s huge, he’s a late foal and he’s from a mare that throws nothing but good horses.” 

Also working in :9 4/5 was hip 75, a daughter of Smart Strike out of Clay’s Rocket (American Chance). The bay filly, a $775,000 Keeneland September purchase, is a half to multiple stakes winners Laurie’s Rocket (Bluegrass Cat) and Greeley’s Rocket (Mr. Greeley). 

“She is a filly that we’ve done our best to screw up,” laughed Dunne. “She’s had a very interrupted preparation. She banged her head here a couple of weeks ago and this was the first time she’d breezed in a month. She’s just a very special horse.” 

Completing the Wavertree :9 4/5 triumvirate was hip 7, a daughter of Macho Uno out of Rumari (Dixie Union). The gray was a $57,000 Keeneland September yearling. 

“The Macho Uno is gorgeous,” Dunne said. “She’s the last horse we bought at Keeneland September. We left after her. She was hard to follow.” 

The Wavertree-consigned hip 25, a colt by Mineshaft out of Songfest (Unbridled’s Song), shared the quarter-mile bullet of :21 flat. That time was equaled by hip 153, a colt by Flatter out of Pine Hill (Siphon {Brz}) from the Woodford Thoroughbreds consignment (:21 flat). Dunne said he was happy with conditions at the preview. 

“The track was fine,” he said. “It looked like horses went good over it all day. From our first to our last horse, they were consistent. I don’t think there was any bias. I think Mark Roberts and the Adena staff are to be commended. Anything we’ve needed they tried to do for us. They had a hard time this week with the weather, but they kept smiling and telling us it would be all right. And at the end of the day, they were right.” 

Eddie Woods, coming off what he called a “career day” at the OBS March sale, sent out a pair of bullet workers Friday, both by first-season sires. 

Hip 4, a colt by GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (Maria’s Mon), worked in :9 4/5. 

“The Super Saver is a lovely horse,” Woods said. “He’s kind of typical of what’s coming by that stallion. I’m not going to say that I expect any horse to work in :9 4/5, but we expected him to work really quickly and gallop out like he did.” 
Also working in :9 4/5 from the consignment was hip 14, a son of Desert Party out of Satinet (Olympio). The gray is a half to stakes winners Britt’s Jules (Jules) and Probation Ready (More Than Ready). 

“I think he’s a freak of a horse,” Woods said of the colt. “He’s been like that from day one. The first day we ever worked him, he worked too quick and it’s been ‘Make sure he doesn’t go too fast’ every time we’ve worked him since. That’s the kind of horse he is. He galloped out huge. He was my fastest gallop out by far.” 

Overall, Woods was satisfied with the day, but has some reservations about the sale’s 2014 location. 

“The show went really well,” he said. “The track was beautiful. The weather was perfect. The horses went great and came back good. I think most people can say the same, from what I’ve seen of horses coming off the track.” 

He continued, “The place itself is beautiful, but I think geographically, it’s not ideal. We’re used to selling in a ritzy environment in South Florida. I think we’d be best served by heading back there again. Fasig-Tipton has always been a big-time boutique sale, it holds a world-record for a horse sold. When people are planning on spending a lot of money, they want to do it in a ritzy environment. It’s a beautiful farm and Williston is a grand town, but it’s not South Beach.” 

Still Woods is looking forward to following up his OBS March performance. 

“When you sat back and looked at March at the end of the day, it looked like it was kind of easy, but it never is,” he admitted. “We had nice horses in a great environment where people wanted to buy horses. And they went and they bought them. It’s way easier to go to the next sale off a good sale than it is to drag yourself over to someplace wondering if you’re going to take another thumping.” 

The list of seven co-fastest furlong workers also included hip 83, a colt by Distorted Humor out of Delta Princess (A.P. Indy). Consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo, the juvenile (:9 4/5), is a half to champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker). Completing the bullets, was hip 100, a colt by Congrats out of First at Summer (Forestry). The dark bay, consigned by Top Line Sales, LLC, was the first to hit the :9 4/5 mark Friday. 

The Fasig-Tipton Florida sale begins Monday at noon.