by Pete Denk
A filly by freshman sire Cuvee worked one furlong in :9.80 on Sunday to top the second under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s February sale of selected two-year-olds in training.
The bay filly, out of the winning Awesome Again mare Miss Awesome, drilled one furlong in :10.40 at the February 3 under-tack show, in which 14 horses shared the fastest time of :10.
“At the first breeze show, the rider rode her green and she hit the fence twice,” consignor Luke McKathan said. “That’s the reason I worked her back. I knew she could do better.”
Three horses shared the fastest two-furlong work on Sunday by covering the distance in :20.80, including Wingingit, a Songandaprayer colt out of stakes winner Mighty Rose, by Mighty Appealing, consigned by Eisaman Equine, agent.
A During filly out of Ruby Tango, by Miner’s Mark, also worked a quarter-mile in :20.80. The bay filly is consigned by Michael Yates’s Shadybrook Farm Inc., agent.
The third :20.80 move came from an Alke colt out of West Broadway, by West Acre. Consigned by Southern Cypress Stable, agent, the Alke colt worked one furlong in :10 at the first under-tack show despite looking around and throwing his head in the air during his drill.
The OBSC February sale will be held Tuesday. This was OBSC’s first sale using its new Safetrack surface, an all-weather fiber-enhanced material manufactured by Andrews Bowen Ltd. OBSC General Manager Tom Ventura was pleased with the performance.
“I thought the breeze shows went very well,” Ventura said. “It was certainly on the fast side, but it was a fair racetrack for everyone. All the feedback I’m getting from the barns is that the horses are coming back happy, so that’s the most important part.”
On Monday, the sale grounds play host to the 19th annual OBS Day of Champions, five stakes races for OBSC sale graduates with total purses of $425,000. Darley is sponsoring the stakes program and will offer the winners of three of the races free seasons to a selected Darley stallion.
Pete Denk is Thoroughbred Times sales editor