by Pete Denk

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s February sale of selected two-year-olds in training got off to a flying start when the first horse to enter the ring—Eisaman Equine’s Silver Deputy filly—sold to West Point Thoroughbreds for $520,000.

The filly is out of the stakes winning Ghazi mare Daisy Dukes and is a half sister to Japanese stakes winner Surplus Singer. She was bred in Kentucky by the Eisaman’s Eico Stable.

The filly was one of fourteen horses who worked one furlong in a bullet :10 at the February 3 under-tack show, but she separated herself from some of the others with a smooth, long stride and quick gallop out time.

“She’s just a beautiful filly,” said West Point President Terry Finley. “She has a great presence about her, and we loved the way she carried herself all week.

“We didn’t expect to give that much, but we’ve got a few more bullets in the holster. By the end of the season we’ll have some that we’ll buy at a discount and others that we’ll pay a premium for. Her workout was just beautiful. She had a stride on her that was amazing.”

OBSC Director of Sales Tom Ventura said the underbidder was an unidentified phone bidder.

Last year’s top price was $550,000 for Smoke’n Coal, a Smoke Glacken colt out of Cherokyfrolicflash, by Green Dancer. The top-priced filly at the 2007 February sale was $335,000 for a Grand Slam filly out of Wildcat Victory, by Forest Wildcat.

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times