Trio Share Furlong Bullet Time at OBS Friday

A trio of colts earned the co-bullet furlong time of :9 4/5  during Friday's third session of the under-tack preview for next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, while a colt and filly set the day's fastest quarter-mile mark of :20 4/5.

Christy Whitman's Whitman Sales sent out a son of Algorithms (hip 495) to work the furlong in :9 4/5. The bay colt is out of Lignite (Run Away and Hide).

“He's always been a really nice colt,” Whitman said of the speedy juvenile. “He's incredibly athletic and we expected him to work well, but obviously he worked a little better than expectations. So we are super happy with that and look forward to see how he does in the ring.”

The colt was purchased by Jose Garcia Blanco for $14,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“A client [Garcia Blanco] of ours actually bought the horse,” Whitman said. “But I did see the horse at Keeneland and I really liked him–he has a really athletic, attractive build. So we went in on a partnership on the horse with that client. And he has trained up to expectations. He looked like he was going to be really fast and everything fell into place.”

Whitman Sales has been busy through the first three sessions of the under-tack preview, sending out 16 juveniles to work over the OBS track. Whitman has seen uniform conditions throughout to preview.

“I feel like the track has been pretty fair,” Whitman said. “It's the June sale, so there are a whole range of horses and abilities. I think the horse that has the ability to work well has worked well and I think some of the slower times are just going along with the individual that's turning them in. But I think the track's been fair and they've done a good job managing it.”

The June sale gets underway next Wednesday and Whitman is noticing plenty of interest at the barn.

“We've already had some traffic back at the barn, which is nice to see,” she said. “The sale still has a range of buyers in it. There are definitely some people who are looking for those good horses that didn't get sold earlier in the year for whatever reason and some, like this particular colt, are just now getting to the sales season. So I think there is a market for all types of horses at this sale.”

A colt from the first crop of Bourbon Courage (hip 515), whose two winners to date include a stakes horse, also covered the furlong in :9 4/5. Consigned by Victor Dominguez's Victory Stable, the bay is out of the unraced Lulu Quatorze, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Lovable Lady (Not for Love) and from the family of Grade I placed sophomore Signalman. He was bred in Florida by Martha Mallicote.

Mallicote, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, sold the colt privately as a yearling.

“He was a very feisty colt,” Mallicote recalled of the juvenile. “I'm not surprised at all that he has adapted so well to this because he was always a bit of a trouble maker and he had the right personality.”

Mallicote, who has three broodmares, is just getting started in Thoroughbred breeding with plans to sell all her foals as yearlings.

“I'm a large animal internist, so I'm involved in the industry, but this is one of the first Thoroughbreds that I've bred,” she said. “Being associated with the industry already and being a horse person, made getting involved with Thoroughbreds on the breeding side a natural idea.”

Mallicote owns Lulu Quatorze in partnership with a colleague. The mare has a foal on the ground by He's Had Enough and she is back in foal to that Florida stallion.

Asked what it was like to have one of the first graduates of her breeding program work a bullet at OBS, Mallicote said, “Well, we will see how he sells next week, but this was certainly a good starting point.”

Rounding out the trio of furlong bullets was a colt by Overdriven (hip 462), who worked in :9 4/5 for the M R Racing consignment. Bred by William and Annabel Murphy, the bay is out of Lady Buddha (Buddha).

Through three sessions, five horses have worked the :9 4/5 bullet furlong time.

A filly by Majesticperfection (hip 524) shared Friday's fastest quarter-mile breeze of :20 4/5. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the chestnut is out of Madera Dancer (Rahy) and is a half-sister to group placed Legends of War (Scat Daddy), who was a $1.35-million purchase at last year's Tattersalls Breeze Up sale. The filly was bred by DP Racing.

Hoppel's Horse & Cattle Co. sent out a son of Raison d'Etat (hip 609) to work the quarter-mile Friday in :20 4/5. The dark bay is out of Neith (Dynaformer), a half-sister to graded placed Lady Chace (Tiznow) and Grade I placed Big Tiz (Tiznow). Pat Hoppel purchased the youngster for $10,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October sale.

The under-tack show continues through Sunday with sessions beginning daily at 7:30 a.m. The OBS June sale will be held next Wednesday through Friday. Bidding commences each day at 10 a.m.