Hoppel Pair To The Fore During Friday's Penultimate OBS Under-Tack Show

Speedier furlongs were harder to come by during Friday's sixth session of the under-tack show ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training with only a pair of juveniles breaking out of the pack to share the co-fastest time in :9 4/5. A pair of colts, both from the consignment of Hoppel LLC, had no issue however in putting up blazing fast times during their quarter-mile works Friday morning. Going about an hour apart, colts by Yaupon (hip 875) and Maclean's Music (hip 1017) ripped through a quarter-mile in :20 2/5, matching the fastest time of the under-tack show thus far.

“Both of the horses were fast at the farm,” said Jesse Hoppel. “They were fast in their preps and I expected them to be really fast in the breeze show. I know coming in that today would be our fastest day of breezers. It's been a long week waiting on them.”

Of the decision to work this colts over the quarter-mile versus the furlong, Hoppel said: “They're both very aggressive, scopey and they stand over some ground. These horses are going to have to run further in the races and I thought [the quarter] would give a better preview of what these horses are going to be like as race horses.”

The Yaupon colt, out of a Scat Daddy half-sister to MSW Saratoga Snacks (Tale of the Cat), Peruvian GSW Rajman (Thunder Gulch) and to the dam of MSW Split Time (Take Charge Indy), was one of the first runners out at 8 am. His $260,000 KEESEP tag last year made him part of Yaupon's stellar first-crop sales season.

“[The Yaupons] have hit the scene hard and fast,” Hoppel said of hip 875. “I brought this horse here because it's my home field and I felt like he was one of my best individuals this year. I knew early on, back home on the dirt tracks, that this horse was expectional. I've had very few horses of his level in my care. That tells me maybe the Yaupons are going to go on and do something. They've jumped through the yearling hoop and now the 2-year-old hoop. Let's see how they graduate on the race track.”

Going out shortly after 9 a.m., the Maclean's Music colt, who RNA'd for $235,000 at Keeneland September, is out of daughter of Canadian Champion Older Mare Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song) who has already produced two winners from as many runners including 'TDN Rising Star' Cut the Dust (Not This Time). The family also includes MGISW Exaggerator (Curlin).

The third worker of three Friday for the Hoppel consignment has a pedigree which needs little introduction. The colt, by Gun Runner (hip 994) out of the Henny Hughes mare Drumette, is a half to dual Eclipse winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and to GSW Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) and worked his eighth in :10 1/5 midway through the morning. Consigned by Hoppel here, he last RNA'd for $325,000 at Keeneland September last year.

“That horse did everything like he should,” Hoppel said. “He's a big, pretty colt that has a lot of the attributes of Gun Runner. I'm very happy with him.”

After selling all but one of his nine-horse consignment at OBS March, Hoppel looks to keep the momentum going into April.

“March felt like we were in a very healthy marketplace here at OBS,” he said. “Typically, that's a leading indicator for these 2-year-old sales if March is off and running. It was a good bellwether for us this year and I don't see any reason why it shouldn't carry on in April and the following sales.”

Keeping the fast quarter-mile times coming, a Hard Spun filly (hip 898) consigned by Ocala Stud and a colt from the first crop of Silver State (hip 935) consigned by Tom McCrocklin both went in :20 3/5 earlier in the morning.

A colt from the first crop of Silver State (hip 903) was one of just two break the 10-second barrier Friday morning. Consigned by Brittany Dallaire's Envision Equine, the colt is the second foal out of a winning Distorted Humor mare from the family of GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.

The under-tack show concludes with a final session Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. The Spring sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday and bidding begins each day at 10:30 a.m.