OBS Breeze Show Concludes

The under-tack preview of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded with a fifth session in Central Florida Sunday. During a rain-delayed session, another two juveniles tied the week's fastest furlong time of :9 4/5, while the day's quickest quarter-mile time was :20 4/5. A day after Come Dancing (Malibu Moon) finished second in the GI Ogden Phipps S., her half-sister by Ghostzapper turned in the week's co-fastest three-furlong work of :32 3/5.

A filly by More Than Ready (hip 1037), supplemented to the June catalogue, worked the co-bullet furlong time of :9 4/5 for the McKathan Bros. consignment. The dark bay filly is out of Italian group winner Omaticaya (Ire) (Bernstein).

“I expected her to go fast. She has been fast pretty much all year long,” Kevin McKathan said. “She's been to several sales, so she goes out and does her job every time.”

The filly worked at the OBS March sale, as well as last month's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale, where she went a furlong in :10 1/5, but she was withdrawn from both auctions.

“At the end of the day, we just haven't found the right person for her,” McKathan said. “We've been a little bullish on her all year. This is the last sale, so we'll find somewhere for her to live, I hope.”

The youngster was purchased by McKathan Bros. for $125,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“She is a beautiful filly and we'd been chasing a More Than Ready for the last couple of years,” McKathan said. “We loved her and we were able to get her bought. When you look at her, she looks a lot like a More Than Ready. She's a very fast-looking filly with beautiful lines. She is elegant. I think if someone is looking for a More Than Ready filly, she'll check all the boxes for them.”

For the second day in a row, the breeze show was delayed by weather.

“It rained [Saturday] in the early morning and through mid-morning,” McKathan said. “Today it started off nice and by the second break, we went on a delay, so we've been fighting the weather since about 8:30 or 9 a.m. and there has been lightning and raining.”

McKathan is expecting the demand for horses to stretch into the last juvenile sale of the season.

“It seems like everyone is here and anxious to find something,” he said.

Harris Training Center sent out a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Lea (First Samurai) (hip 893) to work the furlong in :9 4/5. Named Unconquered Lea, the chestnut is out of Tanquerray (Good Journey). He was bred in California by Fortuna Ranch Racing and Demetrios Shelie Xanthos.

Over the five sessions of the breeze show, 11 horses shared the :9 4/5 furlong bullet time.

A gelding from the first crop of graded winner Bahamian Squall (Gone West) (hip 881) turned in the fastest quarter-mile breeze at OBS Sunday, covering the distance in :20 4/5. Consigned by Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds, the dark bay is out of Super Trooper (Posse). He was bred in Florida by Pamela Edel.

Three horses shared the week's bullet quarter-mile time of :20 3/5.

A filly by Ghostzapper (hip 914) tied the week's fastest three-furlong time when covering the distance in :32 3/5 Sunday. The bay filly is consigned by Gayle Woods, as agent for Eric Delvalle. The juvenile is out of graded stakes winner Tizahit (Tiznow) and is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), who since the catalogue was printed won the GII Ruffian S. and was second behind Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S.

“She is a very classy-acting filly and a great mover,” said Woods. “I was very happy with her work–she galloped out like a beast. She galloped out in :44 3/5 and :59 1/5. She has got everything. She vets good, she is a beautiful mover with a huge walk on her and she is very pretty. And with the update, and Ghostzapper is hot, too, I think she'll be very popular.”

Delvalle purchased the filly for $67,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“Eric Antonio Delvalle is a new client,” Woods said. “Crestwood had horses for him and I've worked with Crestwood, so they advised him to send the filly to me. Originally, we were going to put her in the April sale, but she is a May baby and I ended up taking her out before the catalogue went to print. I said, 'I think the filly will benefit with another couple of months and we should wait and go to the June sale to give her all the time to mature.' And I think it paid off pretty well.”

The June Sale will be held Wednesday through Friday, with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

CRUPI MEMORIAL MONDAY
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company will host a celebration of the life of J.J. Crupi at the sales complex Monday, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The longtime Ocala horseman passed away in May.