Bargain mare produces favorite for Gold Rush Futurity

Trainer Danele Durham and her children were pleasantly surprised when they were able to purchase the broodmare Soft Music for $1,700 during last fall’s Heritage Place auction in Oklahoma City.

The bargain buy has been gaining traction all spring.

Soft Music is the dam of Bling On the Music, who could go favored over male rivals Sunday in the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park. She arrived at this point after topping a Lone Star Park auction for $95,000 in April, then winning both of her starts at the track, including the $100,000 fillies division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity on July 9.

“The kids and I were all there that night, and we were screaming so hard for her,” Durham said. “It was a big night for all of us. We were very excited to see the mare’s baby run like she did.”

Bling On the Music, who races for Keene Thoroughbreds and is trained by J.R. Caldwell, is a daughter of Too Much Bling. Soft Music was in foal to that same sire when purchased by the Durhams, and she foaled a strapping colt for the Texas-based family in January.

“The kids and I have six mares together at the house, at our farm,” Durham said. “We’re breeding to race. They’re involved, sitting up at night on foal watch, delivering babies.”

The new full brother to Bling On the Music is named Lullaby Bling, the moniker suggested by Durham’s son Jackson, who is a classical pianist. Durham also has two daughters, Caroline and Katherine.

Soft Music, who is by champion Action This Day, is back in foal to Paddy O’Prado, Durham said.