Debut imminent for $2.5M Barretts sale topper

DEL MAR, Calif. - The California-bred Red Bullet colt who topped the Barretts May sale earlier this year is in training with Eoin Harty in Saratoga and is expected to make his debut later this summer.

The colt, who has not yet been named, was purchased for $2.5 million by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable, a record price for the May sale. He is up to a half-mile in his workouts and is scheduled to have another workout in coming days, Harty said.

Harty said the colt is on a farm that Darley leases at Saratoga and will be sent to his racetrack stable when the barn assembles for the start of the meeting Wednesday.

"He'll run this summer for sure," Harty said. "I haven't put the screws to him yet. I'm pretty sure I won't be disappointed."

The colt was bred by David Newcomb on his ranch in Taylorsville, north of Sacramento. The colt was sold by Newcomb for $190,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale. Newcomb had paid $18,000 for the colt's dam, Sookloozy, at the 2003 Barretts October mixed sale. He still owns Sookloozy.

After being withdrawn from the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in-training, the colt was sold at the May sale. He worked a furlong in 9.60 seconds in the days before the sale, a record time for that distance at a May sale preview.

Harty, who attended the sale, recalled that the colt "was so much better than the rest."

Harty has 30 horses at Saratoga, but the Red Bullet colt is the lone California-bred. After the May sale, the colt went straight to Saratoga. Harty said that the colt has displayed no ill effects of going through the rigorous sale process or the initial racetrack training regiment.

"He's got a mind like an elephant," he said.

No stakes, but nice win for 'Vikki'

Trainer Adam Kitchingman intended to run Vikki's Honor in the Valkyr Stakes for California-breds last weekend at Hollywood Park, an attempt to fulfill the goal of making her a stakes winner. His hopes were dashed when the race was cancelled because of insufficient entries.

Thursday at Del Mar, Kitchingman got half of his wish. Vikki's Honor won an allowance race that carried a purse worthy of a stakes. The allowance race, run at 6 1/2 furlongs for open company, had a $75,000 purse and a bonus of $22,500 for California-breds that finished in the first five. The partnership that owns Vikki's Honor received 60 percent of the available purse for winning, or $58,500.

A 4-year-old Bartok filly, Vikki's Honor fought for the lead throughout under jockey Martin Pedroza and won by a neck over Hello Lucky, finishing in 1:16.57. She has won 5 of 12 starts and $222,026.

Kitchingman's goal of winning a stakes with Vikki's Honor could happen at Fairplex Park in September. In her two previous stakes appearance, Vikki's Honor was third in the CTBA Marian Stakes at Fairplex Park last September and third in the B. Thoughtful Stakes at Hollywood Park in April. The B. Thoughtful has turned out to be a productive race. Race winner Proposed won the Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap, while runner-up Somethinaboutlaura won the A Gleam Handiap earlier this month.

"My main goal is to get her a stakes win," Kitchingman said of Vikki's Honor. "I'm looking at Pomona. She runs good fresh."

Kitchingman said Vikki's Honor could have one more start at Del Mar before the Pio Pico Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Fairplex Park.

"I've kind of been picking my spots with this filly," Kitchingman said.