Offspring by young sires sizzle on Day 1 of OBS breeze show

Young sires led the way on a crowded leaderboard on Thursday during the first of three pre-sale under-tack preview show sessions for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Six juveniles, all by stallions with three or fewer crops of racing age including current juveniles, were represented by youngsters who blitzed a furlong in 9 4/5 seconds on the Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack surface. Behind those, more than two dozen juveniles were tied at 10 seconds for their furlong work, the traditional work distance for under-tack shows.

The fastest workers were fillies by freshman sires Wicked Strong and Karakontie, fillies from the respective second crops of No Nay Never and Verrazano, and colts by Justin Phillip and Take Charge Indy, both third-crop sires.

Wicked Strong, winner of the Wood Memorial and placed in three other Grade 1 events, is part of a highly-anticipated class of freshman sires with first foals set to run in 2019. The Hard Spun horse stands at Spendthrift Farm. His standout filly in Thursday's breeze show session, consigned by Mayberry Farm, as agent, is out of the Saint Ballado mare Diva Girl, dam of stakes-placed Petecarol. The mare is a half-sister to stakes winners D'Youville Nurse and Peaceful Road. D'Youville Nurse is the dam of Grade 3 winner Unbridled Hope and two other stakes horses, while another half-sister, Summer Storm, is the dam of stakes winner D'Wild Ride and two other stakes horses. Peaceful Road and D'Youville Nurse both also have stakes-producing daughters.

Karakontie, a son of Bernstein standing at Gainesway Farm, was an internationally-successful runner. The Japanese-born stallion was a multiple Group 1 winner in Europe, including the French 2000 Guineas, and captured the 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile. The filly, consigned by All Dreams Equine, as agent, is out of the Mujadil mare Down The Well, dam of stakes winner Aqua Frio. Down The Well is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Speedfriend and stakes-placed Nour Allah. French champion First Bloom and Group 1 winners Jeune and Talinum appear on the catalog page.

No Nay Never, a son of the late Scat Daddy, carried on the legacy of his sire’s international success by emerging as Europe’s leading freshman sire of 2018, with runners including Group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns and Group 2 winner Land Force. His lone representative at OBS March, an Irish-born filly consigned by Wavertree Sales, as agent, is out of the winning Anabaa mare Anestasia, a full sister to Group 1 winner Amonita. Their dam, Group 2 winner Spectacular Joke, also produced Group 3 winner and stakes producer Cox Orange.

No Nay Never stands for Coolmore in Ireland; the international outfit also stands Kentucky-based Verrazano, who had a filly from his second crop tie the fastest furlong time for de Meric Sales, as agent. The filly is out of the unraced Congrats mare Blue Bird Lady, a half-sister to stakes winner Yes She's a Lady. Grade 1 winners Finley'sluckycharm, Pure Clan, and Sky Diva appear on the catalog page.

The Justin Phillip colt, consigned by Hoppel's Horse and Cattle Co., as agent, is out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Cersei. She is out of Grade 1 winner Oh What a Windfall, a full sister to champion Heavenly Prize and the dam of two Grade 2-placed runners. This is a deep Phipps family, with horses appearing on the catalog page including Grade 1 winners Dancing Spree, Dancing Forever, Fantastic Find, Furlough, Good Reward, and Persistently.

Justin Phillip's current juveniles will be his third crop to the races, as is the case for Take Charge Indy. The stallion's quick-working colt, consigned by Top Line Sales, is out of the stakes-winning Closing Argument mare Appealing Stella, whose first starter is a winner.

Among the juveniles stretching out to work a quarter-mile – rather than the more traditional furlong – at the breeze show, the fastest time belonged to a colt by stalwart sire Distorted Humor, who worked in 20 3/5 seconds. The colt, consigned by Southern Chase Farm, as agent, is out of the unraced Forestry mare Driven, whose three winners from four starters are led by stakes-placed Glamoride. The mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Out For a Spin, Grade 3-placed Wise Action, and stakes producer We There Yet.

The breeze show for the OBS March sale, which kicks off the major-market 2-year-old sales season in North America, continues Friday and Saturday, with the sale next Tuesday and Wednesday. For hip-by-hip results from Thursday’s works, click here.