Plenty of juveniles fire quick times so far at OBS March Under Tack Show

Juveniles have come out ready to run for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale of 2-year-olds in training, which kicks off the breeze-up season in North America. At the midway point of this week's under-tack preview, there is a logjam on the leaderboard, with 18 juveniles tied for the fastest furlong at 9 4/5 seconds.

These 2-year-olds all worked the traditional breeze show distance on Wednesday or Thursday, the first two sessions of the four-day under-tack preview, on Ocala Training Center's all-weather Safetrack. Approximately half of the 853 cataloged hips have worked thus far.

First-crop sires have been well-advertised with early progeny who have lit up stopwatches. Emerging from the pack are Improbable and McKinzie, both of whom have two colts among the bullet-working group thus far. Eclipse Award champion Improbable, who stands at WinStar Farm, and multiple Grade 1 winner McKinzie, who stands at Gainesway Farm, were both Grade 1-winning juveniles themselves before going on to solid campaigns as older horses.

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Improbable, the Eclipse champion older dirt male of 2020, averaged $69,670 for his first yearlings sold last season. He is the sire of a colt out of the Grade 1-placed Tiz Wonderful mare Libby's Tail and a colt out of the stakes-placed Empire Maker mare Inaugurate, who each worked in 9 4/5 seconds. They are consigned, as agent, by Eddie Woods and by Majestic, respectively.

McKinzie's first yearling crop last year was led by a $1.2 million half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner mage sold at Keeneland September. He finished the year with a yearling average of $147,744. His two bullet-working colts at OBS March are a colt out of the stakes-winning Artie Schiller mare Altamura, consigned by Kings Equine as agent; and a colt out of the winning Holy Bull mare Breech Inlet, dam of Canadian classic winner Merveilleux, consigned by Wavertree, as agent.

Other first-crop representatives to work in 9 4/5 seconds are a colt by Grade 1 winner Promises Fulfilled; a colt by graded stakes winner Shancelot; a colt by Grade 1 winner Volatile; a filly by Grade 1-placed Caracaro; and a filly by stakes winner Honest Mischief.

The group of bullet workers also includes two fillies by Munnings; fillies by American Freedom, City of Light, and Nyquist; and colts by Bolt d'Oro, Maximus Mischief, Twirling Candy, and Violence.

Three juveniles currently share the fastest quarter-mile time of 20 4/5 seconds. They are a Bee Jersey filly, an Uncle Mo filly, and a Cajun Breeze colt.

Last year's breeze show ultimately finished with a pair of juveniles tied for the fastest furlong at 9 3/5 seconds, and a pair tied for the fastest quarter, at 20 3/5 seconds. The furlong bullet workers included eventual Grade 1 winner Muth, who sold for a sale-topping $2 million to lead five seven-figure lots as OBS March finished with a 17 percent jump in average and an unchanged median compared to 2022.

As shown by Muth, breeze show times can play a key factor in sale results. Analysis of times and prices show that juveniles working a furlong in under 10 seconds were the highest-priced group at this sale last year, averaging $395,195, compared to $224,935 for those working in 10 seconds flat. Those who worked a quarter in under 21 seconds averaged $361,000.

For hip-by-hip results from the breeze show, which continues Friday and Saturday, click here.

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