Among the some 170 catalogued horses expected to breeze during Wednesday's fourth session of the under-tack preview for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, one colt stands out on paper thanks to his famous grandmother. Shuggy (Twirling Candy) (hip 668) is the first foal out of champion Zenyatta's unraced daughter Zellda (Medaglia d'Oro). Mayberry Farm is consigning the bay colt on behalf of Ann Holbrook Moss, who campaigned Zenyatta with her ex-husband, the late Jerry Moss.
“Everything Zenyatta is hers,” April Mayberry said of Holbrook. “When Jerry passed away, everything reverted back to her solely.”
Zenyatta is now retired from breeding, but Holbrook has two broodmares out of the famous mare, whose final foal, the 2-year-old Nymue (War Front), has been training with Shuggy this spring at Mayberry Farm.
“Zenyatta had a bunch of fillies and Ann is breeding them,” Mayberry said. “I think her plan is to keep the fillies and see about selling the boys. And this is the first grandchild, the first colt, that came up. It's testing the waters. Let's see how he is accepted. If not, she's going to end up with 20 horses in her racing stable. She has no racehorses right now and if she is not careful, she is going to blink and she's going to have 10 in two years.”
Mayberry acknowledged his famous grandmother has created a certain amount of buzz around the colt.
“The whole farm knows him as Zenyatta's grandson,” she said with a chuckle. “That's how we all know him. Shuggy is such a great name and it suits him so well. He actually looks like his mother. She was a little on the smaller size. He's just kind of a small, average size, but he has his grandmother's heart, let me put it that way. He's professional. He loves to train. He wants to do it. And it looks like he has some ability.”
The colt was an Apr. 27 foal and looks like he still has some growing up to do, according to Mayberry.
“He is still very immature,” she said. “So there is so much upside on him improving as time goes on. But unfortunately, it's the April sale and here we are.”
Mayberry added, “If he doesn't bring what we all think he should, definitely, he will be the first in that generation to go to the races for [Holbrook]. But I think Ann is going to be very fair in what she is thinking. She will be down here and we will discuss it and we will go from there.”
Zellda's second foal is also a colt and already named Just Sayin (Justify). He will also likely be heading to the sales ring.
“Whether he goes to the yearling sale or 2-year-old sale, I'm not sure,” Mayberry said of the chestnut colt.
The 8-year-old Zellda was bred to Practical Joke last year. Zenyatta also has an unraced 5-year-old daughter, Zilkha (Candy Ride {Arg}).
Another Bullet for McCrocklin: Mitole Filly Sets Quarter-Mile Mark at OBS Tuesday
For the second day in a row, a filly from Tom McCrocklin's consignment claimed the fastest quarter-mile work when a daughter of Mitole (hip 363) completed her drill in :20 2/5 some two hours into Tuesday's third under-tack session ahead of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The filly is out of multiple stakes-placed Sadie Be Good (Big Drama) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Cairama (Cairo Prince) and Maverama (Cairo Prince). She was purchased by Mustang Farm for $36,000 at last year's OBS October sale.
McCrocklin, who topped last year's Spring sale with a $1.9-million daughter of Tiz the Law, also sent out the second fastest quarter-mile worker Tuesday when a son of the GI Belmont Stakes winner (hip 508) out of Taboo (Forestry) worked in :20 3/5. He was purchased by McCrocklin for $150,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.
“Both horses today, they are fast horses,” McCrocklin said. “I was not surprised, but I was certainly pleased. They had trained well at the farm and prepped well here. They both have standard things I like in a horse: big deep shoulder, big deep heart girth, long, pretty neck and a strong hind leg.”
During Monday's second session of the under-tack show, McCrocklin sent out a filly by Yaupon (hip 181) to work in :20 2/5.
“We're very happy and we've had a really good breeze show so far,” McCrocklin said. “We still have other cakes in the oven.”
Two horses shared Tuesday's bullet furlong time of :9 4/5. A colt by Into Mischief (hip 416) hit the bullet time for Kings Equine. Bred by Scot and Evan Dilworth and Randy Andrews, the juvenile RNA'd for $375,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. He is out of Silk Route (Empire Maker) and is a full-brother to multiple stakes-winner Taraz.
Also earning the furlong bullet Tuesday was a colt from the first crop of Galilean (hip 356). Consigned by Next Level Thoroughbreds, the bay is out of graded winner Royale Michele (Elusive Quality). He was purchased by Vincent Conanan for $24,000 at last year's OBS October sale.
“He's been showing us that he could really run from the beginning,” said Next Level's Abraham Gardea. “He always showed he had a lot of speed and ever since I put the blinkers on him, he's just turned into a different horse. He's more focused. He's got a good personality, a good mind. He's just a good horse to be around.
“The is my first year for the consignment, so it's really nice to have a horse like that.”
Through three sessions of the under-tack show, 13 horses have shared the :9 4/5 bullet time for the furlong.
The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 8 a.m. The Spring sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday with bidding starting at 10:30 a.m.
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