A quartet of juveniles shared the fastest time during the fifth session of the under-tack show held Thursday ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Freshman stallion Yaupon, whose first runners hit the track this year, had another standout breeze session held under “ideal” conditions when a filly (hip 788) from his first crop worked in :9 4/5 for Joe Pickerrell's Pick View LLC.
“She's been lightning fast all year,” said Pickerrell of the filly he picked up for just $100,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. “The wind turned around a little bit later in the day and probably affected some of the gallop outs but I thought she was one who would go fast no matter what time of day she went. She went out there and did her thing.”
The first foal out of a multiple stakes-winning first dam in Big Time, the filly was on Pickerrell's radar early after she brought $190,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November but failed to meet her reserve for $240,000 ten months later.
“We actually loved her at [Keeneland] September and they didn't get her sold,” said Pickerrell. “Then we followed her to on to [Fasig-Tipton] October and bought her there. We got lucky enough to get her.”
Spendthrift stallion Yaupon, who was a hit at the yearling sales with his first crop, has set another high bar heading into OBS April.
“I think we had 12 [Yaupon's] on the farm one point this year,” said Pickerrell of the GI Forego Stakes winner. “I've been telling anyone with a set of ears about Yaupon since we started training. I've got just a couple of broodmares personally but one has already been booked back to him for this year.”
Pick View had another Yaupon (hip 817) in their consignment work in :10 earlier in the day.
“I expect big things out of him,” Pickerrell continued. “I always watch Steve Asmussen's stallions because they always seem to show up when you start seeing babies. I think [this crop] is going to come out running.”
With the tariffs (at least temporarily) on pause, Pickerrell was hopeful that would provide both consigners and buyers some relief ahead of next week's sale.
“There's of course uncertainty with the tariffs,” he said. “But I think we bought a little bit of time and we'll get some stability here. There's a lot of momentum, the purses are awesome and the horses are still valuable if they're successful. So I think there's a lot of positives to buy horses right now.”
Three other juveniles shared the fastest time with colts by first-crop sire Essential Quality (hip 775) and Maximus Mischief (hip 792) joining a Justify filly (hip 741) atop the board. An additional four runners shared the co-fastest quarter-mile time with three of the four coming from Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables consignment including a colt by Honest Mischief (hip 734), a filly by Bolt d'Oro (hip 799) and a filly from the first crop of runners by Horse of the Year Knicks Go (hip 736). Sharing the accolade with that trio is a Vekoma colt (hip 787) consigned by Ocala Stud.
Maclean's Music Colt A Bright Spot For Kinsman Farm
Also breezing later in the day, a colt by Maclean's Music (hip 704) was the sole worker on the day for Ocala-based Kinsman Farm and trainer Emily Dawson. Out of a half-sister to Champion Older Dirt Female Letruska (Super Saver), the colt worked in :10 flat and is already a half to pair of winners in Mischievous Doll (Into Mischief) and American Forces (American Pharoah).
“He had prepped quite well for us so we were really expecting [a good breeze],” said Dawson. “He galloped out quite well and we've been really pleased with how he went. He's been a straightforward colt all season and super professional.”
Kinsman Farm purchased the colt, who also counts MSW/GISP Trigger Warning and GISW J P's Gusto (Successful Appeal) as family members, for just $120,000 at Keeneland September last year with the intention of pinhooking him as a 2-year-old.
“He looked like the type of horse that could handle getting to a 2-year-old sale,” Dawson said of her fastest worker thus far. “He has a hard, fast look to him and a really strong hind end. Add in that he's perfectly clean on x-rays with a good scope and we hope he'll generate some attention.”
First dam American Doll, stakes placed herself, has seen sales-rings success for her foals already as her 3-year-old Constitution colt, now named Only in America, went the way of Robert and Lawana Low for $700,000 at Keeneland in 2023. And, like Pickerrell, Dawson was hopeful that her seven-strong consignment would be well-received at market next week.
“March was quite strong,” she said. “So I'm hopeful that that will continue.”
The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The Spring sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday and bidding begins each day at 10:30 a.m.
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