Live racing returns to Ocala on Tuesday, November 26th with a ten-race card highlighted by a pair of six furlong $125,000 OBS Sprint Stakes. First post is at 12:00 noon, and there will be pari-mutuel wagering on the first eight races. The entire card will be streamed live on the OBS website at obssales.com. Admission and parking are free and the gates open at 10:00 a.m.
The first four races are for Quarter Horses: a 330 yard dash for maidens, a 330 yard Allowance; a 220 yard race for maidens and a 220 yard Allowance dash.
Races five through eight are all for Thoroughbreds at six furlongs; two for maidens and two Starter Allowance races.
Races nine and ten are non-wagering events. The ninth race is the $125,000 OBS Filly and Mare Sprint. The six furlong race, for fillies and mares three and up which have gone through the ring at an OBS Sale, has drawn a field of 14.
Bill and Vicki Poston’s Southern Sis, winner of the 2018 OBS Filly and Mare Sprint, returns to defend her title. Idle since March, the 5-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Kantharos comes into the race with a 16-4-4-0 record and earnings of $209,022 for trainer Mark Casse. She carries 121 pounds and will break from post three under Tyler Gaffalione.
Repeating won’t be easy with several stakes winning fillies lined up to challenge her crown.
Trainer Michael Dini sends out Ballybrit Stable LLC’s Dynatail, a multiple stakes winning 5-year-old daughter of Hightail who comes into the race off a narrow loss in the Floral Park at Belmont in October. Winner of the 2017 OBS Championship Stakes, she’s an eight time winner with career earnings of $529,710. Breaking from post seven, she carries 123 pounds and will be ridden by Jose Ferrer.
Northwind Thoroughbreds LLC’s Ms Meshak, winner of Gulfstream’s Added Elegance Stakes in July, will carry 123 pounds and be ridden from post nine by Cristian Torres. Trained by Joe Orseno, the 4-year-old filly by Shackleford has compiled a 16-6-2-1 record and has earned $213,742 to date.
Trainer Jason Servis will saddle Michael Dubb et al’s A Bit of Both, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly by Paynter, winner of Gulfstream’s Game Face Stakes and the Honey Bee Stakes at Monmouth Park this summer. The winner of five of seven starts this year, she comes in with $238,310 in earnings. She’ll carry 120 pounds and be ridden by Paco Lopez from post 12.
The horses and riders in post position order: Chris B. Seaman’s Teener, 114, Gaddiel Martinez; Michael Fennessy’s Bright Blue Eyes, 117, Kevin Mendez; Southern Sis; Chris B. Seaman’s My Agape, 114, C. C. Lopez; Averill Racing LLC’s R Happy Ending, 123, Samy Camacho; Omar Ramirez’s Southern Dudette, 114, Jose A. Garcia; Dynatail; Crawford Farms Racing’s Saint Moon, 118, Emisael Jaramillo; Ms Meshak; J and R Equine Corp’s West Horizen, 114, Federico Mata; Flying Finish Farm’s Reagan’s Rose, 121, Jose Batista; A Bit of Both; Peter David Knoll’s Gucciguccigirl, 117, Ademar Santos; Lonnie Stokes’ Caramel Martini, 119, Mario Pino.
The tenth race, the $125,000 OBS Sprint Stakes for three year olds and up which have gone through the ring at an OBS Sale, has drawn a field of ten.
Gary Barber’ Lookin To Strike, winner of the race a year ago, returns to defend his title. The graded stakes winning 4-year-old colt by Lookin At Lucky, winner of Woodbine’s Ontario Derby (G3) last year, comes into the race with career earnings of $221,178. Trained by Mark Casse, he carries 121 pounds and will break from post eight under Tyler Gaffalione.
Granpollo Stable’s unbeaten King Humor, winner of Gulfstream’s Ocala Flame Stakes, will start from post four under Paco Lopez and carry 123 pounds. Four for four for trainer Nagib Alboughaida, the 4-year-old son of Distorted Humor comes in with earnings of $125,835.
Crawford Farms Racing’s Archidust, third in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G3) at Kentucky Downs last time out, will be saddled by Jorge Navarro. The 3-year-old Verrazano colt won the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga and Monmouth’s My Frenchman Stakes this past summer and has earned $186,050 to date. Breaking from post four, he carries 120 pounds and will be ridden by Victor Lebron.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Ed Orr and Susie Orr’s Boldor, winner of Colonial Downs’ Punch Line Stakes in September. The 3-year-old colt by Munnings, who has earned $126,597, carries 120 pounds and will be ridden by Alonso Quinonez from post nine.
The horses and riders in post position order: Michael Fennessy’s Liz More Boy, 117, Kevin Mendez; King Humor; J and J Stables, Joseph M. Imbesi and Nicholas Vaccarezza’s Doctor Dub, 117, Joe Bravo; Archidust; Dawn Mendez and Steven Henry’s Front Loaded, 121, Jeffrey Sanchez; Rice Racing’s Less Than Perfect, 117, Harry Hernandez; JCA Racing Stable LLC’s Trophy Chaser, 116, Emisael Jaramillo, Lookin To Strike; Boldor.
For more information regarding the OBS Day of Racing, please call (352) 237-2154 or visit the OBS website at obssales.com