Mark Casse-trained daughters of Spring At Last were one-two in the twenty-fourth running of the $100, 000 OBS Championship Stakes for 3-year-old fillies as the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company hosted its annual Day of Champions race card. The race came down to a replay of last September’s Natalma Stakes (G2) at Woodbine, with Gary Barber and Stoneway Farm’s Spring Venture besting John C. Oxley’s Spring in the Air by three quarters of a length, as West Point Thoroughbreds’ Toasting settled for third. Spring Venture tracked the early pace in second before taking command going to the far turn. Challenged through the lane with the three fillies head and head into the final furlong, Spring Venture surged in the final yards under Jermaine Bridgmohan to outduel Spring in the Air as Toasting weakened for third. The winner, supplemented to the race, ran the mile and a sixteenth in 1: 44 4/5. Sold by Eisaman Equine, Agent, at the 2012 OBS June Sale, she’s now 6-4-0-0 and has earned $376,821. watch her under tack video
Kenwood Racing LLC’s Michael With Us was a maiden going into the twenty-fourth running of the $100,000 OBS Championship Stakes for colts and geldings, but the three-year-old son of Bluegrass Cat came running late under Hall of Fame rider Edgar Prado and ran down Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Brazilian Court for a half length victory. Tri-Star Racing, LLC, Joe B. Denson and Brent Gasaway’s Brown Almighty was third. Trained by Stephen L. DiMauro, the winner ran the mile and a sixteenth in 1:45 flat. Sold by Halcyon Hammock Farm, Agent, at the 2012 OBS March Sale, he’s now 5-1-2-2 and has earned $80,320. watch his under tack video
In the afternoon’s first race, the twentieth running of the $50,000 OBS Sprint for 3-year-old fillies, Steve Ballou and Harriet Waldron’s Cor Cor, supplemented to the race and trained by Joan Scott, burst out of the gate at the break to a big lead, set blistering fractions and cruised to a 4-3/4 length victory in a track record equaling 1:09 3/5 for six furlongs. Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Over the Counter settled for second with James and Alice Sapara’s Leinan checking in third. Cor Cor, a Florida-bred daughter of Smoke Glacken, ridden by Scott Spieth, was sold by Southern Chase Farm, Inc. (Greg & Karen Dodd), Agent, at the 2012 OBS June Sale. She’s now 5-4-1-0 and has earned $165,800. watch her under tack video
John C. Oxley’s Conquestor strolled out of the gate in the twentieth $50,000 OBS Sprint for colt and geldings and dropped far off the pace, but the 3-year-old colt by Broken Vow surged four wide around the turn under Gary Boulanger, caught the leaders in mid-stretch and won going away by three lengths. The time for six furlongs was 1:11 flat. Rancho Grande Farm and Ideas Medical’s King Solomon was second; Amaty Racing Stables and Sterling Stables’ Mind Spell checked in third. It’s the first win in three starts for Conquestor, and the first win on the comeback trail for rider Boulanger, returning to the saddle after serious injuries suffered in 2005. Sold by Halcyon Hammock Farm, Agent, at the 2012 OBS April Sale, Conquestor has earned $39,644 to date. watch his under tack video