Pinnacle Racing Stables and trainer Bill Kaplan’s Eclipse Award winner Musical Romance will defend her title in the $1, 000, 000 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), heading a contingent of 26 OBS graduates who will run in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita on November 2nd and 3rd. The 5-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Concorde’s Tune, sold for $22,000 by breeder Ocala Stud at the 2009 OBS April Sale, has two graded stakes wins this year and the 2011 champion Female Sprinter is now 40-12-8-8 and has earned $1,681,885.
OBS graduates Turbulent Descent and Belle of the Hall are also entered in the Filly & Mare Sprint. Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s millionaire Turbulent Descent, winner of Saratoga’s $500,000 Ballerina Stakes (G1) in August, is a grade one winner at two, three and four. The Florida-bred filly by Congrats was sold for $160, 000 by breeder Ocala Stud at the 2010 OBS April Sale.
West Point Thoroughbreds’ Belle of the Hall, a three-time stakes winner, comes into the race off a victory in Belmont’s Valor Lady Stakes. The 5-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Graeme Hall was sold as a weanling by Day Vista Farms, Agent, at the 2007 Fall Mixed Sale before bringing $340,000 when sold by Eddie Woods, Agent, at the 2009 February Sale.
Belle of the Hall is one of seven Eddie Woods consignees pre-entered. “I’m really proud to have sold so many horses running in this year’s Breeders’ Cup races,” Woods said. “And I bought another, Jeranimo, out of the OBS August Yearling Sale.” Woods declined to pick a favorite out of the large contingent of his former pupils. “That’s like asking me to choose one child over another.”
Preston Stables LLC’s Flat Out goes in the $5,000,000 Classic (G1) after winning Belmont’s $1,000,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) for the second straight year. The 6-year-old Florida-bred son of Flatter, with earnings of $2,042,383, was sold for $11,000 as a weanling by Thoroughstock, Agent, at the 2006 OBS Fall Mixed Sale.
Green B. Smith, Jr’s Nonios has also been entered in the Classic. Winner of Hollywood’s Affirmed Handicap (G3) in June, the 3-year-old colt by Pleasantly Perfect was sold for $73,000 by Eisaman Equine, Agent, at the 2011 OBS April Sale.
The $1,000,000 Turf Sprint (G1) has attracted six OBS graduates. Reneesgotzip will go, along with Camp Victory, Great Attack, Next Question, Tale of a Champion and Unbridled’s Note.
Lanni Family Trust’s Reneesgotzip is a two time stakes winner in 2012, including Santa Anita’s Santa Ynez (G2) in January. Also a graded winner at two, the 3-year-old daughter of City Zip was sold by Ricky Leppala, Agent, for $45,000 at the 2011 OBS April Sale.
Featherston, Jacobsen & Miller’s Camp Victory, knocking heads with the best West Coast sprinters all year, scored in the $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap (G1) at Hollywood Park by 3-1/4 lengths. The 5-year-old gelding by Forest Camp, was sold for $90,000 by M & H Training and Sales, Agent, at the 2009 OBS March Sale.
Houyhnhnm Stable’s Great Attack, who won Churchill’s $150,350 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2) a couple of hours before OBS graduate I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby (G1) is a 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Greatness. The three-time OBS graduate was consigned by Hidden Brook, Agent, to the 2008 January and October Sales before being sold by Eddie Woods, Agent, for $37,000 at the 2009 OBS April Sale.
Three Diamonds Farm’s Next Question picked up his first stakes win October 14th with a victory in the $501,200 Nearctic Stakes (G1) at Woodbine. It was the second straight win for the lightly raced 4-year-old gelding by Stormy Atlantic, consigned by Leprechaun Racing, Agent, to the 2010 OBS April Sale.
Kretz Racing LLC’s Tale of a Champion didn’t get to the races until his debut at Gulfstream in April, but made up for lost time with a 1-1/4 length victory in Calder’s $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Stakes on July 7th. He was sold for $13,000 by Eddie Woods, Agent, at the 2010 OBS April Sale.
Mike McCarty’s Unbridled’s Note tried turf for the first time in the $100,000 Eddie D Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita on September 28 and found it to his liking, winning his first stakes race. The 3-year-old colt by Unbridled’s Song was sold for $140,000 by Jerry Bailey Sales Agency, Agent, at the 2011 OBS March Sale.
B.J. Wright’s Jeranimo will represent OBS in the $2,000,000 Mile (G1). A five-time graded stakes winner, his latest is the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park in June. The 6-year-old Florida-bred son of Congaree was sold for $50,000 by On Course Sales, Agent, at the 2007 OBS August Sale.
P and G Stables and Off the Hook Racing’s multiple stakes winner Turbo Compressor, the only OBS graduate in the $3,000,000 Turf (G1), scored his first graded victory in Monmouth’s $505,000 United Nations Stakes (G1) in July. The 4-year-old Florida-bred son of Halo’s Image was sold for $22,000 by breeder Bridlewood Farm at the 2010 OBS April Sale. He’s also the lone OBS entrant in the $3,000,000 Breeders’ cup turf (G1).
The sole OBS graduate entered in the $1,500,000 Sprint is Shivananda Racing’s Trinniberg, who has won three graded stakes this year. His latest was the $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) at Belmont, chased by fellow OBS graduate Currency Swap (March ’11, October ’09). The 3-year-old colt by Teuflesberg was sold for $21,000 by M & H Training and Sales, Agent, at the 2011 OBS April Sale.
OBS graduates will have a good deal to say in the races for two-year-olds, starting with Summer of Fun and Spring Venture in the $1,000,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
Bona Venture Stables’ 2012 OBS March graduate Summer of Fun was third in the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland on October 11th. The daughter of Include brought $95,000 when purchased out of the Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne) consignment.
Stoneway Farm LLC and Gary Barber’s unbeaten Spring Venture is already a two-time graded stakes winner, her latest a victory in Woodbine’s Mazarine Stakes (G3) on October 6th. Three for three to date, she was sold for $320,000 by Eisaman Equine, Agent, at the 2012 OBS June Sale.
Karl Watson, Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman’s unbeaten Executiveprivilege will bid for an Eclipse Award against a strong field in the $2,000,000 Juvenile Fillies (G1). She picked up her third graded stakes win trying two turns for the first time in the $250,000 Chandelier Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita on September 29th. The daughter of First Samurai, the 2012 OBS April Sale topper, sold by Eddie Woods, Agent for $650,000, is now five for five, and has earned $540,000.
She’ll be tested by John Oxley’s Spring in the Air, winner of Keeneland’s $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) on October 5th. It was the first stakes win for the 2-year-old daughter of Spring at Last, second to Spring Venture in Woodbine’s Natalama Stakes (G2) in September. She was sold by Eddie Woods, Agent, at the 2012 OBS March Sale for $130,000.
Hightail, Merit Man, South Floyd and Super Ninety Nine will represent OBS in the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint. Bluegrass Hall’s Hightail, a maiden colt by Mineshaft, was sold for $345,000 by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent, at the 2012 March Sale.
Bruce Chandler, Double Kee LLC & Purple Shamrock Racing’s Merit Man was two for two and a stakes winner after his 5-1/2 length victory led a 1-2-3 OBS sweep the $100,000 Tim Conway Stakes at Santa Anita. The colt by With Distinction, is a two-time OBS graduate, consigned to the 2010 Fall Mixed Sale by Hartley / DeRenzo Thoroughbreds LLC, Agent before they sold him for $75,000 at the 2012 April Sale.
RAP Racing, Sullivan Stables and Mr. Lamoriello’s South Floyd, second in the Tim Conway, is a two time OBS graduate, first consigned by Hartley / De Renzo Thoroughbreds, Agent to the 2012 March Sale. The colt by Any Given Saturday was subsequently sold for $62,000 by Eddie Woods, Agent at the June Sale.
Tanma Corporation’s Super Ninety Nine won his only start, a maiden special weight test at Santa Anita on October 7th. The colt by Pulpit was sold by Sequel Bloodstock (Becky Thomas), Agent, for $260,000 at the 2012 OBS June Sale.
Brown Almighty and Dry Summer will meet in the $1,000,000 Juvenile Turf.
Tri-Star Racing LLC and Joe B. Denson’s graded stakes placed Brown Almighty scored in the $50,000 Sunny’s Halo Stakes at Louisiana Downs on August 4th. The 2-year-old colt by Big Brown, the first stakes winner for his sire, was sold for $22,000 by Tradewinds Farm, Agent, at the 2012 OBS April Sale.
Sam Britt & Michael House’s Dry Summer rallied to win the $100,000 Oaks Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes on September 5th. The son of Any Given Saturday was sold for $120,000 by Eddie Woods, Agent, at the 2012 OBS April Sale.
In the $2,000,000 Juvenile, Capo Bastone and Speak Logistics will carry the OBS banner.
Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners’ Capo Bastone broke his maiden impressively in his debut at Del Mar, and comes into the race off a third place finish in Santa Anita’s Frontrunner Stakes (G1) on September 29th. The son of Street Boss was sold for $175,000 by de Meric Sales, Agent, at the 2012 OBS March Sale.
Ralph Nabavi’s Speak Logistics scored his first stakes win with a front-runnng victory in the $300,000 Florida Stallion In Reality Stakes at Calder on October 13th. The Florida-bred colt by High Cotton was sold for $62,000 by Ocala Stud, Agent, at the 2012 OBS April Sale.