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C2 Racing Stable LLC and Stefania Farms, LLC’s Mystic Lake (Mo Town – Salty Soul) stalked the leaders in Saturday’s $140,00 Sugar Swirl Stakes at Gulfstream, went after them on the turn, took over a furlong out and prevailed by three quarters of a length. It’s the fifth stakes victory for the 3-year-old graded stakes winning Florida-bred filly by Mo Town, trained by Saffie A. Joseph, Jr., now 13-6-3-1 with $901,354 in earnings. She’s a two-time OBS graduate, sold by Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent, at the 2022 October Yearling Sale and then purchased for $130,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the 2023 March Sale after turning in an Under Tack quarter in :20 4/5.   watch her under tack video      March Sale walking video

OBS graduates scored five stakes wins on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Stir Crazy (Vancouver (AUS) – Mentally Unstable) was half a length better than fellow OBS graduate Join the Dance (Shackleford – Moondancer) and captured the $100,000 Blushing K. D. Stakes. It’s the first stakes win for the 6-year-old daughter of Vancouver (AUS), consigned by Paul Sharp, Agent, to the 2020 OBS June Sale and sold for $35,000 after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 2/5. She’s trained by Mike Maker and has compiled a 25-6-9-3 record and earned $468,354. watch her under tack video

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’) Built (Hard Spun – Sea Garden, by Curlin jumped from a maiden win in October to the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes with the greatest of ease, romping to a 6-3/4 length wire to wire victory. Wayne Catalano trains the 2-year-old colt by Hard Spun, now 3-2-0-1 with $124,204 earnings. At the 2024 OBS Spring Sale, he sped an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5 and was purchased for $200,000 out of the Harris Training Center consignment.    breeze/walk video

Charles K. Marquis’ Bear River (Flameaway – Sixtyfivenorth) took the lead at the start of the $100,000 Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes and never looked back en route to a 2-1/4 length victory. It’s the second stakes win for the 3-year-old son of Flameaway, trained by Keith Desormeaux, now 18-5-0-2 with $383,848 in earnings. At the 2023 OBS June Sale, he turned in an Under Tack eighth in :10 2/5 and was purchased for $50,000 out of the Randy Miles consignment.  watch his under tack video 

FMQ Stables’ Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming – New Narration) rated just off the pace in the $100,000 Tenacious Stakes, took over in the lane and cruised to a two length victory. That’s four stakes wins for the 4-year-old son graded stakes winning son of Always Dreaming, consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, to the 2022 OBS Spring Sale and sold for $240,000 after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat. He’s trained by Brad Cox and has compiled a 12-6-2-1 career record and earned $3,130,985.    watch his under tack video   Spring Sale walking video

S.O.K. Racing, Gervais Racing, LLC, On Our Own Stable LLC, Zak Stables and Dallas Stewart’s Tough Catch (Complexity – Try to Catch Her), led a 1-2-3 OBS sweep of the $100,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes, taking the lead after turning for home and holding off a late charge by Doroteo ( Bolt d’Oro – Place Card), with Indian Cat (Tapiture – Party Cat) settling for third. It’s the first stakes victory for the 2-year-old colt by Complexity, consigned to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale by Longoria Training and Sales and selling for $280,000 after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat. The winner, trained by Dallas Stewart, is now 5-2-2-0 and has earned $201,200.   breeze/walk video

OBS Spotlight is an occasional series highlighting OBS sales graduates, consignors, buyers, and breeders

By Alicia Hughes, Director of Communications

One of the things the late businessman B. Wayne Hughes loved to remind people of when discussing the successes Spendthrift Farm achieved under his helm was the fact he was guided as much by hope and chance as he was by fact and reason.

For all the studying of pedigrees and nicks and past performance lines and conformation, Hughes knew that gut instinct and feeling could play just as crucial a role in finding the next standout Thoroughbred athlete. And at the 2007 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, the Spendthrift owner and his team saw something in a son of Harlan’s Holiday they decided was worth taking a chance on.

The colt’s pedigree at that moment in time was not of the commercial sort, nor did it scream obvious ability for on track success. He didn’t blow anyone out of the water with his presence on the end of the lead shank, but once the bay youngster got to stretching himself out during his under-tack showcase, a certain potential flashed itself and convinced Hughes there could be more to unearth.

“The one phrase Mr. Hughes loved to use when talking about the horse business and all its different aspects was, nobody knows,” Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey said of the man who purchased the farm in 2004 and established it as an industry leader prior to his passing 2021. “Which stallion is going to be the next big stallion? Which yearling is going to be the big racehorse? At the end of the day nobody knows.

“Into Mischief is the embodiment of that.”

Known then as Hip 22 in the OBS catalog, the horse who would become the manifestation of the Thoroughbred industry’s biggest aspirations sold to Hughes for $180,000 out of the M&H Training and Sales consignment. Seventeen years after teasing his ability on the OBS grounds, Into Mischief now stands as one of the great bargains in public auction history as well as the benchmark generations of stallions will be aiming to match.

Since entering the Spendthrift stud barn in 2009, Into Mischief has repeatedly forced the commercial industry to find higher stratospheres for him to exist in. With the 2024 racing season winding down, the bay stallion is poised to collect yet another milestone as he will lead the North American general sire list for a sixth consecutive year.

Coming into this season, Into Mischief was already breathing rarified air as he was tied with Bull Lea and Nasrullah for the second most general sire titles in the last century, trailing only Bold Ruler’s mark of eight. On the strength of the exploits of offspring like Laurel River, winner of this year’s $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), 2024 saw Into Mischief become the first stallion to surpass $30 million in progeny earnings in a single year with more than $33.9 million as of Dec. 19.

He is set to have his sixth Eclipse Award champion in Citizen Bull as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner is favored to take home divisional honors. With his triumph at Del Mar in November, Citizen Bull also became his sire’s eighth career Breeders’ Cup winner, putting Into Mischief in a four-way tie atop the World Championship’s all-time sire list by victories.

He became the first stallion to have consecutive Kentucky Derby (G1) winners with 2020 Horse of the Year and fellow Spendthrift sire, Authentic, and adjudicated 2021 Derby victor Mandaloun. And with the success of sons like Ashford Stud’s Practical Joke and fellow OBS graduate and Spendthrift stallion Goldencents – who currently rank 11th and 12th, respectively, on the general sire list – Into Mischief is also checking off the hallowed mark of becoming a sire of sires.

That his name would end up at or near the top of nearly every meaningful achievement in the stallion ranks is all the more remarkable when reflecting on his diamond-in-the-rough background. In the span of :10.2 seconds over the OBS track, a future game-changer was able to catch the eye of those astute enough to see beyond the surface.

“He was a good individual, but not a great individual from a conformation standpoint. His breeze is what stood out, just that he did it so well with a great gallop out,” Toffey recalled of Into Mischief’s pre-sale work. “He was bought really to a great deal on the strength of his breeze. If you turn back the clock and look at his pedigree, it didn’t look anything like it does today. It was a very different looking page than what it is today.

“So top and bottom it wasn’t a slam dunk pedigree, but again it was just the combination of the strength of his breeze that attracted us. And since that time, that pedigree has filled in pretty dramatically.”

Had his achievements ended with only his racing success, Into Mischief would have justified Hughes’ faith. In six career starts, he was never worse than second and earned his biggest victory when he annexed the 2007 Grade 1 CashCall Futurity in his third career outing.

Even with a top-level triumph on his resume, his path to greatness in the stud barn was something that had to be built brick by weighty brick. The stalwart reputation his sire Harlan’s Holiday would ultimately earn was still being established and his dam Leslie’s Lady was years out from her eventual distinction as a blue hen, the result of her going on to produce champion Beholder and Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn.

Hence, when the time came for Into Mischief to try and impress the buying public once more, he again found himself overlooked by a majority of those in the bloodstock game.

“People would ask in the beginning, you know, ‘What type of mares are you’re looking for, for Into Mischief?’, and we were like ‘One that would fog a mirror’,” said Spendthrift stallion sales manager Mark Toothaker, who joined the farm in 2012. “We weren’t looking for anything except just mares to try to get him as many foals out there as we possibly could.”

Self-Made Man

A commonality many top racehorses share is an innate knowledge of when to get their proverbial game face on. With Into Mischief, Toffey recalls the bay runner would practically undergo a full-on transformation from the time he left the barn to the time he would enter the starting gate.

“Into Mischief was a horse who when it was time to go to a race, when it was time to get in the paddock, he knew what was coming and he would – like a lot of good horses do – he would blow himself up,” Toffey said. “If you saw him just on a Wednesday at the barn on the toe ring, you wouldn’t really think a heck of a lot, but he would look like a different animal in the paddock before the race and going out on the track.

“I saw that version of Into Mischief and I thought, man this horse is going to be a slam dunk, he’s going to be easy to sell seasons in when he gets to the farm. Well, a couple months later, he shows up at the farm and he gets off the van and I’m thinking ‘Where is the rest of him?’.”

Indeed, when Into Mischief was retired in December 2008 following his runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, attracting breeders to the first-year sire proved anything but straightforward. After struggling to get support during that initial season when he stood for $12,500, Hughes got creative and came with Spendthrift’s now signature innovative initiative known as “Share the Upside” in which breeders are offered a lifetime breeding right should they complete two “stands and nurses” contracts during his first two years at stud. 

“Very much the origins of Share the Upside stemmed from the question of how are we going to get people to breed to Into Mischief the second year, a horse who we had limited success getting numbers to him in year one,” Toffey said. “It was like, if year one was this tough, what is year two going to be like? We had to come up with something. We came up with the idea out of a need. When you’re doing that sort of thing, you really are in a position where you are taking anything you can get.”

By 2012, Into Mischief’s fee had dipped to $7,500 and the notion he would one day stand for the $250,000 he currently commands seemed fantastical at best. Just as his quality showed itself when it counted on the track, so too did it bubble up when his first crop began flaunting their own competitive ability.

Despite the less-than-commercial nature of his early books, Into Mischief delivered a shot across the bow with his first runners. Months after selling at the 2012 OBS June auction, Goldencents became his sire’s first graded stakes winner when he took the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes that November. When the future multiple Grade 1 winner prevailed again in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes to kick off his sophomore campaign on Jan. 5, 2013, another son of Into Mischief in Vyjack also notched a graded win when he annexed the Jerome Stakes (G2) that same afternoon.

He would end 2012 ranked third on the freshman sire list and filling his book began to become an issue of demand rather than desperation. Both Vyjack and Goldencents would go on to start in the 2013 edition of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and from there, the momentum in the Spendthrift stud barn never stopped.

Fittingly, Goldencents would again be the dutiful son by becoming the first Breeders’ Cup winner sired by Into Mischief when he took the Dirt Mile (G1) in both 2013 and 2014. By the time the brilliant filly Covfefe added to that total by winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in 2019, she would help backstop her now indominable father to his first reign atop the general sire list.

“I remember when I first went over to Spendthrift, it was very much in the beginning days for him and every year, a little deal pops up on my Facebook page where I was trying to say anything good about Into Mischief,” Toothaker said. “It’s hilarious now, because what I had said was, ‘He had a maiden special weight winner, and he had one running in a stake this coming weekend’. That was my highlight of anything that I could say for him back then.

“It’s comical today because it’s just crazy the success that he’s had. It’s been amazing to watch, because I’ve been able to be there the whole time and to not only see his stud fee go up year after year, but to dominate the way he’s been doing. It’s unimaginable where he’s gone – from Book Seven to Book One basically in the mare quality – and his offspring have been productive citizens for a long time. There will never be another Into Mischief I don’t think during my lifetime.”

The Best is Yet to Come

Given he proved from the start he could move up any kind of mare, it is little wonder Into Mischief continued to raise the bar once he was bred to partners who are proven in bloodlines and produce records. With the quality of his books become more and more illustrious, it stands to reason that the best of his offspring is still coming down the pipeline and that his general sire title run may well be on record-setting course.

“He’s got some tremendous crops coming so it’s going to continue to be very, very strong,” Toffey said. “One of the exciting things for me is in recent years, we’ve starting to use him ourselves more and more. Some of these special mares that we’ve bought like (champion) Monomoy Girl have gone to Into Mischief a couple times. When he was breeding small books, his percentages were through the roof. No horse is going to be able to maintain those kinds of percentages when the books get much bigger but he’s doing a remarkable job of coming as close to that as a horse can. That’s why he’s going on six years in a row as leading sire because he’s such a high percentage horse and always has been.”

From a statistical standpoint, the odds were not in Spendthrift’s favor when they added Into Mischief to the list of juveniles they secured at that 2007 OBS sale. Among Hughes’ many hallmarks, however, were the fact he wasn’t afraid to take a chance and stand on his conviction.

And what he saw on the sales grounds from the son of Harlan’s Holiday has not only established unprecedented industry standards but also solidified why hope remains the vibrant heartbeat of the commercial marketplace.

“Wayne was such a positive thinker, and I can remember him saying at one point in (Into Mischief’s) career ‘We might have Bold Ruler on our hands’, and I was like ‘Yeah, that’s nice’. But that turned out to be the case,” Toffey said. “He has demonstrated his consistency, his brilliance, he can move mares up and he can take the top mares and have the same kind of results.

“He’s the horse a lifetime.”

OBS graduates took a pair of stakes wins on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs

Stephen Rousseau’s Nic’s Style (Uncaptured – Sense When) tracked the leaders from the inside in the $100,000 FTBOA City Of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes, battled to the lead a furlong out and was best by 2-1/2 lengths at the wire. That’s two straight stakes wins for the 4-year-old Florida-bred graded stakes placed daughter of Uncaptured, purchased by Stephen Rousseau for $25,000 out of the Summerfield consignment at the 2021 October Yearling Sale. She’s trained by Bill Mott and is now 6-5-1-0 with $328,400 in earnings.

Daniel L. Walters and Dennis G. Smith’s Big Martini (The Big Beast – Dirty Martini) scored his first stakes win with a frontrunning two length victory in in the $100,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes. Rohan Crichton trains the 4-year-old Florida-bred son of The Big Beast, now 18-4-6-2 with $268,308 in earnings. He’s a two-time OBS graduate, sold first at the 2021 Winter Mixed Sale and then purchased for $87,000 out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment at the 2022 June Sale after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5.   watch his under tack video        June Sale walking video

Stonestreet Stables LLC and Peter Leidel’s Blue Fire (Aurelius Maximus – Mystic Blue) went to the front in Saturday’s $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Stakes at Fair Grounds, was headed from the inside past the eighth pole, then came again to score by a head. It’s the first stakes victory for the 2-year-old daughter of Aurelius Maximus, trained by Steve Asmussen, now 3-2-0-0 with $95,120 in earnings. She was purchased for $32,000 out of the Kaizen Sales consignment at the 2023 OBS Winter Mixed Sale.

Baoma Corp.’s Tenma (Nyquist – Amagansett) went to the lead at the start of Saturday’s $200,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos, battled head to head with Look Forward around the turn and into the stretch, then pulled away late and was best by a length and three quarters at the wire. It’s the second graded stakes win for the 2-year-old daughter of Nyquist, purchased for $850,000 out of the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale after speeding an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5. She’s trained by Bob Baffert, has compiled a 4-3-0-1 record and earned $369,000.     breeze/walk video

Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC’s Mrs Worldwide (Global Campaign – Scatmeifucan) scored her second straight stakes victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, moving to contention on the turn, taking command in the stretch and winning by half a length. Fellow OBS graduate Dancing Magic (Good Magic – I’ll Take the Cake) checked in third. Trained by Brian Lynch, the 2-year-old filly by Global Campaign is now 6-3-0-2 and has earned $124,700. She was purchased for $100,000 out of the Dynasty Thoroughbred consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5.   walk/breeze video

Hooties Racing LLC, WSS Racing, LLC and 4G Racing, LLC’s Happy Is a Choice (Runhappy – Fast Alexia) also captured his second straight stakes victory on Saturday, taking the $150,000 Ring The Bell Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Last of five early, the 4-year-old son of Runhappy rallied to the lead a furlong out and was best by a neck at the wire. After breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5 at the 2022 OBS Spring Sale, he was purchased for $160,000 out of the de Meric Sales consignment. Trained by John Alexander Ortiz, he’s now 12-6-0-3 and has earned $651,580.  watch his under tack video        Spring Sale walking video

OBS graduates had a busy and productive Thanksgiving week, winning eight stakes from one end of the country to the other with Miles Ahead joining the millionaire ranks.

Kaleem Shah, Inc.’s Benedetta (City of Light – Tessie Flip), rated nicely in Monday’s $200,000 Cheryl S. White Memorial Stakes at Mahoning Valley, rallied on the outside down the stretch and was up in the final sixteenth to score by a length, with fellow OBS graduate Halina’s Forte (Mitole – Lunarlady) checking in third. That’s three straight wins and the first stakes victory for the 3-year-old graded stakes placed daughter of City of Light, trained by Steve Asmussen, now 8-4-1-1 with $353,400 in earnings. After breezing an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5 at the 2023 OBS March Sale, she was purchased for $750,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment.     watch her under tack video

OBS grads took two stakes at Zia Park on Tuesday.

A. Jason Hall Stables, Stephen R. Baker and Bill Vanlandingham’s Valence (Violence – Button Girl) was a four length frontrunning victor in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks. It was the stakes debut for the 3-year-old filly by Violence, trained by Ty J. Garrett, now 8-3-4-0 with earnings of $241,700. Consigned to the 2023 OBS Spring Sale by Marcial Galan, Agent, she went through the ring after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat.   Spring Sale walking video      watch her under tack video

West Point Thoroughbreds’ millionaire Jaxon Traveler (Munnings – Listen Boy) added the $100,000 Zia Park Sprint Stakes to his resume, taking charge after turning for home and drawing off to score by 4-3/4 lengths. That’s three wins in a row and the tenth stakes victory for the 6-year-old graded stakes winning son of Munnings, purchased for $140,000 out of the Grassroots Training & Sales consignment by L.E.B., Agent for West Point Thoroughbreds after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat at the 2020 OBS Spring Sale. Trained by Steve Asmussen, he’s now 34-12-8-5 and has earned $1,077,798.    watch his under tack video   Spring Sale walking video

Troy Johnson, Charles Lo and Jagger, Inc.’s Spikezone (Speightster – Blameitontheice) captured the $75,000 Let’s Give Thanks Stakes at Parx Racing on Wednesday for his eleventh victory of the year, giving him the most wins by a horse in 2024. It was the first stakes win for the 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Speightster, trained by Jamie Ness, now 25-14-3-5 with $481,422 in earnings. He’s a two-time OBS graduate, sold first at the 2020 Winter Mixed Sale and then purchased for $19,000 out of the Kaizen Sales consignment at the 2020 October Yearling Sale.  October Sale walking video 

DeSales 85 LLC’s Icona Mama (Maximus Mischief – Classe Signora) pressed the pace in the $100,000 Shamrock Rose Stakes on Wednesday at Penn National, took command turning for home and drew away to score by 9-1/2 lengths. It’s the first stakes victory for the 2-year-old graded stakes placed daughter of Maximus Mischief, purchased for $75,000 out of the Grassroots Training & Sales consignment at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale after breezing an eighth in :10 flat at the Under Tack Show. Trained by Flint W. Stites, she’s now 5-2-1-1 with $147,475 in earnings.

Jay Em Ess Stable’s Miles Ahead (Competitive Edge – Jennie R.) is the latest OBS millionaire after successfully defending his title in the $225,000 Thanksgiving Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds. Up close early, he went after frontrunning fellow OBS graduate Montalcino (Take Charge Indy – Upstager)  in the stretch and was up in the final yards to beat him by a head. That’s five stakes wins for the 7-year-old multiple graded stakes winning gelding by Competitive Edge, purchased for $175,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2019 OBS March Sale after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5. He’s trained by Paul J. McGee and has compiled a 35-14-7-3 record and earned $1,077,713.   watch his under tack video

Morici Racing Stable, LLC’s Ms. Bucchero (Bucchero – Give Glory to God) posted her first stakes victory in Friday’s $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes at Laurel. The 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Bucchero took the lead outside on the turn and cruised from there to win by a length.  She’s trained by Diane D. Morici and has compiled a 14-7-3-0 record and earned $264,950.  Consigned by Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds to the 2022 OBS Spring Sale, she went through the ring after working an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat.   Spring Sale walking video      watch her under tack video

Gentry Farms’ (A. P. Gentry) Accomplished Girl (Street Boss – Dazzle) stalked the leaders early in the $100,000 Pan Zareta Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, moved to take the lead on the turn, shook loose in the stretch and coasted home by a length and a half. It’s the second stakes victory for the 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss, trained by Steve Asmussen, now 16-5-3-0 with $550,296 in earnings. Consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales to the 2022 OBS Spring Sale, she was sold for $275,000 after speeding an eighth in :9 3/5 at the Under Tack Show.  Spring Sale walking video      watch her under tack video

C R K Stable LLC’s Skinner (Curlin – Winding Way), unhurried in the early going of Saturday’s $100,500 Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, rallied three-wide to reach contention on the turn, caught the leaders a furlong from home and was best by a length at the wire. Fellow OBS graduate Mixto (Good Magic – Musical Mystery) settled for third. It’s the first stakes win for the grade one stakes placed 4-year-old colt by Curlin, trained by John Shirreffs, now 12-2-3-3 with earnings of $377,300. After turning in an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5 at the 2022 OBS Spring Sale, he was purchased for $510,000 out of the de Meric Sales consignment.  watch his under tack video      Spring Sale walking video

Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Mansetti (Collected – Gidget Girl) joined the growing roster of 2024’s stakes winning 2-year-old OBS graduates on Sunday with a victory in Woodbine’s $150,000 Clarendon Stakes. The son of OBS graduate Collected took the lead at the start, opened daylight in the stretch and coasted home a winner by a length and a quarter. Trained by Kevin Attard, he’s now 3-2-0-0 and has earned $104,022. Consigned to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale by Eddie Woods, Agent, he was sold for $40,000 after breezing an Under Tack quarter In :20 4/5.   walk/breeze video

OBS graduates captured a pair of weekend stakes races at Fair Grounds.

Maggi Moss’ Hay Jude (Aurelius Maximus – Sweet Alice Benbow) is two for two and a stakes winner after relaxing off the pace in Friday’s $100,000 Joseph R. Peluso Memorial Stakes, finding room between horses a sixteenth out and surging late to score by three quarters of a length. The two-time OBS graduate was sold by KP Sales at the 2023 Winter Mixed Sale and then purchased for $70,000 out of the Old South Farm consignment at the 2024 June Sale after turning in an Under Tack in :10 1/5. Trained by Tom Amoss, he has earned $87,000. breeze/walk video   

Delanie J. Calais, Jr.’s Cosmic Train (Klimt – Cosmic Emergency), last early in Saturday’s $100,000 Jacob V. Morreale Memorial Stakes, swung out to rally on the turn, sustained his run down the stretch and was up late to win by a head. It’s the second stakes victory for the 5-year-old son of OBS graduate Klimt, consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales to the 2021 OBS Spring Sale where he went through the ring after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 4/5. Trained by Jerry Delhomme, he has compiled a 29-6-4-5 career record and earned $319,200. watch his under tack video Spring Sale walking video

Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr. and Roger K. Beasley’s Practical Dream (Practical Joke – Imforeal) took the lead at the start of Del Mar’s $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes on Saturday and never looked back en route to a 1-1/4 length victory over fellow OBS graduate Silent Law (Tiz the Law – Southern Silence). Tim Yakteen trains the 2-year-old filly by Practical Joke, who scored her first stakes win and left with a 3-2-1-0 record and earnings of $123,486. Consigned by Tom McCrocklin, Agent, to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale, she was sold for $210,000 after breezing an Under Tack quarter in :20 4/5. walk/breeze video

 Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC’s Mrs Worldwide (Global Campaign – Scatmeifucan) led a 1-2-3 OBS sweep of Gulfstream’s $65,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes on Saturday, taking command a quarter mile out and scoring by a length and three quarters over fellow OBS graduate Volatiled (Volatile – Sonja’s Angel), with Bella Cleopatra (Vekoma – Bella Alacita) checking in third. It’s the first stakes victory for the 2-year-old daughter of Global Campaign, purchased for $100,000 out of the Dynasty Thoroughbred consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5. Trained by Brian Lynch, she has compiled a 5-2-0-2 record and earned $79,700.  walk/breeze video

 Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers LLC and Sanford H. Robbins LLC’s unbeaten With the Angels (Omaha Beach – Sister Margaret) made it four for four with a two length victory in Aqueduct’s $100,00 Key Cents Stakes on Saturday. Rated off the pace after two frontrunning stakes wins, the 2-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach turned for home with work to do,  but charged to the lead a furlong from home and was going away at the wire. She’s a three-time stakes winner for trainer Linda Rice and has earned $283,250. After turning in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5, she was purchased out of the Wavertree Stables consignment by Justin Casse, Agent, at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale for $350,000.    breeze/walk video   

Mary T. Self’s No More Options (Frac Daddy – Stoney Miss) broke alertly at the start of Woodbine’s $100,000 Lake Ontario Stakes on Sunday, tracked the leader into the turn, took over turning for home and eased away to win by 2-3/4 lengths. It’s the second stakes win for the 3-year-old son of Frac Daddy, trained by Zeljko Krcmar, leaving him with a 14-5-0-4 career record and earnings of $239,064. Consigned to the 2023 OBS Spring Sale by Sterling Thoroughbreds, he went through the ring after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 3/5.  watch his under tack video              Spring Sale walking video

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse had a big day at Woodbine on Saturday, winning a pair of graded stakes with OBS graduates.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s Elysian Field, (Hard Spun – Elysian) trailed in the early going of the $135,000 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3). But the 4-year-old daughter of Hard Spun circled horses on the turn to reach contention, swung wide for the drive, ran past the leaders in deep stretch and was best by a length and a quarter. It’s her second stakes victory, leaving her with a 14-4-6-0 record and $669,391 in earnings. After breezing an Under Tack quarter in :21 3/5 at the 2020 OBS June Sale, she was purchased for $70,000 by Bruce Brown, Agent, out of the Ocala Stud consignment. watch her under tack video   June Sale walking video

In the $135,000 Bessarabian Stakes (G3), K E M Racing Stable’s Stormcast (Mitole – Scolara) went right to the front, opened daylight in the stretch, and held off the late runners and scored by half a length. It’s the second stakes win for the 3-year-old daughter of champion OBS graduate Mitole, purchased for $95,000 out of the Halcyon Hammock Farm consignment at the 2023 OBS March Sale after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5.  The win leaves her with an 8-3-4-1 career record with $309,205 in earnings.      watch her under tack video     March Sale walking video

Mr Pug LLC and J.P.G. 2 LLC’s Naughty Rascal (Rogueish – Baby Doll) stalked the leader in Saturday’s $95,000 Armed Forces Stakes at Gulfstream, fought down the stretch and proved best by a length at the wire. Fellow OBS graduate Scarecrow (Neolithic – E Street Bourbon) settled for third. It’s the second stakes win for the 2-year-old Florida-bred son of Rogueish, purchased for $39,000 out of the de Meric Sales consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat.   Trained by Gerald Bennett, he’s now 4-3-0-1 and has earned $143,130.    walk/breeze video

Stephen Rousseau’s Nic’s Style (Uncaptured – Sense When) pressed the pace in Sunday’s $150,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Aqueduct, took charge on the turn, then drew off down the stretch and scored by 3-1/4 lengths It’s the first stakes victory for the 4-year-old Florida-bred graded stakes placed daughter of Uncaptured, trained by Bill Mott, now 5-4-1-0 with $268,400 in earnings. She was purchased by Stephen Rousseau for $25,000 out of the Summerfield consignment at the 2021 October Yearling Sale.