Flashy Performances at OBS Day of Champions

A large and energetic crowd packed the grandstand for Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s 26th annual Day of Champions races at Ocala Training Center in Ocala, Fla., Jan. 27, and the festive day of racing did not disappoint. 

 

Under clear skies and strong winds, fans in attendance were treated to some eye-catching performances, including a track record-setting victory, on the five-race program that featured four Thoroughbred stakes events for 3-year-olds who have gone through the ring at an OBS auction.

 

Firespike won the male division of the $100,000 OBS Championship Stakes, Arctic Ocean took the $100,000 filly division, Lady Shipman blazed to a track record in the filly division of the $50,000 OBS Sprint Stakes, and It's Not Me romped by open lengths in the $50,000 male division.

 

Jockey Joel Rosario and trainer Michael Maker teamed with the promising Firespike to win his division of the OBS Championship Stakes at 1 1/16 miles over OTC's SafeTrack synthetic surface.

 

Allowed to settle early by Rosario, Firespike trailed the field down the backstretch.  He advanced to the leaders around the far turn, rallying four-wide into the lane. He collared Royal Squeeze and Toasting Master in the stretch, and under confident handling kicked clear late to defeat Big Yum by 2 1/4 lengths despite ducking out approaching the finish. He traveled the distance in 1:46.40.

 

"I wanted to wait as long as I could before I asked him for his best," said Rosario, who with the victory notched his first career win at OBS. "When he started to move that was pretty much it. He was just looking around at the end."

 

Sold for $70,000 by Blue River Bloodstock, agent, at last year's OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, Firespike is now a two-time stakes winner for Skychai Racing LLC, Charles and Keven Warner, and Sand Dollar Stable, having annexed the Juvenile Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park West as a 2-year-old. His record stands at 3-1-1 from seven career starts. The $60,000 winner's share of the OBS Championship purse boosted his lifetime backrolll to $183,259.

 

Carlos Rafael, Michael Bossio and Cherie Abner bred the son of Flower Alley out of Fairy Valley, by Dixieland Band, in Florida. Maker signed the ticket at OBS for the winner.

 

"We were confident coming into the race," said Maker. "Joel rode a perfect race. He never moved on him. It always looked like he had a lot of horse. We came in wanting to point to the Spiral Stakes (gr. III, March 21 at Turfway Park) if he handled the synthetic well, which it looks like he did."

 

Like Firespike, Arctic Ocean parlayed a strong closing kick to take down the $60,000 top prize in the filly division of the OBS Championship Stakes. The race came up lighter than expected with the scratch of the Bill Mott-trained stakes winner Quality Rocks, who finished second in the Sweetest Chant Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

 

Arctic Ocean raced toward the rear of the field early after breaking from the far outside in post position 12. The recipient of a patient ride from Rafael Hernandez, she ranged into contention with a three-wide rally into the stretch and raced as a team with Save Rock and Roll through the lane. Arctic Ocean dug in gamely late, fending off a stern challenge from Save Rock and Roll and jockey Joe Bravo to prevail by a neck, stopping the clock in 1:46.80.

 

Sold by David and Teresa Palmer's Winners Circle Thoroughbreds LLC for $33,000 at the 2014 OBS June sale, Arctic Ocean now boasts earnings of $125,340 for owners John Moirano, Nehoc Stables, and Alan Sokol. 

 

"We're overwhelmed and very grateful," said Teresa Palmer, who also named the filly. "It is very rewarding to spend so much time with them and put so much of your heart and soul into everything. When you win a race like this, it makes it all worth it."

 

Arctic Ocean is a gray or roan daughter of Concord Point   out of the Ocean Crest mare Silk Sails. She was bred in Kentucky by Lantern Hill Farm and picked out of the sale by winning trainer Gary Contessa.

 

"I bought her out of the sale over this track, and I just loved the way she trained over it," Contessa said.  "She showed up. It was great. The post kind of bothered me a little bit, and I really appreciate that Billy Mott scratched. When he scratched (Quality Rocks) it became an open, even race. She's a good filly. She ran well at Gulfstream, and she's truly never run a bad race. I'm glad it all worked out for us today."

 

Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came courtesy of Lady Shipman in the OBS Sprint Stakes for fillies. The daughter of Midshipman  —Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim, simply ran away from four rivals in the six-furlong test, winning by eight lengths and stopping the clock in the track record time of 1:08.80 for six furlongs. The final time eclipsed the previous standard of 1:09.60 set by Megalith in 2011 and equaled by Cor Cor in 2013.

 

The win marked the third consecutive victory for the Ranlo Investments colorbearer, who was saddled by Kathleen O'Connell and piloted by her regular rider Eduardo Nunez. Lady Shipman's three-race win streak was by a combined margin of 23 1/2 combined lengths. The $30,000 winner's share increased her earnings to $80,400.

 

"Eddie knows the filly, and I told him to use his best judgment," said O'Connell. "It was awesome. She had shown a likeness for this surface at the sale. She worked in :09 4/5 at the preview. She is a freak of nature; she's a wow horse. She wowed me this afternoon."

 

Bred in Kentucky by Randall Lowe, Lady Shipman was consigned to last year's OBS April sale by Pleasant Acres Farm, agent, but failed to meet her reserve on a final bid of $35,000. 

 

"Back in April, I said this was the fastest horse I had ever put a saddle on," said Ryan Barbazon of Pleasant Acres. "Everyone liked how fast she was but they knocked her for her size. We gave her some time off after the sale, and she grew. We took our time with her, and it has paid off. We knew last August that we were coming back here for this race."

 

It's Not Me left little doubt who was best on the day in the OBS Sprint Stakes for males. The gelded son of D'wildcat  —Jovetta, by Elusive Quality  , took command early and was never challenged en route to a geared down 8 3/4-length romp under Edgard Zayas. Trained by Jorge Navarro, It's Not Me covered six furlongs in 1:09.60. 

 

A $16,000 claim by Navarro for White Wabbit Wacing and Marco Thoroughbred Corp. last October, It's Not Me finished third behind Barbados in the listed Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 3 in his previous outing.

 

"We claimed him because he looks like a sprinter; he looks fast," related Navarro. "He's just a fast horse, a very fast horse."

 

Bred in Florida by Karen Silva, It's Not Me is a two-time OBS graduate. He was sold by Hickory Meadow Farm (Clare Silva), agent, for $30,000 at the 2013 August sale and then resold for $50,000 by Casse Sales (Justin Casse), agent, at the 2014 June sale after working an eighth in :10 flat at the under-tack show. He has won half his eight starts and bankrolled $123,335.