Will Take Charge Filly Shines at OBS Under Tack Show

Carlo Vaccarezza bought a dozen yearlings at public auction last year, ranging in price from $560,000 to $15,000.

But one of three youngsters bought at the lower end of the pinhooker's budget showed she might be one of the bargains in the group after breezing a quarter-mile in :20 4/5, the fastest time at the distance during the July 7 second session of the under tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Cataloged by Top Line Sales as Hip 245, the chestnut daughter of Will Take Charge  is out of Tensas Harbor, a hard-knocking daughter of Private Vow whose nine wins in 25 starts included six stakes.

Bred in Kentucky by the Cantrell Family Partnership, the filly was purchased by Vaccarezza for $15,000 from the Mulholland Farm consignment at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.

"We were debating on whether to go a quarter-mile or an eighth-mile because the track can be a little tiring after it's had some water on it," Top Line's Torie Gladwell said, adding that her husband, Jimbo, pulled the trigger and had the rider go the longer distance. "She was game. She had one of the best gallop out times for a quarter-mile for the day—:46 and change. She did everything right. I think that should help get her to stand out a little more, even being by a non-prominent stallion."

With the 2-year-old auction schedule disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Top Line has been among the consignors who have striven to find the right spots in the reduced sales schedule to place their horses or to sell them privately.

"She's a big pretty filly," Gladwell said. "She's been ready for a sale, and we tried to sell her privately on the farm. If I can get them to look at her, they're going to like her a lot because she is beautiful. (Vaccarezza) called me after he bought her and said, 'You're going to love her. She's got a big white leg and she is a chestnut with a lot of roan to her.'"

Gladwell said that Vaccarezza, a prominent horse owner who also races horses that do not meet their reserves in the sale ring, will be a motivated seller at the OBS auction because he is in the process of opening one of his Frank & Dino's Italian restaurants in Lexington.

"Carlo is going to be realistic," Gladwell said. "He didn't give much money for her, but he knows she's a nice filly. He needs some cash flow because he's starting that restaurant in Lexington. She's here to sell."

Five individuals breezed an eighth-mile in the day's fastest time of :10:

• Hip 199, consigned by Woodside Ranch, agent, is a filly from the first crop of Gainesway stallion Anchor Down  and was bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Marylou Whitney Stables. Purchased by Bryan Rice from Gainesway for $22,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the gray or roan filly is out of the winning Tale of the Cat  mare Storied Tale, a daughter of Regret Stakes (G3T) winner Caminadora.
• Hip 201, a bay filly by Bayern  consigned by Las Palmas Farm, was purchased by her consignor for $1,200 from Beth Bayer, agent, at the 2019 OBS October Yearling Sale. Bred in Kentucky by the Bayern Syndicate and Vern Dickman, the filly is out of Storming Gypsy, by Midnight Lute , and out of graded stakes winner Irish Gypsy.
• Offered by Q Bar J Thoroughbreds, Hip 326 is a Dialed In  filly bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin. Produced from the unraced War Front  mare Wet n' Reckless, a half sister to grade 1-placed Moonlit Stroll, the filly's female family includes Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and sire Codex.
• A Kantharos  filly bred in Kentucky by McCauley Farm, Hip 331 is consigned by de Meric Sales, agent, which purchased her from Paramount Sales, agent, for $125,000 on behalf of Backstretch Farms in 2018 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select breeding stock sale in Lexington. The chestnut filly was produced from the stakes-winning Wildcat Heir mare Wildcat Heiress, a half sister to stakes winner Babaganush.
• Hip 337, a More Than Ready  filly consigned by McKee Bloodstock, agent, was bred in Kentucky by Millennium Farms and More Than Ready Syndicate and bought by Jay McKee for $40,000 from the Buckland Sales offerings at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale. The filly is out of the winning Smart Strike mare Witchy One, who has also produced grade 3-placed Convict Pike. The filly's second dam, the winning Storm Cat mare Prof. McGonagall, is the dam of grade 3 winners and grade 1-placed mares Ultra Brat and It's Tea Time.

On the work tab Tuesday was also the fastest juvenile to breeze three-eighths of a mile during the first two under tack sessions, with the filly from the first crop of Ashford Stud stallion Air Force Blue  stopping the timer in :33. Consigned as Hip 355 by All Dreams Equine, the filly descends from the female family of European champion Bago and multiple French group 1 winner Maxios.

Bred in Kentucky by Briggs & Cromartie Bloodstock Agency, the filly had been purchased by Superfine Farms for $20,000 from Burleson Farms at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.