Shackleford Filly Breezes Bullet Quarter-Mile at OBS

The under tack preview ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age soldiered on with the fourth of five sessions June 5 in Ocala, Fla., and it was a filly by Shackleford  (Hip 573) who separated herself from the pack with a bullet :20 3/5 quarter-mile breeze, the fastest of the sale.

Consigned by Navas Equine, the bay filly, bred in Kentucky by Mike and Pat Freeny, is produced from the Cuvee mare Moondancer, and she hails from the family of grade 1 winner Kitten's Dumplings , an earner of $797,815. Offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she was acquired for $7,500 by JC Corp.

"I've been very fortunate to have this filly," said Jonathan Navas. "I bought her in September—she had good size and good conformation. She has always been easy to train, she has a nice mentality, and she is just a lovely horse to be around. She has never had any issues and has always been forward. It is a blessing to have a horse like her.

"She repeated today what she has been doing at the farm in the mornings," Navas continued. "She breezed here at OBS last week in :21 1/5, so that was impressive. She continued to improve, and what she did today was pretty special."

A total of seven horses earned co-bullet honors at an eighth-mile, stopping the timer in :10 during Saturday's session, which once again was held under clear skies and warm temperatures. Among them was a New York-bred colt by Central Banker   from the RiceHorse Stable (Brandon and Ali Rice) consignment. Bred by Carl Bennett, the flashy chestnut, who sells as Hip 603, is out of the Pleasant Tap mare Nine Taps. The colt's fourth dam is multiple grade 1 winner Classy Cathy. 

RiceHorse Stable acquired the horse as a weanling in 2019, paying just $2,000 for him out of the South Point Sales Agency consignment at that year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Consigned by Love's Equine to the OBS October Yearlings, 2-Year-Olds, and Horses of Racing Age Sale as a yearling last year, the Rices bought out their partner under the banner of Wilde Rose Ranch (a moniker that combines the middle names of their children), going to $20,000 to keep the colt in the family.

"Every fall, with just a few dollars, my wife and I, and our barn manager will trek up north and grab some weanlings—anywhere from a half-dozen to a dozen—and usually cheaper models," said Brandon Rice. "He is a house horse for Ali and me, and these types are game-changers for us when it all goes right. I loved the colt way too much to let him go as a yearling." 

Entered in this year's OBS March Sale, the colt bucked shins, forcing the Rices to regroup.

"He was looking so good, breezing so well in March, but as everyone knows, speed does things to horses; speed bucks shins, and he was prepping out so fast that he bucked shins just a little bit," Brandon said. "We waited patiently, bypassing the March sale, then the April sale (OBS Spring Sale), and then Timonium (Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale).  We thought we'll go to the June sale in our own backyard where he will be, if not the best horse in our consignment, one of the best from what he had shown us.

"He has come back and trained and breezed well," Brandon added. "He is much more grown-up physically, and he didn't shock us (with his breeze). We knew we had something special with him, we just didn't know if he would put his best foot forward, and he absolutely did. He went out in the low :20s and then out again in the high :32s (for three furlongs), and those are incredible times. Horses either have that type of brilliant speed or they don't. When we get one like this, we just try to stay out of their way and not mess them up. We try to train them right, feed them right, and put good minds on them. When the rubber meets the road, when he lays down his best, he is just better than everyone else. He's always been like that."

The other horses breezing in :10 were: Hip 570, a Neolithic   filly consigned by Hidden Brook, agent for Patricia Generazio; Hip 648, a filly by Bal a Bali   consigned by Little Farm Equine; Hip 660, a colt by Bal a Bali consigned by Harris Training Center; Hip 661, a Neolithic gelding consigned by Two Oaks Equine, agent; Hip 697, a filly by Klimt   consigned by Sugar Hill, agent; and Hip 713, a filly by The Big Beast   consigned by Envision Equine, agent.

The fastest horse on the day at three furlongs was a bay filly from the first crop of Ocean Knight  named Political Wave (Hip 644) who covered the distance in :34 for consignor R D Z Farm. Bred in Florida by Debbie Walsh, the bay filly is out of the winning Imperialism mare Political Miss and from the family of graded stakes-placed stakes winner Cryptic, her fourth dam. R D Z Farm acquired the filly for $4,000 out of the Getaway Farm consignment at last year's OBS October Sale.

The under tack preview concludes with the fifth and final session June 6, beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET, with Hips 739-927 slated to breeze.