Under Tack Show Can Make or Break Sale

10 seconds.

That’s about all it takes for months of planning and training to go for naught when potential buyers turn on a horse in which they were interested until the all-important under tack workouts take place.

The under tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale of 2-year-olds in training is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 27, beginning at 10 a.m. at Gulfstream Park, the site of the March 1 sale. Held in the Gulfstream paddock, the sale begins at 4 p.m.

During the under tack show, the future racing prospects will be asked to work an eighth of a mile or a quarter of mile in the fastest time possible (usually about 10 seconds per eighth) while also looking strong following the work when they continue their action around the turn and down the backstretch. One horse is scheduled to work on turf.

In preparation for the under tack show, most of the Fasig-Tipton sale horses have already been going through their paces over the Gulfstream strip, but it’s Monday that makes the difference.

The top-priced horses in most juvenile sales either posted the fastest or near-fastest workout times during the breeze show.

“So much of the 2-year-olds sale depends so much on their performance in the under tack show,” said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. “The under tack show at 2-year-old sales is so important and they have to show up that day.”

“It’s like throwing darts,” said consignor Niall Brennan, who believes too much emphasis is placed on the under tack show. “You have to hit the bulls-eye. The market is going to judge them on one day and that is tomorrow (Monday breeze show). To me that is ridiculous. I know when I have a good horse but they may or may not show up on the day.”

Brennan, however, realizes the workouts are necessary to help sort out the horses.

“It’s the only criteria you have; otherwise, it’s just a yearling sale. The fact you get to see them on the racetrack…we shouldn’t have to make them go as fast as they can go. They will never have to go that fast again. But we keep doing it. Even seeing them go at three-parts speed should be enough to tell you that you have a really nice horse.”

Kevin McKathan of McKathan Bros. said the under tack show performance offers buyers a chance to judge one horse against the other.

“I don’t believe it’s overemphasized,” McKathan said. “They will never have to run this fast in their life. It’s just a show of brilliance. It doesn’t make them the best horse because they went the fastest but it gives people a way to judge who they think might be the best. It’s like a drag race. It’s all about the clock. I have seen some horses that looked beautiful when they were going by and the next thing you know the clock says the horse went a second slower. They (buyers) are influenced by it.”