Speedy Super Saver Colt Among OBS Day 1 Hips to Watch

A speedy Super Saver   colt, several pricey yearling purchases, and juveniles sired by Quality Road   and Scat Daddy are among the Hips to Watch during the March 14 opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

The auction at OBS' headquarters in Ocala, Fla., begins at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

Because so many factors are at play, trying to discern which horses buyers perceive to be the most likely to make a future racehorse can be daunting. Even consignors say they don't really know which horses will spark a bidding battle, which is what it takes to light up the bid board.

This non-scientific attempt to narrow the field is based on conversations with consignors, under tack show workout times, and pedigree.

The Super Saver colt tops the list with a quarter-mile breeze in :20 1/5 March 9 at the opening session of the under tack show, a time that equaled the fastest at the distance ever recorded at an OBS under tack show.

Produced from the stakes-placed Sandi's Ready, by More Than Ready  , the colt consigned by de Meric Sales as Hip 153 was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm and purchased by Florida horseman Danny Pate for $30,000 from the Select Sales consignment to the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale.

"He's the fastest horse we've ever had in our consignment," Tristan de Meric said. "(Pate) bought him and did a great job getting him ready and he's been telling us for a couple of months this is the fastest horse he's had in 35 years of training. He's a natural athlete. The horse had prepped unbelievably and did even better in the breeze show."

De Meric is also sending a Flatter   filly (Hip 81) into the ring March 14, who has been popular during pre-sale inspections. Bred in Virginia by Lazy Lane Farms, she is out of multiple stakes winner Penny Marie and is a half sister to two stakes-placed fillies.

Several 2-year-olds purchased for high prices as yearlings are also scheduled to go through the ring Tuesday, including a Curlin   colt purchased by Justin Casse on behalf of JSM Equine for $350,000 from VanMeter-Gentry Sales at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale.

Consigned as Hip 74 as part of Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree consignment, the colt bred in Kentucky by Fox Straus is out of the Pleasant Colony mare Party Chatter, who has already produced stakes winner Rock Candy and stakes-placed Status Pending.

"He's a special horse," Dunne said. "He's a stunning individual and is by a great stallion. I would like to have bought him for $50,000 but that was never going to happen. His work (an eighth-mile in :10 1/5) was super."

Another high-priced pinhook on Day 1 is Hip 127, an Orb   colt bought by consignor Crupi's New Castle for $350,000 from the Denali Stud offerings at Keeneland's September sale. The colt bred in Kentucky by DATTT Farm was produced from Remember, an unraced daughter of Forest Wildcat who is a half sister to grade 1 winner Dancing Forever. Included in the extended female family are champion Heavenly Prize as well as top-class runners such as Dancing Spree, Furlough, Fantastic Find, and Good Reward, among others.

Hip 61, a Scat Daddy colt consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds as agent was a $300,000 purchase by Sterling Racing when he was offered by Paramount Sales at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August yearling sale. Produced from Noches De Rosa, a grade 1 winner in the U.S. and a group 1 winner in her native Chile, the colt was bred by The Elkstone Group and initially went through the sales ring for $160,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November auction.

Drawing a lot of attention from buyers were a Malibu Moon filly (Hip 18) and a Quality Road colt (Hip 113) from the Eisaman Equine offerings.

"The Malibu Moon filly is very quick and very talented and has been very popular," said Barry Eisaman. "The Quality Road colt is a good size, good mover, who looks like an excellent two-turn type of horse."

Produced from the stakes-winning Wekiva Springs mare Merry Me in Spring, the filly is a half sister to grade 3 winner So Brilliant and was bred in Kentucky by Eico Ventures. The Quality Road colt is a son of the stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare R Charlie's Angel and was bought by Eisaman for $140,000 from the Warrendale Sales consignment to last year's Keeneland September yearling sale. He was bred by Hargus and Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm.

Another Quality Road colt cataloged for Tuesday is Hip 94, a Maryland-bred bought by W. D. North Thoroughbreds for $200,000 from Upson Downs Farm at last year's Keeneland September sale. Bred by Sagamore Farm, the colt is consigned by North's Starting Point Thoroughbreds, agent.

A full sister to Palace  , a multiple grade 1 winner who earned in excess of $1.5 million, is consigned by Eddie Woods, agent, as Hip 116.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway, the filly is also a half sister to stakes-placed Retriever and is out of the End Sweep mare Receivership, a winner of seven races who earned nearly $200,000.

Rounding out the top Day 1 prospects is a Scat Daddy colt (Hip 295) bred in Florida by his consignor, Ocala Stud. The Valentine's Day foal is out of the winning Gone West mare West Side Dancer, also the dam of grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed Discreet Dancer, grade 2 winner Travelin Man, and stakes winner Sweet N Discreet.