OBS grads enjoyed a productive opening weekend at Del Mar with a pair of stakes victories and an impressive score by a first-time starter.

    Little Red Feather Racing, John Hundley Jr, Marsha Naify, John Snyder and Stacey Snyder’s Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy – Silver Screamer) is three for three and a graded stakes-winner after a game three-quarter length victory in the $202,500, Gr. II San Clemente Handicap on Saturday. The 3-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy, trained by Philip D’Amato, has earned $189,600. Consigned to the 2023 OBS March Sale by GOP Racing Stable, she was sold for $145,000 after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5.  

    Bob Baffert unveiled Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Casalu (Caracaro – Key D’oro) on Sunday in a maiden special weight test and the 2-year-old daughter of Caracaro made no mistakes, taking the lead at the break, shaking loose on the turn and drawing away to a 5 1/2-length victory, attaining TDN “Rising Star” status.  Fellow OBS graduate Oveta’s Hobby (Army Mule – Bitzka) made a good stretch run to finish second. Consigned by Global Thoroughbreds, Agent, to the 2023 OBS Spring Sale, Casalu was purchased for $775,000 by Three Amigos after speeding a quarter in :20 2/5 at the Under Tack show.

    Rancho Temescal, Red Baron’s Barn and Rodney E. Orr’s First Peace picked up his second stakes victory in the $133,000 Wickerr Stakes on Sunday, rating kindly off the pace, sweeping three-wide on the turn after the leaders, taking charge in the stretch and scoring by a length and a half. The 4-year-old graded stakes-placed colt by Funtastic was purchased for $75,000 out of the Lucan Bloodstock (Karl Keegan) consignment at the 2022 OBS June Sale after breezing an Under Tack quarter in :21 flat. Trained by Mark Glatt, he has compiled a 13-4-5-2 record and earned $328,020.   

    Colts Neck Stables’ Nothing Better (Munnings – One True Love (IRE), tracked the leaders from just off the pace in Monmouth’s $103,000 Wolf Hill Stakes on Saturday, turned in a strong run in the final furlong and was best by three quarters at the wire, with fellow OBS graduate Arzak (Not This Time – Delightful Melody) closing for third. It’s the second straight stakes victory and fifth stakes win for the 7-year-old son of Munnings, trained by Jorge Duarte, now 28-11-5-3 with earnings of $761,382. After working an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5 at the 2019 OBS Spring Sale, he was purchased for $230,000 out of the Brick City Thoroughbreds consignment.      

    Resolute Racing’s Mensa (Complexity – Lady Halite) was an impressive winner of the $150,000 Victoria Stakes on Friday at Woodbine, going straight to the lead and romping to a 7 1/4-length victory. Trained by Mark Casse, the 2-year-old Florida-bred son of Complexity has won two of three starts and earned $102,007. He was sold for $135,000 by Beth Bayer Agent, at the 2023 OBS October Yearling Sale.    

    Klaravich Stables’ Unmatched Wisdom (Cairo Prince – Glide On By) went to the front and never looked back en route to victory by a length in Saratoga’s $135,000 Curlin Stakes on Friday. It was the stakes debut for the 3-year-old son of Cairo Prince, consigned to the 2023 OBS March Sale by White Lilac (Katie Miranda), Agent, and sold for $450,000 after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat. Trained by Chad Brown, he has earned $178,750.  

    

    R and H Stable’s Mo Plex (Complexity – Mo Joy) is two for two and a graded stakes-winner after a front-running one length victory in Saturday’s $175,000, Gr. III Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, with fellow OBS graduate Three Echoes (Echo Town – Bayou Miss) finishing third.

    A 10-length winner in his debut at Aqueduct in June, Mo Plex has earned $137,500 for trainer Jeremiah C. Englehart. After breezing an Under Tack quarter in :21 1/5 at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale he was purchased for $45,000 out of the Hoppel consignment.   

    Resolute Racing’s Lucky Jeremy (Lookin At Lucky – Powder N Blush) set the pace in Saturday’s $150,000 Caesars Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis, was challenged by fellow OBS graduate Beyond Stoked (Into Mischief – Miss Southern Miss) in the stretch and was best by half a length at the wire. That’s two stakes victories for the 3-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky, trained by Mike Maker, now 8-3-0-1 with $271,980 in earnings. At the 2023 OBS June Sale, he 

     HALLANDALE BEACH - Trainer Rohan Crichton, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Daniel Walters and Dennis Smith’s Real Macho captured his first stakes victory in Friday’s $95,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park by holding off a late rally by heavily favored Catalytic, who was making his first start in the seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds since running in the Kentucky Derby.

    Real Macho ($18.20), who won by a head, was re-equipped with blinkers for his first start since finishing fourth in the May 8 Sir Barton under Flavien Prat at Pimlico.

    “When he ran on Preakness Day, Flavien said he was just gazing. We had the blinkers on him before and he won. Then we took them off and he won, but he was getting distracted, so we put them back on,” Crichton said. “We were going to ship him out of town, but with the heat and the travel arrangements got so convoluted we decided to stay here.”

    Real Macho kept his mind on business in the Carry Back. After settling off a pace contested by Etendre, Saybrook and El Principito for the first half-mile in :45.52 seconds, the son of Mucho Macho Man was sent after the leaders by Emisael Jaramillo on the far turn. Real Macho made a three-wide sweep to the lead heading into the stretch and held on gamely to edge Catalytic, who raced far back in traffic before finding room and his stride under Drayden Van Dyke to close steadily through the stretch.

    Rey.al Macho, who finished fourth in the Gr. II Fountain of Youth and off the board in the Gr. I Curlin Florida Derby during the Championship Meet, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.37 to collect his third win in eight career starts.

    “We’re not sure where we’ll go next. Maybe we’ll stay one turn, a mile or something like,” Crichton said.

    Catalytic, who earned his way in the Kentucky Derby with a distant second-place finish behind Fierceness in the Florida Derby, finished 4 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Roar Read.