Trainer Mark Casse saddled both winners of the inaugural runnings of the OBS Sprint Stakes as the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company presented its November Day of Racing.

    Gary Barber’s Lookin to Strike came running late to edge Grupo 7C Racing Stable’s Star Juancho in the shadow of the wire to win the $125,000 OBS Sprint by a nose, with Michael Dubb’s Yummy Bear a length back in third. Triple bug rider Declan Carroll picked up the first stakes victory of his career aboard the graded stakes- winning 3-year-old colt by Lookin At Lucky.

    The winner is a two-time OBS graduate, consigned by Select Sales to the 2016 Selected Yearling Sale and then sold at the 2017 April Sale by SBM Training & Sales, Agent, for $210,000 after turning in an under tack eighth in :10 flat. The victory leaves the winner with a 10-5-0-0 record and earnings of $195,644. 

    In the $125,000 OBS Filly and Mare Sprint, Bill and Vicki Poston Racing’s Southern Sis came flying in the final sixteenth to beat Averill Racing et al’s R Happy Ending by two lengths, with Westbury Stables’ Sierra Aleone a nose back in third. It’s the first stakes score for the 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Kantharos, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. The time for the six furlongs was 1:09 2/5. The two-time OBS graduate was sold by Southern Cypress, Agent at the 2015 August Yearling Sale to the winning connections for $35,000. Consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales to the 2016 April Sale, she was bought back for $50,000 after breezing an under tack eighth in :10 flat. Now 12-4-3-0, she has earned $194,432.

    The first six races of the 10-race card were for quarter horses. In the first, Rocio Lopez’s Eyes Have a Fortune was the winner by a nose, running the 220 yards in a track record :21.727. Trained by his owner, the 6-year-old gelding was ridden by Ruben Serna.

    Despite delaying the start by his reluctance to enter the starting gate, Howard and Kelly Kleinberg’s Mr So So Comment was a one-length winner of the second race, racing 330 yards in :17.207. The 6-year-old gelding, trained by Howard Kleinberg, was ridden by Natasha Fritz.

    The third race went to Myron McKinnon’s Toast to Clever Two by three quarters of a length, with David Boraco aboard for trainer Walter Lee Graham, getting the 330 yards in :17.204.

    The combination of McKinnon and Graham made it two in a row in the fourth, with DLJ  Royal Flow scoring by a head.  The 4-year-old horse, ridden by Reynier Arrieta, ran 330 yards in :17.041.

    The same connections scored their third win in a row in the fifth, with One Way Flight racing 220 yards in :12.19 and winning by a head. Reynier Arrieta was aboard the 4-year-old gelding.

    Owner Rocio Lopez picked up her second victory of the day in the sixth race, as Hesa Trickie Lad won by a length and survived a claim of foul, getting the 220 yards in :12.006. Ruben Serna rode the 9-year-old gelding.

    The seventh was a six-furlong race for maiden thoroughbreds, and it went to Jack Treadway and Ken Westlye’s Tellbuffy, who caught front-running Silver Springs in the final furlong and scored by a 4 1/2 lengths. The 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Telling, trained by Ken Westlye and ridden by Odilon Martinez, was clocked in 1:13.

    Race eight, a six-furlong thoroughbred starter allowance, was won by Michaelle Bordis’ Circle Away, who rallied in deep stretch and won going away by a length and a quarter, running the distance in 1:11 4/5. The 4-year-old gelding by Circular Quay, trained by Robert W. Bordis, was ridden by Raymond Torres.