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.