OBS Grads Continue to Shine

Monday, March 10, 2025

Bernies Blog

Speedway Stables’ Cavalieri (Nyquist-Stiffed, by Stephen Got Even) remained unbeaten in four starts when she ran down stablemate Richi (CHI) to take the $300,000, Gr. I Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Park on March 8, becoming one of three OBS graduates to earn graded stakes wins this past weekend.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Cavalieri surged past Richi inside the sixteenth pole to win by three-quarters of a length and notch her first career top-level triumph. “We always knew she would be a superstar,” Baffert told the Santa Anita publicity team.

The 4-year-old dark bay filly was purchased by Speedway for $900,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training after she breezed in :20.2.

At Tampa Bay Downs, Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator – Twinkling, by War Chant) defended his title in the Gr. III, $125,000 Challenger Stakes for the third consecutive year when he surged through the stretch for a 1 ¼-length victory in stakes and track-record time of 1:41.20 for the 1 1/16-miles. The Saffie Joseph-trained earner of more than $3.4 million was purchased by Alonso for $37,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale after breezing an eighth in :10.2.

At Gulfstream Park, Stephen Rousseau’s Nic’s Style (Uncaptured – Sense When, by Street Sense) put in a winning stretch drive to take the $165,000, Gr. III Hurricane Bertie. The Bill Mott-trained daughter of Uncaptured scored her seventh victory in eight career starts. She was purchased by Rousseau for $25,000 out of the Summerfield consignment at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale.

At Aqueduct, Our Blue Streaks Stable, SGV Thoroughbreds and trainer George Weaver’s Soontobeking (King for a Day - Swayed, by Freud) rallied to get his nose down and take the $125,000 Gander Stakes with fellow OBS graduate Mo Plex third. Soontobeking was purchased by J U Racing Stables for $80,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the SGV Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat.