Count consignor Tom McCrocklin among those having a good week ahead of the 2026 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

    After sending out Hip 74, a dark bay or brown filly by Omaha Beach, and Hip 262, a dark bay or brown filly by Oscar Performance, to work in :20 4/5 during the first two days of the under-tack show, McCrocklin’s consignment was again responsible for the fastest quarter mile works on the day as Hip 851, a bay filly by Oscar Performance, and Hip 915, a gray or roan filly by Liam’s Map, each worked in :20 2/5 April 10, the fifth day of under-tack shows for the OBS April Sale.

    The Oscar Performance filly is out of the winning, stakes-placed Daylami (IRE) mare Going Day, a half sister to champion Covfefe. The Liam’s Map filly is out of the Honor Code mare Honor Hop, a half sister to stakes winner Ex Pirate.

    Joining McCrocklin in the good mood club was Nelson Arroyo of Arroyo Bloodstock. Each time Arroyo looked up to watch one of his juveniles breeze over the OBS track this week, he couldn’t help but let a wide grin stretch across his face and a groundswell of pride overtake his being.

    When the time came for the founder of Arroyo Bloodstock to watch his seventh and final youngster from the Britton Peak consignment work Friday, the end result sparked a surge of emotions as powerful as the nimble athletes he is set to sell.

    In his third year of pinhooking under his own banner, Arroyo and his team are poised to have one of their most successful outings yet in the public auction arena. When Hip 822, a dark bay or brown colt by Jack Christopher owned by Arroyo Bloodstock, worked an eighth in :9 4/5 Friday to tie for the fastest time at the distance, it capped off a week that went above and beyond in terms of the expectations the former jockey held for his crew.

    Of the seven horses Arroyo has entered in the OBS April Sale, five of them worked in :9 4/5 with the two others going in :10 flat. This year marks the first time Arroyo has consigned with Greg Martin’s Britton Peak, a pairing that is already off to a flying start following a strong outing together in March.

    “It’s still hitting me. It feels real good,” Arroyo said of his week. “We put in a lot of work, and it feels so good to see it pay off. I want to thank the whole team, without them it wouldn’t be possible. Greg Martin did a great job training. This is the first year we’ve worked with him and he’s doing a great job. My (sons), Elijah and Brandon have done a great job. And I want to thank Dean DeRenzo (of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds) for sure because that’s the man who is making this all possible. He’s the one who taught me all this stuff.”

    A focus on conformation and physical presence is what Arroyo zeros in on when purchasing pinhook prospects, and the Jack Christopher colt ticked those boxes in addition to having an accomplished pedigree page. The colt is out of the Uncle Mo mare Forced Family Fun, a half sister to stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Cat Burglar, and is a half brother to stakes placed winner Walley World. Like his fellow barn mates, the colt backed up the ability he teased in his prep and ensured his connections head into next week’s sale overflowing with confidence.

    “He’s been really nice since Day 1. He’s done everything right from the get-go and this was something we were expecting,” Arroyo said of the colt. “They all did what we expected them to do. We bought good horses and it was up to us to get them here the right way. I was just hoping the team and the crew and Greg’s outfit were going to be able to bring them here in good shape and healthy and have them perform.

    “For the five of them to go in :9 4/5 and have two on 10 flat, and great gallop outs…I’m in awe. I can’t believe it.”

Arroyo’s Jack Christopher colt was one of 12 horses to work in :9 4/5 Friday:

    Hip 817, a dark bay or brown colt by OBS graduate Yaupon consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne). The colt is out of the Verrazano mare Flume, a half sister to Grade 1 placed winner Identity Politics.

    Hip 819, a bay filly by Vekoma consigned by S B M Training and Sales. The filly is out of the graded stakes winning Palace Malice mare Fly On Angel.

    Hip 840, a bay filly by Bolt d'Oro consigned by Kings Equine. The filly is out of graded stakes winner Gas Station Sushi, a daughter of leading sire and OBS graduate Into Mischief.

    Hip 866, a chestnut filly by champion and OBS graduate Corniche consigned by Kings Equine. The filly is out of the winning Tapit mare Grey Stark, a full sister to stakes winner Siem Riep.
    Hip 917, a gray or roan colt by leading sire and OBS graduate Into Mischief consigned by Chuy Ceballos. The colt is out of the Cairo Prince mare Hot Date, a half sister to graded stakes winner Gibberish.

    Hip 940, a bay filly by Drain the Clock consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne). The filly is out of the stakes winning Untuttable mare Into Reality, a three-time OBS graduate, and is a half sister to stakes winner Meadowood.

    Hip 960, a bay filly by OBS graduate Yaupon consigned by Longoria Training & Sales. The filly is out the mare Joyful Cat, who is by OBS graduate Kitten’s Joy and is a full sister to graded stakes winner Charming Kitten.

    Hip 961, a gray or roan colt by Roadster consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock. The colt is out of the Grey Swallow (IRE) mare Joyous Angel, who is a half sister to graded stakes winner English Bee.

    Hip 990, a bay colt by Nashville consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock. The colt is out of the winning, stakes-placed Kodiac mare Kodiac Gal (IRE).

    Hip 1004, a dark bay or brown filly by Munnings consigned by Kings Equine. The filly is out of the graded stakes winning Justin Phillip mare Lady T N T, an OBS graduate.

    Hip 1012, a bay colt by Bolt d’Oro consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales LLC. The colt is out of the Speightstown mare Laquezza, a half sister to stakes winner and Grade 1 placed Light the City and the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Tumbarumba.

    Two horses worked in :20 3/5 to tie for the second fastest quarter:

    Hip 888, a dark bay or brown colt by Liam’s Map consigned by Hoppel LLC. The colt is out of the stakes winning Violence mare Heart Full of Soul.

    Hip 925, a dark bay or brown colt by Upstart consigned by Tom McCrocklin. The colt is out of the Distorted Humor mare Humor Me Dixie, a daughter of graded stakes winner Dixie City, and is a half brother to stakes placed winner Presha, an OBS April graduate.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm Meet will offer substantial increases in overnight purses as well as bonuses in open stakes and Florida-bred races and stakes as part of a $6 million Florida-Bred Incentive Fund (FBIF).

    Overall, the Royal Palm Meet, which runs through Aug. 30, will offer total stakes purses of $2.9 million plus an additional $575,000 ($25,000 per race) to any Florida-bred finishing in the top five in 23 summer stakes. The percentage of purse money for those top five Florida-breds will be 50%-30%-11%-6%-3%.

    On the heels of the memorable 2025-2026 Championship Meet that wound down Sunday, Gulfstream Park will usher in the 2026 Royal Palm Meet with a nine-race program today. A Thursday-through-Sunday racing schedule will be conducted through April. Top-class Thoroughbred racing will continue Friday through Sunday through August.

    Purses in maiden special weight races for Florida-breds will climb from $43,000 last summer to $65,000 this summer while allowance races will climb from between $54,000 to $58,000 last summer to $65,000 and $75,000 this summer. The purses of all claiming races will see a $2,000 increase. Increases will be for all ages.

    Once again, the winners of the $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies May 9 will earn automatic entry into one of Royal Ascot’s six 2-year-old races in addition to a $25,000 travel stipend. The Royal Ascot meet runs June 16-20.

    On April 25, Gulfstream will offer six $100,000 stakes races restricted to Florida-breds.

    Today’s program marks the return of popular jockey Paco Lopez, who has five mounts, including Fear in the Race 8 feature, a 5 ½-furlong allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds on Tapeta. The Carlos David-trained son of Win Win Win, a winner on turf, finished third against open company on the all-weather surface last time out.  Jose D’Angelo-trained Bronze Bullet, 7-5 in the morning-line, who finished first twice on Tapeta, returns to the all-weather track with Luis Saez aboard following a pair of show finishes on turf.

    Samy Camacho also rejoins the Royal Palm Meet jockey colony that will be missing Edgar Zayas, a two-time Royal Palm Meet champion who has switched his tack to New York. Camacho has six mounts on toay’s card.

    Leonel Reyes, who was just three wins away from his 1000th victory in North America when he sustained a broken left ankle Nov. 3, is nearing a return to pursue the milestone.

    Fresh off claiming his fifth consecutive Championship Meet title, Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will pursue his 16th Gulfstream Park title in a row while chasing another Royal Palm Meet championship.