Gary Barber’s Whatawonderflworld rallied in deep stretch and was up in the shadow of the wire to beat Get Away Farm’s Two Step Time by a length and take the $100, 000 OBS Championship Stakes at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 27th annual Day of Champions. Golden Legacy Stable LLC’s Golden Ray, who set the pace and led into the final furlong, settled for third. Jose Lezcano rode the winner, who ran the mile and a sixteenth in 1:45 flat, for trainer Mark Casse. A gelding by Tiz Wonderful, he worked an Under Tack quarter in :21 2/5 at the 2015 OBS June Sale before he was sold for $50,00 by James Layden, Agent, to T M Ventures. His first stakes win leaves him 4-3-0-1 with $136,200 in earnings. Arthur Ringfield, who has been Clerk of Scales at all twenty seven OBS Day of Champions race programs, presented the trophy to the winning connections.
Juan Francisco Landaeta’s Vieja Luna took charge of the $100,000 OBS Championship Stakes for fillies at the start and never looked back en route to a 2-1/2 length victory over Evergreen Stables LLC’s Silver Magnolia. Roger L. Justice’s Will Be Magical settled for third. Ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, the winner ran the mile and a sixteenth in 1:45 flat. After turning in a eighth in :10 3/5 at the Under Tack Show, the daughter of Street Hero was purchased for $23,000 by Mr. Landaeta out of the Winners Circle Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2015 OBS April Sale. Trained by Marcos Fernandez, she’s now 8-2-0-2 and has earned $122,098.
In the $50,000 OBS Sprint for colts and geldings, Michael G. Bernard’s Danbury, ridden by Eddie Castro, took charge in the stretch and held off a late run by Leonard C. Green and Robert McLynn’s Lazarus Project to win by a length and a half. Sandra New’s Drama Club was another length back in third. The time for six furlongs was 1:10 2/5. It’s the first stakes win for the Florida-bred colt by Kantharos, bred by Robert C. Roffey, Jr. A three time veteran of the OBS sales ring, he was sold by Sharon Biamonte, Agent at the 2014 OBS Winter Mixed Sale then resold by TdM Sales (Tristan & Valery de Meric), Agent to Christy Whitman at the 2014 August Yearling Sale. He was then purchased for $25,000 by Bill Kaplan on behalf of Mr. Bernard out of the Whitman Sales consignment at the 2015 April Sale after an Under tack eighth in :10 2/5 . Trained by Bill Kaplan, he’s now 8-2-0-0 and has earned $86,203. The winner paid $46.00, 16.40 and 6.80. Lazarus Project returned 7.00, 4.60 and Drama Club paid $10.00 to show. The 6-9 exacta was worth $248.00 and the 4-6 daily double paid $43.40.
In the $50,000 OBS Sprint for fillies, WinStar Farm LLC’s Social Butterfly wore down Bell Racing LLC’s Kandoo in the shadow of the wire and scored her first stakes win by half a length. Leonard C. Green’s Hi Holiday rallied to be third. Scott Spieth rode the daughter of Hold Me Back for trainer Shannon Ritter. The time for six furlongs was 1:10 4/5. Social Butterfly consigned by Cary Frommer, Agent, to the 2015 April Sale where she was sold for $140,000 to McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, Agent for WinStar Farm, LLC after an Under Tack eighth in :10 2/5. Now 3-2-0-1, she has earned $53,480.
In the afternoon’s first race, Irma Mirabal’s Cootinks Flying Ace beat Bobby McKibben’s Of Royal Decent by a length in a $10,000 440 yard allowance test for Quarter Horses. Alma D. Barraza’s Gold In This Lane was a length and quarter back in third. The winner returned $4.80, 2.60 and 2.80. Of Royal Decent returned $3.80 and 2.80; Gold In This Lane paid $2.80 to show. The 4-5 exacta returned $19.00.