On the eve of the 2019 sale, OBS April graduates were first and third in a pair of Saturday stakes races.
William & Corrine Heiligbrodt’s Mitole took the lead at the start of the $490,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, fought off an early and persistent challenge by two time defending champion Whitmore and drew away in deep stretch to win by 2-3/4 lengths. Fellow OBS graduate Bourbon Cowboy (April ’14, August ’13) checked in third. It’s the first graded stakes victory and fifth straight win for the 4-year-old colt by Eskendereya, trained by Steve Asmussen, now 9-6-2-1 with $701,510 in earnings. Consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales LLC to the 2017 OBS April Sale, he was sold for $140,000 after turning in an eighth in :10 flat at the Under Tack Show. watch his under tack video
Altamira Racing Stable and Slam Dunk Racing’s Painting Corners led every step of the way in the $78,850 Mizdirection Stakes at Santa Anita, scoring by a length and a half, with fellow OBS April graduate Go On Mary (April ’16) finishing third. It’s the first stakes win for the 5-year-old Florida-bred graded stakes placed daughter of Pleasant Strike, purchased for $40,000 out of the Woodside Ranch consignment at the 2016 April Sale after breezing an eighth in :10 1/5 at the Under Tack Show. Now 18-6-2-4 for trainer Peter Miller, she has earned $265,227 to date. watch her under tack video