Bessie M wins N1x by daylight

Bessie M, a filly I recommended to a client at least year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds, picked up her second lifetime victory in eight starts Friday at Calder, sitting off the pace and pouncing in the stretch to win by a widening six lengths over 3/5 favorite Wild Bout Tiffany.

Sent off as the second choice, but at nearly 5/1, Bessie M paid $11.40 to win, though only $3.80 to place and $2.80 to show. She was expertly ridden by Jose Alvarez, who relaxed the filly behind early fractions of 22.47 and 46.90 and sat seventh of eight at the half as the favorite was hounded by Truly Classy, Miss Maggie Girl and My Mama Gator, who finished 3-4-5 behind the exacta. While Wild Bout Tiffany put away all her early challengers by 2 1/2 lengths or more, she was spent in the stretch, where Bessie M did her running. Final time for six furlongs in N1x company was 1:13.2.

Bessie M earned $15,000 for the victory, bumping her lifetime earnings to $47,024.

She was bred in Maryland by Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnes, and was purchased for $35,000 by William H. Harris at last year's EASMAY sale. She broke maiden in a dead-heat with Feelin Abit Frisky for a $40K tag at Monmouth on Aug. 20 last year, in her second start for Harris' barn. Harris lost her in a $25,000 claim to Platinum Equestrian Corporation in January at Gulfstream, and those connections were the winning owners today, with Antonio Sano the trainer of record.

I tipped the filly by Medallist-Catalita, by Mountain Cat, after a 22 2/5 quarter-mile breeze over a slow surface at EASMAY. I generally liked the way she was put together and the time certainly was eye-catching, though on the whole I gave her only Priority 2 status (on a scale of 1-4), mostly due to her young sire's slow start.

In other sales-pick (and pan) news, Akkadian, a Tiznow colt whose $270,000 purchase price I criticized following the April 2010 Keeneland juvenile sale, collected his second lifetime win on Thursday afternoon at Hollywood Park. After stalking the pace, he got up to win by a neck in a one-mile turf allowance, beating Brazilian-bred Great Warrior.

I thought $270,000 was too much for a horse who admittedly (after seeing him lately) looks phenomenal, but whose female family's history was spotty. One had to reach back to the fourth generation on his catalog page to find a graded winner. However, with two wins in four starts and $77,760 banked, the horse is on his way to panning out for owner Gary Broad, who has campaigned his share of good horses.

Only $200,000 more to go to pay back that purchase price.

The link needs some updating, but you can follow all the picks and pans here.