Woodbine 'double' nets repeat winner, new maiden-breaker, and a winning Pick-3 ticket

Victories in races 1 and 3 at Woodbine Thursday boosted the earnings of a bargain 2-year-old near the six-figure mark, added a new winner to the ranks of my 2010 juvenile sales selections, and let me cash a decent Pick 3 ticket with my sales-tips as singles on either end of the sequence.

Not a bad start to the holiday weekend.

When I saw that recent maiden-breaker Admitit (E Dubai-Fine Day, by Fantastic Light) was facing a small and beatable group in her first try against winners and that maiden Officer's Affair (Officer-Ontheqt, by Mazel Trick) also had a good chance in her third lifetime start and first for a claiming tag, I quickly considered the possibility of a cheap Pick 3 play that relied on my sales tips of more than a year ago coming through as singles on the ticket. I could (and did) scurry over to Remington Park on my lunch break to make the play.

After glancing at the horses in Race 2 of the sequence -- only a five-horse field, but one I thought could be hotly contested -- I just decided to buy that race, for the ticket cost would be only $5 and it would be hard to hit it and still lose money. (Though I managed to do just that last month on an $8 Pick 3 at Penn, when a 1/5 shot -- who had no business going off at 1/5 -- could only manage to dead-heat with a 12/1 horse for the win in R2 of that sequence. My "winning" ticket was worth something like $7.50, while the few who held the other sequence were paid $73.25 for $1.)

Even by buying R2 today (which was won by a horse named Even, matter of fact, who went off as the 6/5 favorite), and though Officer's Affair wound up the 2/1 favorite in Race 3, the ticket paid $43.60, a pretty good score for a $5 wager, which I punched twice. ... My apologies to one particular person probably reading this whom I should've tipped so he could get in on it too, if he wanted.

At any rate, Admitit took 10 tries to break her maiden, finishing second or third in the first eight before finally putting forth a dull effort in career start No. 9. She has bounced back from that first off-the-board effort to win twice in a row during June for owner Saffie Joseph and trainer Ricky Griffith at a $40K tag, among maidens and now among fellow winners.

I recommended Admitit before she sold to Joseph for a mere $20,000 as Hip 1046 at last year's Ocala April sale. She has now banked $96,790 from two wins, five places and three shows in 11 starts on Polytrack and turf, and her 2 1/4-length win on synth today while "taken in hand" by jock Luis Contreras gives every appearance of a filly who can still move forward.

Admitit was bred in Kentucky by Hot Pepper Farm.

After Even disposed of the field in Race 2, I was eager to see the results of Race 3, both to know whether I had a new maiden-breaker from the 187-horse group of sales tips I made last year, and to know whether my wager was going to be returned at a premium rate. I was pleased to learn that Officer's Affair fought clear in the stretch to win by a length and a quarter under Tyler Pizarro, giving me a double-dose of satisfaction.

Officer's Affair was a pricier horse out of the same OBS April sale that produced Admitit; an $80,000 purchase as Hip 224. She was bred in Ontario by Reade Baker Racing Stable Inc., but campaigned now by owners Robert Harvey, A. Wortzman and G. Ledson. She is trained by Sid Attard.

Officer's Affair now has a win from three starts for $19,816. She is the 87th winner from the aforementioned 187-horse group of sales recommendations I made on this blog from various 2-year-old auctions of 2010. That's 46.5 percent of all horses chosen.

Click here to follow the entire class, in the U.S., Canada and worldwide.

Viva Ace regains winning ways at Busan

Bouncing back sharply from his first out-of-the-exacta finish in eight lifetime starts, Viva Ace rolled to a four-length victory going 1,600 meters in handicap competition Friday at Busan in Korea.

The dark bay gelding by Macho Uno-Dancing Lake, by Meadowlake has now won five of nine career starts and finished second in three others, earning roughly $163,132 in U.S. equivalent. His only out-of-the-money performance was his last out, on May 1, when he finished sixth of 14, beaten about 5 1/2 lengths, in his first listed stakes effort.

I shortlisted Viva Ace as a "Priority 2" offering on a 48-horse list of bargain prospects for a client at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. He sold for $20,000 to the KOID (the Korean Racing Authority), which buys horses in the States and ships them to Asia for resale and racing. Viva Ace runs for the stable of owner Hong Kyung Pyo and is trained by Kang Hyoung Gon.

Click here to follow the exploits of the Sales-Tip Class of 2010, in the U.S. and abroad.

Summer night belongs to Sultry Gibson

Clifford Dooley gunned his filly from the 10-hole at the get-go and Sultry Gibson took a full field of $5,000 claimers practically gate-to-wire Thursday night at Charles Town to score her second lifetime victory.

Snow Ace, starting just inside 5/2 second-choice Sultry Gibson as the No. 9, briefly led in the early strides. But Sultry Gibson had gained a four-length advantage over the field within the first quarter-mile and was still three lengths on top in the stretch. She won by a length and a quarter over 7/5 favorite Get Right To It, who got up for second by a neck over So Serene. Snow Ace hung around for fourth.

Sultry Gibson is owned by Jocelyn Dickey McKathan and is trained by Melissa Hunt. She was bred in Florida by North Star Equine Inc., and has now won twice from 11 starts for $39,685.

I shortlisted the bay daughter of Gibson County-Sultry Peg Cee, by Sultry Song, as a "Priority 3" horse for a bargain-seeking client at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. She breezed a solid-for-the-sale 10.3 as Hip 347 at EASMAY, but was withdrawn on sale-day only a few-dozen lots before going through the ring.

While Sultry Gibson has slipped to the $5,000 claiming ranks, she's been a useful racehorse, making 11 starts, winning as a juvenile, once dead-heating for second in allowance company (in a four-horse photo) and taking fourth in a Charles Town stakes race as a 2-year-old.

Follow all 187 of my 2010 juvenile sales selections here.

Newest maiden-breaker leads Father's Day triple

My Reward overcame a bump at the start and clearly outran her nearly 9/1 odds on Sunday, drawing off to collect her first lifetime win by five lengths in maiden-claiming at Charles Town in West Virginia.

She provided one of three wins on Father's Day for my 187-horse Sales Tip Class of 2010.

The filly came nowhere close at Charles Town in her last out, but that was at a price of 48/1 among maiden special weights. She previously had been third only once from seven starts, in lesser maiden-claiming company at Tampa. But it all fell into place Sunday for My Reward, jockey Antonio Lopez, and owner/trainer Melissa Hunt.

My Reward was bred in Pennsylvania by E&D Enterprises and the Grand Reward Syndicate. She has now earned $12,260.

Working as a hired bloodstock advisor, I shortlisted the filly by Grand Reward-Leelu, by Carson City, as a Priority 3 prospect on a 48-horse list for a bargain-minded buyer at the May 2010 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. My Reward failed to sell as Hip 217 when the bidding stopped at $16,000. She becomes the 21st winner off that 48-horse list (that's 43.8 percent of a group that collectively sold for less than half the sale average price) and the 86th winner among the aforementioned 187-horse Class of 2010 (46 percent).

Also collecting wins on Sunday were two prior victors from the sales-tip list.

Diannedoesthebooks ($25,000 OBSAPR Hip 1200) won by a nose for owners Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables LLC in $2oK claiming company at Belmont Park, and went unclaimed despite being the short-priced favorite. The bay gelding by Desert Warrior-Karakorum Kiss, by Lord Carson, has now won two of three starts lifetime for $32,050.

And, Evangelical ($100K RNA, KEEAPR "second chance deal") won her third race from six starts, cruising by six lengths over a field of $25K claimers at Monmouth for new owners Dennis and Eileen Jacques, who claimed her for $45,000 last-out at the same track, when she finished third. The FL-bred filly by Speightstown-Evangelizer, by Saint Ballado, has now earned $100,330, and the Jacques didn't lose her on the claim.

You can follow my entire list of 2-year-old sales recommendations from 2010 at this prior post.

Bargain-buy Jitalian wins NY-bred allowance

Persevering in the stretch when the favorite gave up the ghost, Jitalian collected his third lifetime win Saturday, besting state-bred allowance company at Finger Lakes in New York.

Jitalian was sent off at better than 7/1 odds despite finishing third at this same level twice consecutively at Finger Lakes. He and jockey Joel Sone sat a couple of lengths off the pace of 13/2 shot Wana Play (who faded to fourth), and responded in deep stretch when challenged by 9/5 favorite Gold Ghost, a 4-year-old who came on from fifth place to give Jitalian a fright near the wire, but hung in the crucial stages and settled for second, beaten three-quarters. Final time for a mile-seventy run on a track rated "fast" was 1:46.02.

Bred in New York by Aaron Schroeder, Jitalian is owned by David Cramer and trained by Karl Grusmark. He has now won three of 11 starts for $40,962.

I shortlisted the dark bay gelding by Defrere-Sandy Lass, by Line in the Sand, as a "Priority 1" horse at the May 2010 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in Timonium, Md.; the lone sale that I've worked as a hired bloodstock advisor. There, he sold for only $7,000 as Hip 301. In his three victories -- including a win maiden special weight at first asking over the Finger Lakes strip, and in claiming company at Aqueduct over the winter -- Jitlian has earned more from each single race than it cost to purchase him.

In other action Saturday, an EASMAY Priority 2 filly, Spring Jump ($19,000 as Hip 234) was second in a $50,000 optional-claimer at Delaware Park. A fellow patron of the Remington Park OTB watching alongside me Saturday was convinced that winner Class E Holiday would be disqualified to last and Spring Jump moved up to the win after a brushing mishap on the turn for home sent Queen Cleopatra's jockey Ricardo Chiappe tumbling on the racing surface. I thought Chiappe appeared to already be losing his seat at the point any contact was made, and stewards apparently agreed, settling both an inquiry and an objection by Chiappe in favor of the winner and her rider, Abel Castellano Jr.

Left to settle for second, Spring Jump has now earned $58,360 from seven starts, including two wins at Parx in Philadelphia and a stakes-placing at 2 over the same Delaware Strip where she gave a good effort Saturday. Owners Dorado Circle LLC have made out pretty well on their investment.

The toughest field tackled by any of my EASMAY grads running on Saturday was the group that faced Alstom ($7,000, Hip 242) at Churchill Downs, where the D. Wayne Lukas trainee was sent off at 17/1 in the Matt Winn S.-G3. As he is wont to do, Alstom settled at the back of the pack and came with some run at the end, but not enough to place, settling for a minor check from a fifth-place finish. He has a win and two thirds from six starts for $40,371, and I wish owners Iron Horse Racing Limited Partnership would send him to New York where the colt would likely be quite a contender among state-bred competition. (Probably even could have been a "Big Apple Triple" contender.)

As it is, were I Lukas I would likely have scratched Alstom on Saturday. The colt's only prior, truly dull effort was on a sloppy Churchill strip, so despite the muddy track's drying out to "good" condition by Race 10 on Saturday, I might well have saved the colt for another day.

Finally of note, prior winner Willie's Way ($12K RNA at OBSAPR) was second in Calder claiming company, and Shackleton Hill ($27K RNA at KEEAPR) was third in a maiden-claiming race at Woodbine.

Follow my entire 187-horse list of 2010 juvenile sales tips at this prior post.

Happy birthday, Red

They just grow up so fast!

On June 18, 2009, my mare Lady's Wager was foaling a chestnut colt by West Virginia-based sire Inner Harbour.

Today, that youngster -- named All In On Red -- turns the full age of 2 (though officially, of course, he was 2 on Jan. 1 this year).

The photo was shot this week by Sarah Warmack at Hilltop Farm VA, where Red was foaled and will receive his initial breaking and training.

You can see pictures of Red at various stages from age 5 weeks to 2 years on his page at the highly recommended site FoalTrack.com.

Panned Padua prospect gets second lifetime win

Jaeger, a colt whose purchase I panned after the 2010 Keeneland April sale of 2-year-olds in training, collected his second lifetime win seven starts with a half-length victory this evening at Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania.

I labeled the (now) gelded son of Indian Charlie-The Church Lady, by Valid Wager, as one of eight "surreal" purchases from that KEEAPR auction. While he turned in a fleet 10-flat for an eighth-mile at the sale and does have several blacktype ancestors, I noted that none of those stakes horses from his female family were graded-caliber; in fact, virtually none were stakes-winners or stakes-placed apart from restricted company races or at minor tracks like Northlands Park and Hastings Park in Canada. Only one horse on Jaeger's entire page (at least at the time of his purchase) had earned more at the track than the $350,000 price Padua paid to get him.

You can credit the horse with a game effort tonight. He stalked a hot pace of 22.30 and 45.50, then persevered to wear down 7/5 favorite Peace Cat, who had inherited the lead at the top of the stretch. Final time for 5.5 furlongs on Tapeta was 1:04.83.

Still, it's hard to look past the fact that a $350,000 2-year-old was sent off at nearly 8/1 in a short, six-horse field of $40,000 claimers, and made it through the race without changing barns. And that he's earned but $46,180 toward paying back that $350K price tag, leaving him a lot of work left to do.

In Padua's defense, with only seven lifetime races under his belt -- and now gelded, "the ultimate equipment change" -- it's an effort from which Jaeger has a right to move forward.

In other "pan" news, Frothy Market, the lone horse I warned against buying out of the 2010 OBS April sale (convinced that her 9 3/5 eighth would inflate her price far beyond her value) had the best finish of her four-race career today as part of an entry at Belmont Park. While Klaravich Stables stablemate Inflation Hedge ran off with the $65,000 maiden-claimer on turf, besting even-money favorite Silver Screamer by a widening 5 3/4 lengths, Frothy Market overcame 46/1 shot Lemme to finish third by a nose, a couple of lengths behind Silver Screamer. Frothy Market, previously unplaced from three starts, has now earned back $5,542 of her $175,000 purchase price.

Finally, also at Belmont Park, one of my shortlisted horses for a client at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in Timonium, Md., gave a creditable effort in NY-bred allowance company. There Goes Molly came on down the stretch in the one-mile dirt test (just as Molly normally does) to finish third at 32/1 odds, beaten two lengths by 2/1 favorite Lady Vi.

There Goes Molly failed to sell at EASMAY when the bidding stalled at only $6,000. She then filtered down to the capable hands of owner/trainer Randi Persaud after other connections failed to find the winning training combination with her. She now has won twice for Persaud and placed four other times from a sturdy total of 16 starts, for $50,380.

I know which investment I'd rather have on the balance sheet.

Pulgarcito pads record with minor stakes-placing

A sales-tip colt of mine who was a stakes-winner in the U.S. at 2, on Wednesday picked up a place-finish in a minor stakes race since being shipped to Canada at 3.

PULGARCITO won the Zia Park Governor's Stakes at 2 racing in the colors of Heiligbrodt Racing Stable in the barn of trainer Steve Asmussen. He was claimed from those connections at Oaklawn in April by trainer Murray Duncan and Garylle B. Stewart for $25,000, and the Assiniboia Downs start was his first off the claim.

On Wednesday night for Duncan and Stewart, Pulgarcito was second to long-shot winner U R Burnin Daylight ($39.40) in the $25,000 Golden Boy Stakes at the Winnipeg track. The victor wired the eight-horse field by a length and a half, winning the six-furlong test over a muddy strip in a final time of 1:12.40.

Pulgarcito elevated his career mark to 2-2-1 from nine starts, for $73,095. He was bred in Florida by Edward Seltzer and Murray Durst.

I recommended the (now-) gelding by Greatness-Cat Attack, by Storm Cat, as Hip 849 at the 2010 OBS April sale, where he failed to meet reserve at a bid of $37,000 though he had sold twice before at rock-bottom prices -- $3,000 as an OBSOCT weanling and $3,600 as an OBSAUG yearling. He eventually sold as a juvenile on his second time through the ring, for $40,000 at OBS June, the "last chance" for most 2-year-olds at auction.

It was hard for me to ignore that the fellow was out of a G3 winner and full-brother to a G3-placed turf sprinter, Great Attack, who has earned nearly $170,000.

You can follow all 187 of my 2010 juvenile sales selections in the list at the bottom of this link.

Little Man Arran, and ran, and ran to victory

One of my juvenile sales tips of 2010 played a role in a "career day" for jockey Anderson Trotman Sunday, as the rider booted home five winners in eight races at Garrison Savannah on the island of Barbados.

Little Man Arran, who made two unplaced starts in Canada at 2 before being shipped to Barbados, gained his first career win in Race 1 at Garrison Savannah Saturday, the first of Trotman's five winners on the card. The colt bested a field of fellow maidens ages 3 and up going 1,570 meters on turf to become the 85th member worldwide of my 187-horse juvenile sales Class of 2010 to become a winner; that's 45.5 percent of all selections. Little Man Arran was sent off the overwhelming favorite at 1/5 odds, coming into the race off a fourth-place effort as a maiden in stakes company.

From what I can tell by information, including past results, at the Barbados Turf Club Web site, I believe Little Man Arran now has a win and a place from eight starts, for total earnings (including in Canada) of about $8,460 U.S. for owners Bill and Hayley Blevins. The dark bay colt was bred in Florida by Claude Morris.

I recommended the son of Golden Missile-Ms. Copelan, by Copelan, prior to his selling for $25,000 to Bill Blevins as Hip 169 at OBSAPR 2010. His dam was a stakes-placed winner of 10 races who has already produced a Monmouth stakes-winning full-brother to Little Man Arran in GARIBALDI. Half-sisters to Garibaldi and Little Man Arran have produced the stakes winners ATLAS SHRUGS and RUN RIGHT THRU.

Follow the updated statistics for each of my 187 sales selections in the list after this prior post.

Dangerous Ghost prevails in Canterbury allowance

Dangerous Ghost, a $12,000 2-year-old among my 187 mostly bargain-minded prospects from last year's juvenile sales, on Sunday kept up her string of strong efforts at age 3, winning an allowance at Canterbury Park by a hard-fought half-length.

The filly who broke maiden at Remington Park last year had previously finished second in her first two starts during a 2011 "road trip" that has taken her from Lone Star Park in Texas, to Prairie Meadows in Iowa, and now to Minnesota, which is actually where her racing career began a year ago.

On Sunday Dangerous Ghost (Ghostzapper-Katy Kat, by Forest Wildcat) pressed the fast pace set by 6/5 favorite City Wife, who went out in 22.32 and 46.02. As City Wife shortened stride in the stretch, second-favored Dangerous Ghost held on to prevent a mild upset by 5/1 It's Partytime, scoring in 1:05.65 for five and a half furlongs over fast dirt.

Dangerous Ghost now has two wins and three seconds from nine starts, for $29,732 in earnings. Her four unplaced efforts include three tries on grass and a start against colts and geldings in Remington Park stakes company at age 2. She nearly broke maiden in her debut at Canterbury last year, missing by a nose in maiden special weight company before shipping south to Remington.

I recommended Dangerous Ghost before she sold for that paltry price as Hip 1205 at last year's Ocala April sale of 2-year-olds in training. She was bred in Kentucky by White Fox Farm, and though she "only" breezed 10.3 at Ocala, I liked the blacktype in her female family. Her dam KATY KAT was a Fairgrounds stakes winner, G3-placed, and full-sister to a stakes winner. Her second dam, Kombat Kate, was stakes-placed and a multiple stakes producer. Third dam Caitland retired a maiden, but was a half-sister to G1 winner and sire WILD AGAIN and herself produced four stakes horses (three blacktype winners) including multiple G3 hero LANCE.

You can follow the further exploits of Dangerous Ghost and her 186 classmates on my 2010 juvenile sales-tip list at this link.

Bessie M misses stakes win by a head

Bessie M came up a head short of becoming a stakes winner in a grueling stretch duel Saturday at Calder Race Course.

I shortlisted the filly by Medalist-Catalita, by Mountain Cat, as a "Priority 2" horse on a list of 48 bargain-priced prospects at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training while working my first (and only) auction as a hired bloodstock advisor. Then named Carolita, she sold for $35,000 as Hip 59 and would have been a "Priority 1" horse on our list were it not for the slow start at stud by her young, Maryland-based sire.

In the Leave Me Alone Stakes on Saturday at Calder, Bessie M stalked the brisk 22.28 opening quarter set by favorite White Merlot, claimed the lead by a half-mile that was run in 45.76, and responded when Beso Grande challenged her in deep stretch. But Beso Grande edged in front at the wire, claiming the $45,000 winner's share of the purse and leaving Bessie M to settle for her second straight blacktype-placing without winning.

Bessie M flattened out in the stretch and was third her last out in the one-mile Regal Gal Stakes at Calder on May 28. Previously, she had won two straight races for current connections Platinum Equestrian Corporation, which claimed her at Gulfstream in January for $25,000, and trainer Antonio Sano.

Bessie M was bred in Maryland by Mr. & Mrs. Charles McGinnes. She now has a 3-3-3 record from 11 starts for $76,024 in earnings.

She is one of three stakes-placers from that list of 48 bargain-priced prospects at EASMAY 2010 (my selections were sold or failed to attain reserve at an average price less than half the sale average), and one of 18 horses stakes-placed or better from my 187-horse list of mostly bargain-minded prospects from several of last year's juvenile sales.

Follow those 187 sales selections in the list at the bottom of this prior post.

Vital Victory maintains newfound winning ways

After 15 fruitless tries, Vital Victory finally decided that winning was so nice she'd do it twice.

On May 15 at Calder, the filly became the 80th horse from my 2010 list of juvenile sales prospects to clear her maiden hurdle, doing so in her 16th start, for a $12,500 tag. Today at Calder, she stalked the leaders and edged away in the stretch, collecting her second consecutive win by two lengths in $10,000 claiming company.

I recommended Vital Victory (Bwana Charlie-Victory Chime, by Polish Numbers) before she sold for $20,000 as Hip 634 at last year's Ocala April sale of 2-year-olds in training. She was unplaced from eight starts at 2, but has a pair of wins and three second-place finishes from nine starts thus far at 3. ... She's sound enough, at least.

I liked that the filly comes from good female stock; dam Victory Chime was a G3 winner (and stakes producer) and second dam Topacio was champion older mare in Uruguay. Victory Chime has produced several other multiple-winners who, while not always stellar, were sturdy.

Vital Victory has now earned $25,182, at least a little bit more than she cost at the sale.

You can follow all 187 of my 2010 sales recommendations here.

Kuhlu collects win No. 2

Pressing pacesetter Just Be There from the opening steps and dueling that horse and 2/1 favorite Princes Even all the way to the wire, my 2010 juvenile sales-tip Kuhlu prevailed by a norse in a three-horse photo Wednesday at Arlington Park.

Just Be There held on for second by a head over Princes Even in the $15,000 claimer. Time for about a mile on turf was 1:40.95.

I labeled Kuhlu among my "potential second-chance deals" after she failed to meet reserve at a bid of $22,000 as Hip 26 at last year's Keeneland April sale. Unplaced in one start at 2, she broke her maiden Feb. 6 going 6.5 furlongs on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park for a $30,000 tag. Wednesday's turf win was her second victory in six lifetime starts, earning $16,180 over those races for owner Tommie M. Lewis.

Kuhlu was bred in Kentucky by Dr. Kirk A. Shiner.

I recommended the bay filly by Ghostzapper-Golden Antigua, by Hansel, despite her 11-flat eighth-mile drill at Keeneland, which had to have held down her price. I figured that with Ghostzapper as her sire, the filly would not be the sharpest 2-year-old, but should progress nicely at 3 and 4. She is also the daughter of an Italian turf stakes-placed dam, who also won six times at 4 and 5 in the States, including the Nicole Stakes at Hawthorne and has produced 5-for-5 winners. And, as the half-sister to multiple G3-winner (and AWS track record-setter) GIANT GIZMO and stakes-placed Slick Pardoned Me, Kuhlu comes from a successfully producing female line and should have some prospect as a broodmare herself, even if she never earns her own blacktype.

Follow Kuhlu and the remainder of my 187-member 2010 juvenile sales tips here.

After 10 tries, they finally can't deny Admitit

Asked nine times at Woodbine, the filly never fully responded to the question, finishing second or third eight times. But on the 10th try, Admitit perhaps came to grips with the truth that winning is the answer.

The filly who had been runner-up five times and had finished third on another three occasions at ages 2 and 3, finally ran a dull race in her ninth lifetime start, finishing off the board for the first time on May 27. But she bounced right back in $40,000 maiden-claiming company on Friday (June 3), looping the field six-wide under Luis Contreras and scoring by a length and a quarter for owner Saffie Joseph Jr. and trainer Ricky Griffith. Final time for seven furlongs over the all-weather surface was 1:24.85.

Admitit (E Dubai-Fine Day, by Fantastic Light) was bred in Kentucky by Hot Pepper Farm. Also placed on turf, she now has a 1-5-3 record from 10 starts for $71,110. She becomes the 84th maiden-breaker from my 187-horse list of juvenile sales recommendations in 2010; that's 44.9 percent.

Despite the frustrating near-misses on the way to breaking maiden -- including a loss by a nose in her debut on June 25, 2010 -- it would be hard to suggest the filly hasn't worked out for Saffie. She was bought for $20,000 as Hip 1046 at last year's Ocala April sale, a price I called "phenomenal" after the filly's 9 4/5 eighth-mile breeze and despite her status as the first foal out of a mare who only raced once. Her second dam was a French Group 3-placed half-sister to MARQUETRY and SPAIN LANE, and to the dam of FIVE STAR DAY. Certainly she was worth a try at the price.

Admitit's win was part of a very successful Friday for my 2010 sales-tip class, a day on which G1-placed juvenile Alienation returned to the races for Bob and Natalie Baffert with a 7 1/4-length romp in an all-weather allowance at Hollywood Park and Lake Believe following up with a 2 1/2-length victory at nearly 10/1 odds in a claimer later on the Hollywood card. Omega Storm was second beaten only a half-length in his 3-year-old debut at Hollywood Park, nearly giving the class a "triple" there. Black Tulip came in second for the third time in her last four tries on turf (including a DQ from a win in Tampa), this time in an allowance at Indiana Downs. Third-out filly Decennial was third in a starter allowance at Belmont Park.

The Bafferts acquired Alienation for $60,000 as Hip 719 at Ocala April and she's certainly panned out, earning $135,800 from two wins and two stakes-placings in five starts thus far. Her victory at Hollywood Friday came in a fleet 1:09.23 for six furlongs.

Lake Believe is a Louisiana-bred that I think would benefit greatly from being sent home to Cajun country. She has two wins and three other placings from seven starts in Southern California, where the open competition is probably at least a bit tougher than statebred fields in Louisiana. Lake Believe has earned $36,820 toward repaying the $37,000 paid for her as Hip 32 at that same OBS April sale that produced Admitit and Alienation.

The rest of the weekend wasn't victorious in North America, though the class did get a pair of "maiden seconds" on Saturday (Christmas Angel first on turf and debuting Elusive Land in maiden special weight company at Woodbine), a maiden-third at Arlington (Seeking the Coach) and another near-miss third by $7,000 2-year-old purchase Alstom, who apart from a win and a stakes-fifth from five starts, has finished in the show-spot in allowance company at Oaklawn and Churchill by the grand total of a length.

You can follow the entire 187-member Sales-Tip Class of 2010 at this link.