REPRIZED HALO (Halo’s Image) and DELIGHTFUL MARY (Limehouse) head their
respective divisions of the $100,000 OBS Championship S. as OBS holds its 22nd
annual Day of Champions race card on Monday.
The races, which will be run over OBS’ all-weather Safetrack surface, offer
purses totaling $300,000 and will be streamed live via the
OBS website. Post time for
the first race is 1 p.m. (EDT).
It’s the third start of the year for Reprized Halo, whose juvenile campaign
was highlighted by his front-running victory over fellow OBS graduate and
next-out Delta Downs Jackpot S. (G3) winner Gourmet Dinner (Trippi) in the In
Reality division of the Florida Stallion S. He’ll be ridden by Jose Alvarez for
trainer Manuel Azpurua.
STRIKE OIL (Forest Wildcat) makes his second start of the year for trainer
Mark Casse. The bay colt broke his maiden last season when taking Woodbine’s
Coronation Futurity in November, but was outrun against allowance rivals when
trying a conventional dirt track for the first time in his seasonal bow. Shaun
Bridgmohan has the call on Strike Oil in his return to a synthetic surface
against seven rivals.
Delightful Mary heads a field of seven in the filly division of the OBS
Championship S. Third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at
Churchill Downs and pointed for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at the same track, she
makes her first start of the year for Casse in Monday’s contest. Bridgmohan,
aboard the Mazarine S. (Can-G3) third-placer in her Breeders’ Cup run, retains
the mount.
The chestnut filly’s main competition could come from stablemate SILENT MOON
(Malibu Moon), who is also making her first start as a three-year-old. That
chestnut lass ended her juvenile campaign with two straight wins at Woodbine and
will get a ride switch to Rajiv Maragh.
CRISTAL JAK (Drewman), second to undefeated champion Awesome Feather (Awesome
of Course) in last summer’s Susan’s Girl division of the Florida Stallion S,,
heads a field of 10 in the afternoon’s 1ST race, the $50,000 OBS Sprint for
three-year-old fillies. The Antonio Sano-trained dark bay, who will be ridden by
Luis Saez, is still seeking her second career win after breaking her maiden by
seven lengths in August.
She’ll face stiff competition from her rivals, including last-out Gulfstream
Park maiden victress HOLIDAY FLARE (Harlan’s Holiday) and GROUNDSWELL (Forest
Wildcat), triumphant by 2 3/4 lengths in a Woodbine maiden when last seen in
July.
RIBO BOBO (Louis Quatorze) heads a field of eight in the $50,000 OBS Sprint
for three-year-old colts and geldings after taking last summer’s Foolish
Pleasure S. at Calder. The Azpurua charge has since placed in two stakes,
including Churchill’s Iroquois S. (G3), and will have Ariel Smith aboard.
Multiple stakes-placed MOTIN (Congrats) and Spectacular Bid S. fourth
GANGSTERONTHERUN (City Zip) are also in with a chance.
For more information regarding the OBS Championship Stakes, please call
352-237-2154 or visit the OBS
website.