Halo Najib outclasses foes on OBS Day of Champions

Ahmed Zayat's HALO NAJIB (Halo's Image) was caught in a traffic jam on the

far turn, but once Kent Desormeaux angled him to the outside, the chestnut

sophomore stamped his authority on Monday's $150,000

Ocala

Breeders' Sale Championship S. The 1 1/16-mile event was one of five stakes

on the 19th annual OBS Day of Champions at Ocala Training Center. This year's

edition of the non-wagering extravaganza for OBS sales graduates ushered in a

new era in two respects: it was the first to be held on the new synthetic

Safetrack surface, and it was sponsored for the first time by Darley.

In the Championship, Halo Najib raced just off the tempo established by

Dynhocracy (Adhocracy) through splits of :23 3/5, :49 and 1:14 2/5. The eventual

winner was a close, hemmed-in fourth turning for home, and as a wall of

sophomores aligned to challenge for the lead, it looked to be anyone's game. As

soon as Halo Najib saw daylight on the far outside, he surged to a 2 3/4-length

victory. Hello from Heaven (Aptitude) rallied for second, one length ahead of

Ghostly Thunder (Ghostly Minister).

The Dale Romans pupil reeled off 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 2/5 to earn his first

stakes victory, more than doubling his earnings to $171,416 from a record of

5-2-1-1. The Florida-bred colt has been competing admirably against graded

company. Runner-up in the Iroquois S. (G3) at Churchill Downs last fall, he was

most recently third in the Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Halo Najib was

produced by the unraced Sword Dance (Ire) mare Najibe's Wish, and in his most

recent visit to the sales ring, he RNA'ed for $235,000 as a two-year-old in

training at OBS last April.

In the companion $100,000

fillies' division of the Ocala Breeders' Sale Championship S., Ione and

Herbert J. Elkins' CALICO BAY (Three Wonders) romped by eight lengths with

Manoel Cruz in the irons. The William Kaplan-trained three-year-old settled in

midpack for the first six furlongs, advanced into contention entering the

stretch and steamrolled past the longtime leader Indy's Alexandra (Flatter), who

salvaged runner-up honors. Calico Bay posted the same time as Halo Najib, 1:46

2/5, while notching her second stakes tally. The bay garnered the My Dear Girl

division of the Florida Stallion S. and placed in three other stakes en route to

compiling an 8-3-2-1, $395,950, mark. Calico Bay was coming off a fourth-place

effort in the Tropical Park Oaks. She went to her current connections for

$15,000 at OBS April.

Sophomore sprinters were in action in a pair of six-furlong stakes. In the

$75,000

Ocala Breeders' Sale Sprint S., BEN AND THE TWIN (Storm Boot) shot straight

to the early lead beneath Eddie Castro, repelled a challenge from runner-up Jazz

Nation (City Zip) and drew off by 3 3/4 emphatic lengths. The Cody Autrey

trainee stopped the teletimer in 1:11 2/5 to advance his record to 7-3-0-2,

$103,011. Campaigned by Hooties Racing, Moss Racing and Kevin Mullikin, the bay

colt was a $140,000 two-year-old in training purchase at OBS April. Ben and the

Twin's best previous stakes finish was a third-place effort in the Sugar Bowl S.

at Fair Grounds.

In the $50,000

fillies' division of the Ocala Breeders' Sale Sprint S., BANGA RIDGE (Snow

Ridge) likewise went wire-to-wire, but her victory involved much more suspense

for owner/trainer Jose Pinchin. With Elvis Trujillo aboard, the chestnut filly

set a contested pace before opening up by five lengths in midstretch. Although

Banga Ridge appeared to be home free at that point, Orinoquia (Whywhywhy)

unleashed a furious late rally and drew alongside the longtime leader as they

reached the wire. The photo revealed that Banga Ridge had held on by a nose in a

final time of 1:11 1/5. A $15,000 OBS August yearling, the winner RNA'ed for

$42,000 at OBS last April. Banga Ridge, who had placed third in the Cassidy S.

at Calder in October, now sports a mark of 9-4-0-1 with $118,000 in earnings.

Multiple stakes hero STRAIGHT FACED (Straight Man) showed no signs of rust

when returning from a 13-month layoff in the $50,000

Florida Thoroughbred Charities S., driving to a 1 3/4-length score with

Edgar Prado aboard. The Stephen DiMauro charge stalked in the initial stages,

accosted the pacesetting Asisa's Assault (West Acre) in the stretch and kicked 1

3/4 lengths clear of that rival while completing five furlongs in :57 2/5. The

four-year-old bay has now amassed a bankroll of $269,800 from his 7-5-0-0 line.

Straight Faced was a Calder juvenile star in 2006, landing the Dr. Fager and

Affirmed divisions of the Florida Stallion S. as well as the Birdonthewire S. He

was last seen finishing fifth in the Spectacular Bid S. in January 2007. Owner

Walter Donnelly acquired Straight Faced for $48,000 at the OBS March

Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

The Florida Thoroughbred Charities was the only race not restricted to OBS

graduates. Instead, it was restricted to horses by stallions whose seasons were

offered at the 2004 Florida Thoroughbred Charities Auction.