David O'Farrell | Horse Racing Free Tips

David O’Farrell Elected Chairman of TOBA’s Board of Trustees

David O'Farrell has been elected as chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's Board of Trustees. Also joining O'Farrell on the Board of Trustees to serve
three-year terms as new members are Joe Appelbaum, Michael Banahan, Everett Dobson, Mandy Pope and R. Glenn Sikura.

Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Shannon Arvin, Jeffrey Bloom, Marette Farrell, Brant Laue, Garrett O'Rourke, and Stephen Screnci.

“It's an honor and a privilege to lead an organization that deeply cares about the economics and integrity of horse racing on behalf of owners and breeders,” O'Farrell said.

Following its annual members meeting, the TOBA Board of Trustees met to elect officers for the association.

Officers named for 2023-2024 are: David O'Farrell, chairman, Everett Dobson, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Doug Cauthen, secretary; and Garrett O'Rourke, treasurer.

The TOBA Board also approved the appointment of Alex Solis II to the American Graded Stakes Committee.

The 2023-2024 committee is comprised of TOBA members Everett Dobson (chair), Barbara Banke, Walker Hancock, Brant Laue, David O'Farrell, and Alex Solis II and racing officials Dan Bork (Churchill Downs and Ellis Park) Frank Gabriel (NYRA), Rick Hammerle (Kentucky Downs), Chris Merz (Santa Anita Park), and Tora Yamaguchi (Del Mar).

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Kentucky Derby 149 Early Impressions: Ocala Stud’s David O’Farrell on Forte

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of leading GI Kentucky Derby contenders to get their 'Early Impressions.'

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) will look to join Street Sense and Nyquist as GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winners to capture the roses the following spring.

The dark bay heads to the Kentucky Derby as the one to beat following impressive victories in this term's GII Fountain of Youth S. and GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. A runaway debut winner going five furlongs at Belmont Park late last May, he concluded his juvenile campaign with three straight wins at the top level.

Forte learned his early lessons at Ocala Stud in Florida before heading to two-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Todd Pletcher last spring.

“He's the one that we identified early on as being the cream of the crop,” Ocala Stud's David O'Farrell said.

“He was very forward. He was a horse that from day one was super athletic. We felt like he could be a really good 2-year-old and he had enough stretch that maybe he could be a two-turn horse. You just never really envisioned him as being the Derby favorite a year later, but anything is possible. He was a horse that never had a bad day. He was one of the first two that we sent in to Pletcher in March of last year to get ready for Saratoga. We felt like he was going to be really precocious and a horse that would be a lot of fun in the summertime for the partnership of Repole and St. Elias. He's one of those that not only did he perform as a 2-year-old, he just kept getting better and better and better.”

O'Farrell concluded, “It's been really exciting to watch. He's just an awfully nice horse that we're fortunate enough to be a part of.”

Bred in Kentucky by Amy Moore's South Gate Farm, the $80,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $110,000 Keeneland September yearling is one of 15 graded winners worldwide for Violence and is the first foal out of four-time stakes winner Queen Caroline (Blame). Forte's half-brother by Uncle Mo brought $850,000 from Mayberry Farm at last year's Keeneland September sale.

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‘Consignor Perspectives’ Series Recap

During the TDN's visit to Ocala last spring to scope out which first-crop sires were earning favor with the 2-year-old consignors, the response was fairly conclusive. Bolt d'Oro was a common prediction for leading freshman sire, and the consignors who believed in him before his first juveniles reached the starting gate certainly hit the nail on the head.

Interestingly, of the seven Bolt d'Oro progeny that were featured in our 'Thoughts from Ocala' video series (see here and here), five of those went on to break their maiden on debut. That group includes Agency, who spent his early days under saddle with SBM Training and Sales and went on to run second in the GIII Best Pal S., as well as King's Fortune, who was with Niall Brennan. Now owned in part by Brennan, the colt got his first win last month at Gulfstream for Todd Pletcher.

So who do the consignors in Ocala believe is the standout freshman sire this year? The most-mentioned stallion among the three consignors we visited was, hands down, Omaha Beach.

True, it's not an incredibly out-of-the-box response as the Spendthrift sire does hold the top stud fee in his class at $30,000 this year, but given his illustrious pedigree and the success of his yearlings in the sales ring, consignors have every reason to be excited about the Omaha Beach juveniles.

Read on to find out what a few consignors have to say about Omaha Beach. Click on each name to watch our 'Consignor Perspectives' video feature, where we go more in-depth about this year's class of first-crop stallions.

David O'Farrell

We are really impressed with the Omaha Beach 2-year-olds so far. I think the fact that he was a dirt horse lends the possibility that he could be versatile on any surface. I think they're going to be early, but I don't think they're going to have distance limitations either. I think he has a lot of potential to be a really great sire.

Our Omaha Beach filly out of Hot Water (Medaglia d'Oro) is just really special. She seems to be a really good filly–very athletic, loves her job, moves well on the racetrack. Just everything you like to see in a young 2-year-old at this stage.

The Omaha Beach filly out of Starlit Daydream (Can The Man) is a handy filly. She has an efficient way of moving and a lot of quality about her. She shows a lot of promise.

Also mentioned: Vino Rosso (Spendthrift, $15,000)

Value first-crop sire pick: Enticed (Darley, $5,000)

David Scanlon:

I've got a couple Omaha Beach 2-year-olds that I'm really impressed with. They share a lot of the similarities of War Front in their power and their musculature, but they seem to have a little bit more size and scope to them.

We have a nice Omaha Beach going to the OBS April Sale. He's out of the mare Queen's Wood (Tiznow) and is a big, powerful colt. He's a really strong horse, but he just floats over the ground effortlessly. We're really happy with him and really excited about him as a prospect.

Also mentioned: Vino Rosso (Spendthrift, $15,000) and Mitole (Spendthrift, $15,000)

Value first-crop sire pick: Maximus Mischief (Spendthrift, $5,000)

April Mayberry:

I have one Omaha Beach colt and one filly and I like them both. I like that in a sire, when they don't lean more towards fillies or more towards colts. They are all kind of similar looking and they all are good-minded. They move nicely. They've done everything I've asked of them and look like they have some talent.

Also mentioned: Audible (WinStar, $25,000) and Catalina Cruiser (Lane's End, $15,000)

Value first-crop sire pick: World of Trouble (Hill 'n' Dale, $5,000)

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Registration Open for TOBA Clinic in Ocala

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is hosting a Pedigree & Conformation Clinic Sunday and Monday, Mar. 19-20 in Ocala. The clinic will be held at the Ocala Breeders' Sales and Ocala Stud and will be held in conjunction with the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Speakers at the clinic include: Tammy Gantt and George Isaacs; Dr. Johnny Mac Smith, DVM; Marette Farrell (bloodstock agent); Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales for Ocala Breeders' Sales Company; David O'Farrell from Ocala Stud.

To register, visit toba.memberclicks.net/seminars-clinics.

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