Owner Gomez Sees Potential in Pair of Book 5 Fillies

In his eight years of working with Thoroughbreds at Tony Ocampo's Rose Hill Farm and dozen years showing horses at auctions for Paramount Sales, Audin Gomez figures he's developed a good eye for horses; an eye that might pick up on some value in a horse. As he's not spending at the top levels for horses, Gomez has been betting that his experience in seeing so many good horses will help him find some value that translates to the sales ring. At this year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Gomez is a part owner of a pair of fillies scheduled to sell Sept. 23, the 10th session of the sale. Both fillies are consigned by Paramount. Set to enter the ring first is a filly from the first crop of Bolt d'Oro, a winner of two grade 1 races as a juvenile. The filly, offered as Hip 3182, is out of stakes-placed Julie's Jewelry, by Distorted Humor, and from the family of grade 1 winners General Challenge, Notable Career, and Evening Jewel. "I like the filly's page; the family and Bolt d'Oro," Gomez said. "She's a very nice filly and I think she's going to do well." Bred in Kentucky by Allied Racing Stable, the filly was offered as a short yearling by Small Batch Sales at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale but was an RNA at $24,000. Gomez and his partners then followed up and privately purchased the filly. The second filly, Hip 3292, is a daughter of another young sire, grade 1 winner Connect, and out of stakes-placed mare Quenby, by Ambassador (GER). A son of Curlin, Connect won the 2016 Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and defeated older horses that year in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1). Connect's first crop reached the track this year and he already boasts Pocahontas Stakes (G3) winner Hidden Connection. Quenby competed in Germany and her family includes Scandinavian and Hungarian champions. Gomez went to $8,000 to purchase the Connect filly at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale from the consignment of Brandywine Farm, agent. The filly was bred in Kentucky by Michael Wood and John Tsailakis. Gomez acknowledged she had some setbacks but noted that she has progressed a lot and has turned some heads. "Everyone asks me, 'Where did you get this filly?'" Gomez said. "It's one of those things where people spending $100,000 or $200,000 on a horse don't have time to really look at every horse. You can find good horses at these sales. Sometimes you find one and have to take a chance. … You can't compete with that level of buyer but you can sneak around and find a good one." Gomez credited Paramount's managing officer Pat Costello and account manager Lesley Campion with teaching him a lot about the sales and providing feedback on horses he's interested in purchasing. At the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, Gomez sold a gray or roan Cupid colt out of the Exploit mare Mayfield for $30,000. That colt, also consigned by Paramount, was purchased by Keep the Ball Rollin.