Charlote Gershaw, Michael Polselli & Hilmer Schmidt's Mountain Forum swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and drew away to a convincing 3-1/2 length win over Mansell Stable's Quest Star in the thirteenth running of the $100,000 Ocala Breeders' Sale Championship Stakes in front of a large crowd at OBS March 18. Mockingbird Farm's Forum Bells was third, another length behind. John Velasquez (winning his fourth OBS race) was aboard the winner for trainer Ron Spatz. The time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:46 3/5.

It's the second stakes win for Mountain Forum, a son of Open Forum out of Mountain Affair, by Mt. Livermore, bred in Florida by Mockingbird Farm and sold for $90,000 by Mark Casse, Agent at the 2001 OBS Calder Sale. The win gives Mountain Forum a 12-4-2-1 record with earnings of $178,950.

Anstu Stable's Bronze Autumn, with John Velasquez in the saddle, held off a late charge by Charles G. Mady's Salem Willow to win the thirteenth running of the $100,000 OBS Championship Stakes for three-year-old fillies by a neck, then withstood a claim of foul by jockey Edgar Prado, rider of the second-place finisher. Select Stable's Hi Tech Honeycomb was another 3-1/2 lengths back in third. The time for the mile and one sixteenth was 1:46 4/5. Bronze Autumn, trained by Todd Pletcher, is a filly by Mr. Greeley bred in Kentucky by Mary V. Fisher. She was sold for $155,000 by Tony Bowling and Bobby Dodd, Agent at the 2001 OBS Calder Sale. The win, the first stakes victory of her career, gives Bronze Autumn a 5-2-2-0 record and earnings of $98,220. The win was Pletcher's second at OBS and Velasquez's third.

In the day's first race, the ninth running of the $50,000 OBS Sprint for three-year-old fillies, Hardacre Farm's Bold World assumed command shortly after the start under Jorge Chavez and cruised to an easy 10-1/2 length win over James F. Lewis Jr.'s Sea Span, with Mockingbird Farm's Forum Search third, another two lengths back. The time for six furlongs was 1:09 4/5. It was the ninth win at OBS for Chavez, the all-time leading rider at the track.

Trained by Ronald J. Taylor, the winner is a bay filly by Fortunate Prospect out of Worldly Bold, by World Appeal, bred in Florida by Farnsworth Farms. She was purchased from Farnsworth for $475,000 by Hardacre's Amy Tarrant at the 2001 OBS April Sale.The win gives her a 6-3-1-0 record and earnings of $153,960.

In the ninth running of the $50,000 OBS Sprint for colts and geldings, Cindy and Ron Stengel's Royal Lad broke alertly to take the lead down the backstretch, resisted a determined challenge from Eugene & Laura Melnyk's Warners at the head of the stretch, then eased away for a three-length victory. James F. Lewis Jr.'s Barnacle Steve was another four lengths back in third. Trained by Ralph Ziadie and ridden by Eibar Coa, Royal Lad ran six furlongs in 1:09 3/5, three fifths of a second off Lucky Livi's track record.

The winner is a chestnut colt by Montbrook out of Velvet Choaker, by On to Glory, bred in Florida by Ocala Stud Farm, J. O'Farrell Jr. and Edward Wiest. Consigned by Ocala Stud Farms, Royal Lad was purchased by the Stengels for $190,000 at the 2001 OBS March Sale. Royal Lad is now 10-3-2-1 and has earned $107,580 to date.

Jorge Chavez posted his tenth OBS win in the third race, the $35,000 Florida Thoroughbred Charities Stakes, riding James F. Lewis Jr.'s Handsome Smile to a 2-1/2 length victory over Raymond Romano's Raysin Thunder, with Mansell Stables' Fantastic Finish a neck back in third. Many Tortora saddled the winner, his third OBS winner. The time for the five furlongs was :58 1/5, equaling Rich In Glory's track record. The winner is a four-year-old colt by Robyn Dancer, bred in Florida by Farnsworth Farms. The win gives him a 17-7-2-1 record and earnings of $148,176.

J.D Farms' Flaming Light outdueled stablemate Laurel Light in a long stretch drive and won the fourth race, the $35,000 Florida Breeders' Distaff Stakes, by a neck. James F. Lewis Jr.'s Sea Mist, winner of last year's OBS Championship Stakes for three-year-old fillies, was another five lengths back in third. The time for the mile and one sixteenth was 1:46 3/5. Pat Day rode the winner, his sixth at OBS. The winner, a 5-year-old homebred daughter of Colony Light trained by David R. Brownlee, is now 25-5-4-3 with earnings of $132,937.