August, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Giant’s Causeway’s Vexatious Gets Better of ‘Bisou’ in Personal Ensign

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) was bet like she could not lose Saturday’s GI Personal Ensign S. at 1-5, but apparently no one told 9-1 shot Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway). The Calumet runner refused to yield to the Eclipse winner in the final furlong of the Saratoga stretch to secure a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Stakes winner Motion Emotion (Take Charge Indy) went straight to the front with Vexatious stalking in a close-up second and Midnight Bisou just off of them in third through opening splits of :24.15 and :48.36. Vexatious drew even with the pacesetter with three-eighths left to run and that rival called it quits as Midnight Bisou ranged up dangerously on the outside. The Eclipse winner was three-wide turning for home with Vexatious just to her inside as Point of Honor (Curlin) snuck up the fence and looked ready to tussle with the top two. Vexatious came out a bit on the chalk in early stretch, but was quickly righted by pilot Jose Lezcano. Point of Honor swiftly folded her tent on the rail, leaving Vexatious and Midnight Bisou to duke it out to the wire and that they did. The pair stormed clear of the rest of the field in a fierce battle to the finish, but Vexatious was always going the better of the two and held Midnight Bisou at bay for a neck success. There was a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run, as well as a claim of foul by Midnight Bisou’s jockey Ricardo Santana, but the result was left as is. It was the first Grade I victory and first win at Saratoga for trainer Jack Sisterson.

“We always thought she had a big win in her and all credit to the filly,” said Sisterson. “I want to say thank you to [owner] Calumet Farm, and my employees for getting her in the best shape possible. We started off the year in allowance races and allowed her to improve, and she deserves it. It’s a whole team effort and I have a lot of people to thank.”

He continued, “We’ll give her a well-deserved few days off and let her jump ahead a bit. Obviously, it’s a Win and You’re In.’ We’ll run her again before the Breeders’ Cup and look forward to being home at Keeneland.”

“I had a perfect trip,” said Lezcano. “My filly broke well. She was relaxed the whole way and just sitting behind the leader. I could feel the other filly [Midnight Bisou] coming and I started asking my filly. Every time the other filly came close to her, my filly dug in. I showed her to the other filly and she kept going. She kept running. We could have gone around one more time and I still would have been in front with my filly.”

As for the beaten favorite Midnight Bisou, co-owner Jeff Bloom said, “She ran a huge race. She barely lost the race. She’s just a remarkable race mare. I think what happened in the race definitely caused a shift in momentum. Is it disappointing to lose? Of course it is. You want to win all of them. They don’t give Grade I races away. You’ve got to go out there and do it. The filly that beat us is a really nice filly. She ran a huge race last out and is on the upswing, and that’s what happens.”

Vexatious last visited the winner’s circle when promoted to first via DQ in the 2018 GIII Dowager S. at Keeneland for Neil Drysdale. Transferred to Jack Sisterson last summer, she checked in second in the track-and-trip Summer Colony S. And was off the board in the GI Spinster S. next out. She kicked off 2020 with a fifth in a tough Oaklawn optional claimer Apr. 30 and was third next out in a turf test at Churchill June 6. The 6-year-old was runner-up to another Eclipse winner in Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. July 11.

Pedigree Notes:

Vexatious is the 35th Grade I winner for the late Giant’s Causeway and is one of the 114 graded winners and 192 stakes winners for the legendary sire. The winner’s dam Dream of Summer captured the GI Apple Blossom H. and won over $1.19-million. She took her talent from the racetrack to the breeding shed, producing the likes of Grade I-winning stallion Creative Cause (Giant’s Causeway) and MGSW & GISP young sire Destin (Giant’s Causeway). The 21-year-old mare is also responsible for the unraced juvenile filly Hippie Cowgirl (Not This Time), who was purchased by Casner Racing for $200,000 at KEESEP. Dream of Summer produced an Uncle Mo filly Jan. 25 of this year and was bred back to Justify.

Saturday, Saratoga
PERSONAL ENSIGN S.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 8-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.82, ft.
1–VEXATIOUS, 120, m, 6, by Giant’s Causeway
1st Dam: Dream of Summer (GISW, $1,191,150), by Siberian Summer
2nd Dam: Mary’s Dream, by Skywalker
3rd Dam: Proper Mary, by Properantes
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($150,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Calumet
Farm; B-James C. Weigel & Giant’s Causeway Syndicate, LLC.
(KY); T-Jack Sisterson; J-Jose Lezcano. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 23-4-3-7, $723,985. *Full to Creative Cause, GISW,
$1,039,000; Destin, MGSW & GISP, $947,800.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Midnight Bisou, 124, m, 5, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite, by Repent
2nd Dam: Tour Hostess, by Tour d’Or
3rd Dam: Counsel’s Gal, by High Counsel
($19,000 RNA Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo ’17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable, LLC (Jeffrey Bloom), Madaket Stables
LLC & Allen Racing LLC.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $100,000.
3–Point of Honor, 120, f, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Zayanna, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Heavenly Cat, by Tabasco Cat
3rd Dam: In Excelcis Deo, by Forty Niner
($825,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners & Stetson Racing, LLC; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY);
T-George Weaver. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 6 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 9.50, 0.30, 3.65.
Also Ran: Motion Emotion, Abounding Joy. Scratched: Bossy Bride. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Art Collector Heads Churchill Workers

Bruce Lundsford’s Art Collector (Bernardini), winner of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in his latest start, worked over a muddy Churchill Downs track Saturday morning. Trained by Tom Drury, the colt carved out fractions of :12.80 and :24.60 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six panels in 1:14.80.

“It’s so nice to have a horse who is versatile and can really run over any surface,” said Drury. “He did everything very easily this morning and it was really just a perfect work. We are still taking things one day at a time. We just have to get there and we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

Drury indicated the colt remains on course to make his next start in Sunday’s Runhappy Ellis Park Derby ahead of a tilt at the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby. Also targeting Ellis’ Derby next weekend, Jackie Rojas, Wayne Scherr and Raymond Daniels’ Necker Island (Hard Spun) covered four furlongs in :47.80.

Other possible Kentucky Derby contenders that recorded breezes Saturday were John Oxley’s GIII Lecomte S. winner Enforceable (Tapit) (five furlongs in 1:02.60) and Lloyd Madison Farm’s GIII Indiana Derby runner-up Major Fed (Ghostzapper) (four furlongs in :50.20).

“I was very happy with how [Enforceable] worked this morning,” said 21-year-old Declan Carroll, whose father, David, oversees trainer Mark Casse’s Churchill Downs string. “He did everything in stride. I was just the pilot.”

Highlighting the fairer set Saturday morning, Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) worked five furlongs in 1:01 in preparation for the Aug. 15 GI Alabama S. at Saratoga. The chestnut, who was runner-up behind Art Collector in the Blue Grass last month, carved out intermediate fractions of :13.40, :26.40 and :38.20 before rounding out the move in 1:14.20 for six furlongs, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“She worked really good and handled the muddy surface well,” Brian Hernandez Jr., who was aboard for the work. “She’s a very talented filly as we saw in the Blue Grass how well she handled running against the boys. She cruised along out there this morning.”

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Swiss Skydiver, who is automatically qualified for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks with 350 points, annexed the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GIII Fantasy S. and GII Santa Anita Oaks earlier this spring.

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Art Collector Breezes Half-Mile At Churchill In Ellis Park Derby Prep

On a soggy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, several likely contenders for the $3-million Kentucky Derby (Grade I) and $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (GI) recorded published workouts over the “muddy” going, including Bruce Lunsford's Blue Grass Stakes (GII) winner Art Collector (four furlongs in :48.80) and Peter Callahan's multiple graded stakes-winning filly Swiss Skydiver (five furlongs, 1:01).

Other possible Kentucky Derby contenders that recorded breezes on Saturday were John Oxley's $200,000 Lecomte (GIII) hero Enforceable (five furlongs, 1:02.60); Lloyd Madison Farm's $300,000 Indiana Derby (GIII) runner-up Major Fed (four furlongs, :50.20); and Jackie Rojas, Wayne Scherr and Raymond Daniels' likely $200,000 Ellis Park Derby contender Necker Island (four furlongs, :47.80).

It was a busy morning for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who worked both Swiss Skydiver and Art Collector. Hernandez got the leg up on Swiss Skydiver around 5:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) and the filly worked through fractions of :13.40, :26.40 and :38.20. She finished her workout with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:14.20, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“She worked really good and handled the muddy surface well,” Hernandez said. “She's a very talented filly as we saw in the Blue Grass how well she handled running against the boys. She cruised along out there this morning.”

Trainer Kenny McPeek reported that Swiss Skydiver would ship to Saratoga and run in the $600,000 Alabama (GI) on Saturday, Aug. 15. Although a moot point in the case of Swiss Skydiver, who is automatically qualified for the Kentucky Oaks with 350 points, the Alabama will offer the Top 4 finishers points on a 100-40-20-10 scale for the Sept. 4 event.

About two hours later, Hernandez jumped aboard $600,000 Blue Grass Stakes hero Art Collector, who clipped through opening fractions of :12.80 and :24.60 for his half-mile drill. The son of Bernardini galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six furlongs in 1:14.80.

“It's so nice to have a horse who is versatile and can really run over any surface,” trainer Tommy Drury said. “He did everything very easily this morning and it was really just a perfect work. We are still taking things one day at a time. We just have to get there and we're keeping our fingers crossed.”

Drury reported the plan is to still point to next Sunday's Ellis Park Derby as Art Collector's final prep for the first Saturday in September.

One of the first horses to record a workout this morning at Churchill Downs was Enforceable. Sporting blinkers, which he's worn since breaking his maiden last August, the striking gray son of Tapit worked in company on the outside of 3-year-old maiden Ghost Fighter. Enforceable, under jockey Declan Carroll, started about two lengths behind his stablemate and worked through fractions of :12.80, :25.60 and :38.40. Enforceable finished about a half-length to the good at the wire but continued in front through a six-furlong gallop out of 1:15.80 and finished his work with a seven-furlong time of 1:29.60.

“I was very happy with how he worked this morning,” said 21-year-old Carroll, whose father, David, oversees trainer Mark Casse's Churchill Downs string. “He did everything in stride. I was just the pilot.”

Casse was not in town for the work but reported via text following watching a short video of his stretch run, “I really like what I'm seeing.”

About five minutes after Enforceable completed his work, Major Fed recorded his first published move since running second in the July 8 Indiana Derby. Under exercise rider Lindsey Hebert, Major Fed swiftly began his breeze at the three-eighths pole with opening fractions of :12.60 and :37.60. The son of Ghostzapper continued his work around the clubhouse turn and completed a six-furlong gallop out in 1:03.60.

“We gave him a little time off following the Indiana Derby but he's been training pretty steady for a couple of weeks now,” trainer Greg Foley said. “This was his first work back and he handled things very well. It wasn't one of those works where he needed to do much and he looked really comfortable out there.”

Major Fed, who sat No. 16 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 38 points prior to Saturday's action in the $100,000 Shared Belief (GII) at Del Mar, will forgo running in the Ellis Park Derby and point straight to the Kentucky Derby.

Currently No. 32 on the leaderboard, Indiana Derby fourth-place finisher and former $100,000 claim Necker Island worked at 7:30 a.m. under Joe Johnson for trainer Chris Hartman.

Indiana Derby winner Shared Sense is scheduled to work Sunday at Churchill Downs. The Brad Cox-trained colt has 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and is a likely entrant to next Sunday's Ellis Park Derby.

Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up King Guillermo continued his training Saturday at Churchill Downs. The colt had an easy gallop around 5:30 a.m.

There are four races remaining on the Road to the Kentucky Derby: Saturday's Shared Belief (50-20-10-5); Aug. 8 Travers (100-40-20-10); Aug. 9 Ellis Park Derby (50-20-10-5); and Aug. 15 Pegasus (20-8-4-2). On the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, there are three remaining races: Saturday's Monmouth Oaks (50-20-10-5); Aug. 9 Audubon Oaks (10-4-2-1); and Aug. 15 Alabama (100-40-20-10). For the latest leaderboard updates and more information, visit www.kentuckyderby.com.

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Silvano Stars Again At National Sale

Saturday’s second and final session of the Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling sale saw seven additional seven-figure (Rand) lots added to the top of the price list. Maine Chance Farms’s champion sire Silvano (Ger) had been the star of day one, responsible for the top four lots including the sale-leading R7-million colt (£313,406/€348,135), and he once again provided the top two on Saturday. The leading light was Maine Chance’s colt (lot 329) bought by Anthony Beck for R2.3-million (£102,976/€114,387). He is the second foal out of the G1 SA Oaks winner Pine Princess (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}), who has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old full-brother.

Wilgerbosdrift sold the sale’s two highest-priced colts on Friday and they provided another highlight on Saturday in the form of lot 251, a Silvano half-brother to Group 3 winner Folk Dance (SAf) (Tiger Ridge) and the Classic-placed Capoeira (SAf) (Oratorio {Ire}). He was bought by Form Bloodstock for R1.6-million (£71,635/€79,573).

Young sire Gimmethegreenlight (Aus) was the one to break up Silvano’s momentum on the leaderboard, with a colt (lot 366) sold for R1.4-million (£62,681/€69,627) to Form’s Jehan Malherbe. Malherbe paid the same price for lot 453, a rare offering in this country by Uncle Mo. The colt is the second foal out of Ubiquitous Mantle (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}), a three-time winner in Ireland the U.S. and a granddaughter of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Roseate Tern (GB) (Blakeney {GB}).

Unsurprisingly in the COVID era, figures were slightly off from last year’s returns. From 478 yearlings catalogued over the two-day sale, 341 were offered and 294 sold for an aggregate of R86,915,000 (£3,891,393/€4,322,601). Last year, 438 had been sold over three days for R139,380,000 (£6,240,377/€6,931,877). The average dipped 7.2% to R295,629 (£13,236/€14,702), while the median was down 8.6% at R160,000 (£7,163/€7,957).

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