Month: March 2021

First Winner For Caravaggio Is A Rising Star

The first runner for her exciting first-season sire, Tenebrism (Caravaggio) also carried the mantle of Ballydoyle's first juvenile runner of 2021 into Sunday's five-furlong juvenile opener at Naas. Not that she comprehended the gravitas of the moment, but the manner in which the daughter of the high-class Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) dealt with the task in hand could not have been more pleasing for her high-profile connections. In readily dismissing her peers in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden staged on soft ground, she instantly set a lofty standard for her stable's similarly illustriously-bred 2-year-olds to meet. Allowed to drift out to 7-2 despite holding on to favouritism, the bay who races for a partnership between Coolmore, Georg von Opel's Westerberg Limited and her part-breeder Merriebelle Stables was away on terms under Seamie Heffernan before meeting traffic in behind before halfway. Last when switched wide for a clear run two out, she responded notably to a smack with the whip to begin pursuit of the Bolger runner Gaire Os Ard (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) who had looked the likely winner at that stage. Picking up in dramatic fashion to brush that fellow filly aside with 150 yards remaining, she was pushed out with hands and heels to register an emphatic 3 3/4-length success and earn TDN Rising Star status in the process. Gaire Os Ard, who ran a respectable debut in her own right, was in turn 2 3/4 lengths in front of the third Lord Gorgeous (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}).

Aidan O'Brien holds her in high regard and said, “She was always very natural from day one and she's able to quicken up very well, which is what the dad was able to do. You would have to be very happy with her. She's smart and we can look at all those quick races for her.”

It is always to be hoped that a mare with the ability of Immortal Verse will transmit that to her progeny and it may be significant that Tenebrism is her first daughter with her three prior foals including sons of War Front who won in Battle for Glory and Grand Deed. Particularly effective on this type of surface, one of the leading lights for the famed Richard Strauss-Robert Collet combination was dynamic when taking the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois with give in the ground, on the latter occasion inflicting a rare defeat on Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa). Her full-sister Go Lovely Rose (Ire) was responsible for another who relished testing conditions in Roseman (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), runner-up in last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., while her 3-year-old colt Baradar (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) was third in deep ground in the G1 Futurity Trophy in October.

The second dam is the listed-winning and group 3-placed Side of Paradise (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-winning dual champion sprinter and champion sire Last Tycoon (Ire) and to the sire Astronef (Ire). Two other half-siblings to make a mark as broodmares were Save Me the Waltz (Ire) (Kings Lake), dam of the GI Matron S. winner Sense of Style (Thunder Gulch) and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Valentine Waltz (Ire) (Be My Guest), and Zelda (Ire) (Caerleon) who is the ancestress of the G1 English and Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and her dual group 1-winning full-sister Hydrangea (Ire). Immortal Verse, who was bought by John Moores and Charles Noell's Merriebelle Stables for 4.7million gns at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, also has a yearling filly by Justify who she was bred back to this year.

1st-Naas, €14,000, Mdn, 3-28, 2yo, 5fT, 1:07.46, sf.
TENEBRISM, f, 2, by Caravaggio
     1st Dam: Immortal Verse (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 7-9 1/2f, G1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, $1,053,873), by Pivotal (GB)
     2nd Dam: Side of Paradise (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
     3rd Dam: Mill Princess (Ire), by Mill Reef
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,913. O-Coolmore/Westerberg/Merribelle Stables; B-Merriebelle Stables & Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO

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Baltas Continues Santa Ana Dominance With Going To Vegas

A change in tactics and an eye-catching turn of foot resulted in a career-best performance from the Richard Baltas-trained Going to Vegas in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as the 4-year-old daughter of Goldencents motored to an impressive 3 ¾-length win.  Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, Going to Vegas, who was claimed eight starts back for $50,000, got a mile and one quarter on turf in 2:00.80.

Second, about a half length off of heavily favored Mucho Unusual as the field made the dirt crossing shortly after its hillside turf start, Going to Vegas took the pole position about a mile from home with French-bred Neige Blanche and Mucho Unusual in close attendance to the far turn.

With a one length advantage over Neige Blanche at the quarter pole, Going to Vegas spurted clear three sixteenths of a mile out to win as much the best.

“She ran her race today,” said Baltas, who has now won the last four runnings of the Santa Ana.  “Today was the first time she showed us that kind of acceleration.  The turn of foot was impressive.”

Although she had broken her maiden and won an allowance route while on or near the lead prior to being claimed on June 12, 2020, Going to Vegas had never exhibited the kind of front-running dominance she did in the Santa Ana.

“Just working on her, getting her to relax and obviously we took the blinkers off of her (four starts back),” explained Baltas.  “With this distance, it's probably better for her to stay or even a little further.  (A) mile and three eighths, mile and a half, because she has tactical speed and she made the lead pretty easy today…I was pleasantly surprised that she had that turn of foot at the end.”

Fourth going one mile on turf in the G2 Buena Vista Stakes Feb. 20, Going to Vegas was second two starts back in the G1 American Oaks at a mile and one quarter on turf.  With the Santa Ana her second attempt at the distance, Going to Vegas was the second choice among a field of six older fillies and mares and paid $8.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

“Since last night when I watched all the races of the filly, I (thought) she probably would be the pace,” said Rispoli.  “This morning I said to myself, 'The only way to beat Mucho Unusual is to go get the lead.'  The race came the way I want, I took the lead before the first turn and from there, she just kept improving acceleration and she really gave me a serious turn of foot at the top of the stretch.”

Owned by Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Medallion Racing and MyRacehorse, Going to Vegas, who is out of the Johannesburg mare Hard to Resist, notched her first ever stakes win and improved her overall mark to 18-4-8-2.  With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $283,751.

Mucho Unusual, attentive to the pace while saving ground throughout, was full of run at the top of the lane but was clearly second best on the day, finishing one length in front of a late running Red Lark.

Off at 2-5 with Flavien Prat, Mucho Unusual paid $2.10 and $2.10.

Irish-bred Red Lark rallied from last under Ricky Gonzalez and paid $2.20 to show while finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of Neige Blanche.

Fractions on the race were 24.64, 49.17, 1:14.02 and 1:38.14.

Racing resumes on Sunday with first post time for a nine-race card at 1 p.m.

The post Baltas Continues Santa Ana Dominance With Going To Vegas appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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