Month: May 2021

Medina Spirit Gives Baffert a Record-Breaking Seventh Derby

LOUISVILLE, KY – Face masks and all, the fans were back at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May–an announced 51,838 of them–and louder than ever. The mint juleps were flowing, the sun was shining and it was Bob Baffert standing in the winner's circle for a record seventh time, passing the legendary Ben Jones at the 147th GI Kentucky Derby.

Zedan Racing Stables overachieving Medina Spirit (Protonico), just a $1,000 OBS Winter Mixed Yearling turned $35,000 OBS July breezer, set the pace and dug down gamely beneath Johnny Velazquez in the stretch to defeat 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) by a half-length at odds of 12-1. It was another half-length back to Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in third. Previously unbeaten champion Essential Quality (Tapit), favored at 5-2, was a close fourth after a wide trip.

“This little horse coming in here, he's always shown he's an overachiever,” Baffert said. “His heart is bigger than his body. When he turned for home, something just told me. He reminded me of Silver Charm. He doesn't know how much he cost. He wouldn't let anyone pass him. Mr. Zedan wanted to come to the Derby with a $35,000 horse. I thought we'd see what happens. This horse, the way he ran, I didn't know he had it in him.”

Baffert continued, “Usually when I come in here, I feel like if I don't win–I bring in these heavy-duty horses. This year, I really enjoyed myself. I came in here under the radar. I thought, well, maybe he'll get a piece of it or something. But Johnny, he kept telling me if he improves off his last race, he'll run well.”

Medina Spirit, an ultra-game, wire-to-wire winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30, entered the Derby off a pair of second-place finishes, finishing a well-beaten second in both the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 6 and GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3. The debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11 was also second in the GIII Sham S. Jan. 2.

Medina Spirit was second behind his highly regarded Baffert-trained stablemate 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in both the Sham and San Felipe. The undefeated Life Is Good was made the 6-1 individual morning-line favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, but was sidelined by ankle chip surgery in March.

Baffert and Velazquez also won last year's COVID-19 pushed back and spectator-free Derby with Authentic over Labor Day weekend. Baffert's other Derby wins include: Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002) and Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).

“You know, it's one of those things where I've never been keeping score, like records and stuff,” Baffert said of passing Jones on the Derby leaderboard. “Like, the Grade I record, I heard about a month ago. It was a super jinx. And we got it today with Gamine. But the seven wins, it's like, I can't believe I won two. It's just–I leave here, like, wow. Can you believe it? Every time we've won, we look at each other, [my wife] Jill and I: Can you believe we won the Kentucky Derby again? And it's exciting. And I have my brother Bill here. My friend Karl Watson and little Bode. When you have your friends around you, it means a lot.”

Velazquez became the eighth rider to win the GI Kentucky Oaks and Derby in the same year after piloting Malathaat (Curlin) to heart-stopping victory Friday. This was Velazquez's third Derby win.

“Every time I asked him to give more he kept fighting on,” Velazquez said. “You couldn't ask for more of a horse. When you ride a horse like this who is competitive you can't ask for anything else.”

He continued, “I liked this little horse. I know he's all heart. Strategy was very simple–break out of there and try to put him in the lead. If somebody wanted to go him faster than me, let him have it. I know we were quick. And the more I looked at the race, the more I studied the race, I knew he was faster than the rest of the horses.”

Medina Spirit found himself somewhat surprisingly loose on the lead after speedy second favorite and three-for-three Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) made a mess of the start.

Velazquez seized the early initiative and got the opening quarter in :23.09 and a half in :46.70 as Mandaloun found a dream spot on the inside in third. Medina Spirit hit the quarter pole in front, to the roar of the crowd, but had a trio of challengers stacked to his outside–Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, a forward factor throughout, and a four-wide Essential Quality, who raced within striking distance in a wide sixth for most of the way.

Medina Spirit appeared to be growing leg weary as Mandaloun, who shadowed his every move, looked like he'd go right by. But Medina Spirit had something left for the stretch and was all heart from there to bring home the roses.

Founded in 2016, Zedan Racing Stables is the nom de course of Saudi Arabian businessman and philanthropist Amr F. Zedan. Zedan Racing also campaigned 2020 GI Del Mar Debutante S. heroine and $1.35-million OBS Spring graduate Princess Noor (Not This Time).

“This is really surreal,” Zedan said. “I really just can't believe it. On the way into the stretch, I just couldn't see anything. It just went gray, and all of a sudden everybody is jumping on top of me. I don't know. It was emotional. It was surreal. It was just amazing.”

He continued, “I knew he had a heart that's bigger than his body. And all we needed is for him to be up front and just keep fighting because no one was going to pass Medina if Medina really got the lead.”

Agent Gary Young, acting on behalf of Zedan Racing Stables, purchased Medina Spirit for $35,000 after breezing three furlongs in :33 at last year's postponed OBS July Sale. Zedan went to $1.7 million to land a colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Gun Runner earlier this spring at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale.

“With Protonico [sire of Medina Spirit], Mr. Aboughazale, who's a dear friend and he owns Protonico,” Zedan said. “We were done shopping per se during the auction. And then Mr. Aboughazale calls me and says, 'Well, there's this horse by Protonico that I own the sire, and would you want to check him out?' I said absolutely.”

He continued, “So I checked him out and I liked him. I called Gary and said, 'What do you think?' Let's run it by Bob [Baffert].  Bob gave the okay. So we looked at him, agrees everything was fine. And the rest is history.”

Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program totaled $233 million up 85% from the 2020 Kentucky Derby Day program. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby race itself was $155.4 million up 96% from last year's Derby.

Derby Pedigree Notes:

The last time a winner of the Kentucky Derby was bred outside of Kentucky was in 2014 with California Chrome, but it is the state of Florida which ranks second in visits to the hallowed winner's circle with Medina Spirit making it seven. The 11th Triple Crown winner, Affirmed (1978), was the last to hail from Florida, but he is joined by legendary greats Needles (1956), Carry Back (1961), Foolish Pleasure (1975), Unbridled (1990), and Silver Charm (1997).

The TDN's Chris McGrath detailed the success of small breeder Gail Rice last year before Medina Spirit even made his first start. Rice, the mother-in-law of Eclipse-winning rider Jose Ortiz, had also bred last year's GI Ashland S. winner Speech (Mr Speaker) from her small broodmare band.

Rice's former husband, trainer Wayne Rice, purchased Medina Spirit's dam, Mongolian Changa, for $9,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. The filly made six starts at two under his name, winning an eight-furlong maiden special weight at Presque Isle Downs, but retired after bowing a tendon. Rice bred the filly the next year at three and got Medina Spirit as a first and only foal. The Rices divorced and Mongolian Changa was given away, with Medina Spirit himself going through the OBS Winter Mixed Sale ring for a bid of $1,000 from Christy Whitman. He reappeared at last year's OBS July sale, getting a final bid of $35,000 from agent Gary Young on behalf of Zedan Racing Stables after working three furlongs in :33.

While the immediate family is shy of black-type, Mongolian Changa's second dam is a half-sister to MGISW High Yield, who was 15th in the 2000 Kentucky Derby. Medina Spirit's fifth dam, the Nijinsky II mare Leap Lively, campaigned as a homebred for Paul Mellon's Rokeby Stables, winning a Group 3 at Ascot and finishing third in the G1 Epsom Oaks 40 years ago. Leap Lively is also the third dam of Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) and from the extended family of GISW Warrior's Reward (Medaglia d'Oro).

Mongolian Changa is by the 2011 GI Blue Grass S. winner Brilliant Speed, a Dynaformer stallion whose 129 foals from four crops include one daughter who has produced a black-type winner. That, of course, is Mongolian Changa with Medina Spirit. Brilliant Speed was standing for $5,000 at Three Chimneys Farm when he was struck by lightning and died in 2016.

Standing for $5,000 at Castleton Lyons in 2021 is the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico, a MGSW who previously stood at both Taylor Made and Darby Dan. Protonico's first crop is three this year and surely he has some of the most unlikely numbers of any sire of a Derby winner: 18 first-crop 3-year-olds, 10 starters, three winners, and one Kentucky Derby winner.

–Jill Williams

Saturday, Churchill Downs
KENTUCKY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE-GI, $3,000,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 3yo, 1 1/4m, 2:01.02, ft.
1–MEDINA SPIRIT, 126, c, 3, by Protonico
                1st Dam: Mongolian Changa, by Brilliant Speed
                2nd Dam: Bridled, by Unbridled
                3rd Dam: Holy Niner, by Holy Bull
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($1,000 Ylg '19 OBSWIN; $35,000 2yo '20
OBSOPN). O-Zedan Racing Stables; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Bob
Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $1,860,000. Lifetime Record:
6-3-3-0, $2,175,200. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mandaloun, 126, c, 3, Into Mischief–Brooch, by Empire
Maker. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H.
Cox. $600,000.
3–Hot Rod Charlie, 126, c, 3, Oxbow–Indian Miss, by Indian
Charlie. ($17,000 Ylg '19 FTKFEB; $110,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT).
O-Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC, Strauss Bros Racing
& Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Ltd.; B-Edward A. Cox (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $300,000.
Margins: HF, HF, HD. Odds: 12.10, 26.90, 5.60.
Also Ran: Essential Quality, O Besos, Midnight Bourbon, Keepmeinmind, Helium, Known Agenda, Highly Motivated, Sainthood, Like the King, Bourbonic, Hidden Stash, Brooklyn Strong, Super Stock, Rock Your World, Dynamic One, Soup and Sandwich. Scratched: King Fury.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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$1,000 Medina Spirit Gives Baffert A Record Seventh Set Of Roses; Velazquez Rides Oaks-Derby Double

The roar of even the smaller crowd of 51,838 beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs sounded louder than ever, after the global pandemic forced the delayed 2020 edition to be held without spectators on Sept. 5. Returning to it's rightful place on the first Saturday in May, the end result was the same: Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and John Velazquez teamed up to win the Run for the Roses.

Last year it was with Authentic, eventual Horse of the Year, tying Baffert with “Plain” Ben Jones for the most Kentucky Derby winners all time with six.

In this 147th edition, the horse was the bargain buy Medina Spirit ($26.20), owned by Derby first-timer Amr bin Fareer bin Mohammed bin Zedan. The son of Protonico cost just $1,000 as a yearling, and Zedan purchased him for $35,000 as a 2-year-old.

Medina Spirit grabbed the lead at the start from post position eight, set all the fractions, and fended off challenges from Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, and the favored, previously undefeated champion Essential Quality through the length of the stretch to win by about a half-length. He ran 1 1/4 miles over Churchill Downs' fast main track in 2:01.02.

“That little horse has got a heart,” Baffert said. “(Velazquez) told me last night, 'Don't underestimate this horse, he's better than you think, Bob. Don't worry, we'll get the job done.'”

The victory was worth $1,860,000 and increased Medina Spirit's earnings to $2,175,200 with a record of 6-3-3-0. Velazquez has won four editions (Animal Kingdom (2011), Always Dreaming (2017), and Authentic, 2020), one shy of the record, and also captured this year's Kentucky Oaks with the Todd Pletcher-trained Malathaat. He is the eighth rider to win the Oaks and Derby in the same year, following most recently Calvin Borel in 2009.

Baffert has now saddled seven winners of the Kentucky Derby (Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (2015), Triple Crown winner Justify (2018), and Authentic (2020)), more than any other trainer in history.

Baffert has also come under scrutiny over the past year with a spate of medication violations – two at Oaklawn Park that involved champion Gamine (who won the G1 Derby City Distaff earlier on the Kentucky Derby card) and G1 Arkansas Derby winner Charlatan, a second violation involving Gamine in the G1 Kentucky Oaks and a fourth violation at Del Mar with a filly named Merneith. The California Horse Racing Board also reviewed whether or not Triple Crown winner Justify should have been disqualified from the G1 Santa Anita Derby in 2018 after testing above the limit for scopolamine. The regulatory board opted not to disqualify Justify or charge Baffert with a violation.

Medina Spirit was bred in Florida by Gail Rice, mother of Eclipse Award finalist Taylor Rice (apprentice jockey) and mother-in-law to top jockey Jose Ortiz, out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa. The mare failed to produce milk when Medina Spirit was first born, and Rice had to turn to her only other broodmare, Scribbling Sarah, for assistance. The young Medina Spirit thrived, and his own mom started producing milk several hours later.

Unfortunately, Rice's divorce forced the sale of Medina Spirit as a yearling. He brought the bottom-dollar bid of $1,000 at the OBS Winter Mixed sale in early 2019, and she had no choice but to let him go.

“I kept telling people, 'This horse can run!'” Rice said. “Just his body and his leg, and the intelligent attitude he had; I always thought he was special.”

As it so happens, “Sarah” became the dam of Grade 1 Ashland winner Speech in 2020 (delayed to July due to the pandemic). Medina Spirit won the G3 Bob Lewis Stakes in late January of 2021.

“It's just crazy to think about,” Rice told the Paulick Report earlier this year. “I haven't had many broodmares in my whole career, only ever one or two at a time, just playing around. And to have this happen in back-to-back years? It's crazy.”

Gail Rice, breeder of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit

Bloodstock agent Gary Young saw the 2-year-old Medina Spirit at the 2020 OBS July sale, and recommended the purchase to Zedan. The owner, who has been in racing for just five years, is a Los Angeles native, Saudi Arabian businessman, philanthropist, and an international polo player.

The small, nearly black colt broke his maiden at first asking at Los Alamitos in December, and was just three-quarters of a length behind his highly-touted stablemate Life Is Good in the G3 Sham Stakes Jan. 2 at Santa Anita.

Next out, Medina Spirit won the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in an absolute dog fight over Roman Centurian and Hot Rod Charlie. Soundly defeated by Life Is Good in the G2 San Felipe, Baffert decided to perform a minor throat surgery on Medina Spirit, helping the colt to breathe a bit better.

Medina Spirit returned in the G1 Santa Anita Derby to run second to turf-to-dirt winner Rock Your World, after racing off the lead. Velazquez decided to change his tactics for the Kentucky Derby.

“We talked about it over and over,” Velazquez said. “He's all heart. Let's put him in the game and let him fight the whole way around.”

Essential Quality and Rock Your World slammed into one another at the start of the race, taking both out of their element and leaving them near the rear of the field racing toward the clubhouse turn. Meanwhile, Velazquez sent Medina Spirit straight to the lead, tracked by Soup and Sandwich through an opening quarter in 23.09 seconds.

Mandaloun got a perfect inside trip in third position alongside Helium, while Hot Rod Charlie was forwardly-placed as well. Jockey Luis Saez guided juvenile champion Essential Quality forward to take up sixth on the far outside, as much as five paths off the rail down the backstretch.

Medina Spirit continued under a confident ride from Velazquez, ticking off fractions of 46.70 seconds and 1:11.21 for six furlongs, not overly fast for the classic distance. Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie were both taking closer aim as Medina Spirit led through the final turn, as was the 5-wide Essential Quality. Velazquez held Medina Spirit well off the inside fence as the pair turned for home in front.

Mandaloun got first run on Medina Spirit, and Hot Rod Charlie was alongside him. Essential Quality made his move as well, making it a four-wide rush across the track from the eighth pole.

Leading group from left to right: Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie (red shadow roll), Mandaloun (pink cap), Medina Spirit (red cap), and O Besos (slightly behind leading four) at the sixteenth pole in the 147th Kentucky Derby

Despite everything that was against him, from his bargain-basement purchase price to the atypically humble opinion expressed by his Hall of Fame trainer leading up to the race, Medina Spirit dug deep and delivered the garland of roses to his connections.

Mandaloun and Florent Geroux, rebounding off a flat sixth-place effort in the Louisiana Derby, were hardly disgraced in second, while Hot Rod Charlie fought all the way to the wire as well to finish third, beaten just a length. Essential Quality, who perhaps had the longest trip of the 19-horse field, was also beaten just a length by the winner in finishing fourth.

The full order of finish was as follows: Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, Essential Quality, O Besos, Midnight Bourbon, Keepmeinmind, Helium, Known Agenda, Highly Motivated, Sainthood, Like The King, Bourbonic, Hidden Stash, Brooklyn Strong, Super Stock, Rock Your World, Dynamic One, and Soup and Sandwich.

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Colonel Liam, Domestic Spending Dead-Heat In A Turf Classic Thriller

A pair of Grade 1-winning 4-year-olds – Colonel Liam from the barn of Todd Pletcher and the Chad Brown-trained Domestic Spending – hit the wire together in Saturday's Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., producing the first dead-heat in the 35-year history of the Grade 1 grass fixture run immediately prior to the Kentucky Derby.

Colonel Liam, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., seized command from front-running Smooth Like Strait in the final sixteenth of a mile in the nine-furlong race, but Flavien Prat and Domestic Spending were in full flight after boring through a narrow opening in mid-stretch and switching to the outside. Domestic Spending was gaining ground with every strike and just caught Colonel Liam when the photo finish camera clicked at the wire. Time of the race on a firm turf course was 1:47.99.

Smooth Like Strait was a neck back in third, with Count Again 1 1/2 lengths further back in fourth in the field of nine older runners, edging Digital Age, Ivar and Cross Border in a photo finish, Masteroffoxhounds and Ride a Comet completed the order of finish.

Owned by Robert E. and Lawana Low, Colonel Liam paid $2.80 to win as the 7-5 favorite. Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending, sent off at 5-1, paid $5.80 for a $2 win bet.

Umberto Rispoli guided Smooth Like Strait to the lead and set soft fractions of :24.40 for the opening quarter mile and :49.17 for the half. Colonel Liam was sitting in third position, saving ground along the inner hedge, with Domestic Spending near the back of the field and off the rail in the run down the backstretch.

Rounding the stretch turn after six furlongs in 1:12.83, Ortiz switched Colonel Liam to the outside and drew up alongside the front-runner at the furlong pole, the mile clocked in 1:36.22. He edged past that stubborn rival and looked to be on his way to victory.

Domestic Spending, meanwhile, had just two horses beat turning into the stretch. Prat had to guide his mount through a narrow opening, drawing alongside Brown stablemate Digital Age, switched to the outside and Domestic Spending kicked into high gear as both Smooth Like Strait and Colonel Liam were drifting out in deep stretch.

Photo finish for the Turf Classic win

For Colonel Liam, the win was his fourth in a row, dating back to his first stakes victory in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park Dec. 26. He then scored a rich victory in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Jan. 23 and came back to win the Grade 2  Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds on March 20.

The 4-year-old colt by Liam's Map, a $1.2 million 2-year-old purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s April sale, has now won six of eight career starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Phillips Racing Partnership.

Domestic Spending, a 4-year-old Kingman gelding bred in England by Rabbah Bloodstock Limited,  has won five of six career starts, including the Saratoga Derby Invitational last Aug. 16 and the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Nov. 7. The Hollywood Derby was the most recent start for Domestic Spending, who trained at Palm Meadows in South Florida over the winter.

First run in 1987 after Churchill Downs installed a turf course, the Turf Classic has been won by three horses that would go on later in the year to Eclipse Award honors: Bricks and Mortar in 2019 (also voted Horse of the Year), Wise Dan in 2013, and Paradise Creek in 1994. It has been a Grade 1 since 1996.

The Turf Classic field drives toward the finish at Churchill Downs, with Domestic Spending (red and white cap) and the gray Colonel Liam dead-heating for the win

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A Heater In the Turf Classic

Six months ago, Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was the leader of a very strong group of turf sophomores, having won the valuable Saratoga Derby over the summer before a year-ending defeat of Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) in the GI Hollywood Derby.

But while that one was given his winter's rest, Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), a progressive sort who finished within three-quarters of a length of Domestic Spending at the Spa last summer, had assumed 'King of the Hill' status, courtesy of a three-race skein that included the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in January and the GII Muniz Memorial S. Mar. 20. Saturday's renewal of acquaintances in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs lived up to expectations, as they hit the wire together and the judges could not split them.

Colonel Liam, a touch keen passing under the wire for the first time, found the perfect spot in the box seat, as Smooth Like Strait enjoyed a cheap time of things on the engine, doling out fractions of :24.40 for the opening couple of furlongs and an easy :49.17 beneath Umberto Rispoli. The second that pace-pressing Cross Border (English Channel) came under a Ricardo Santana, Jr. ride leaving the three-eighths pole, Colonel Liam was asked for a bit of acceleration from Irad Ortiz, Jr. and was pulled out into the two path to deliver his challenge. Colonel Liam was roused to the front a furlong from home, but Domestic Spending, given a quiet time of it towards the back of the field for the opening six furlongs, followed his stablemate and defending champion Digital Age (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) into the lane, shot the gap between the latter and a weakening Cross Border, was steered out and around Colonel Liam as Smooth Like Strait hung to his right and hit the line on even terms.

Pedigree Notes:

Colonel Liam is the one of six graded winners and three Grade I winners for Liam's Map and is bred on the same cross as 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper. Colonel Liam is one of two winners from four to race for his dam, an unraced daughter of the Phillipses MGISW turf distaffer Wonder Again, whose full-brother Grass Wonder was the champion 2-year-old of his generation in Japan and later won the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 meters (11 furlongs) and the 2500-meter (12.5-furlong) Arima Kinen on two occasions before embarking on a stud career. This is also the same female family responsible for GSW Hopeful Growth (Tapiture). Amazement is the dam of Colonel Liam's 3-year-old half-sister Lovely Dee (Shackleford), a juvenile colt by Tapiture and a yearling colt by the late Arrogate, like Liam's Map a son of Unbridled's Song. She most recently visited Copper Bullet (More Than Ready).

Domestic Spending is the lone produce for his stakes-winning dam (died 2017), a daughter of G3 Nell Gywn S. winner and MG1SP Cloud Castle (GB) (In the Wings {GB}), whose GSW Queen's Best (GB) (King's Best) produced GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Domestic Spending's third dam includes a plethora of high-class gallopers, including MG1SWs Warrsan (Ire) (Caerleon) and Luso (GB) (Salse) and MGSW & MG1SP Needle Gun (Ire) (Sure Blade).

Saturday, Churchill Downs
OLD FORESTER BOURBON TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,000,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.99, fm.
(DH)-1–COLONEL LIAM, 124, c, 4, by Liam's Map
                1st Dam: Amazement, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Wonder Again, by Silver Hawk
                3rd Dam: Ameriflora, by Danzig
($50,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR).
O-Lawana L. & Robert E. Low; B-Phillips Racing Partnership
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $393,600. Lifetime
Record: 8-6-0-1, $1,264,565. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
(DH)-1–DOMESTIC SPENDING (GB), 124, g, 4, by Kingman (GB)
                1st Dam: Urban Castle (SW-Eng), by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Cloud Castle (GB), by In the Wings (GB)
                3rd Dam: Lucayan Princess (Ire), by High Line (GB)
(300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien
Prat. $393,600. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-1, $914,500. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
3–Smooth Like Strait, 120, c, 4, Midnight Lute–Smooth as
Usual, by Flower Alley. O-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC;
B-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy.
$96,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 1HF. Odds: 1.40, 5.90, 7.10.
Also Ran: Count Again, Digital Age (Ire), Ivar (Brz), Cross Border, Masteroffoxhounds, Ride a Comet.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. Click for Colonel Liam's free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for Domestic Spending's free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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