Bet to win.
Haydock 1.20 Caesars Palace – win bet.
Thirsk 5.30 Lullaby Bay – win bet.
Month: May 2022
Juju’s Map Much the Best in 3-Year-Old Debut
4th-Churchill Downs, $134,897, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 5-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.35, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.
JUJU'S MAP (f, 3, Liam's Map–Nagambie, by Flatter), back in action after six month freshening, was the 1-2 favorite off a juvenile campaign that included a win in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. Oct. 9 and a placing behind champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 at Del Mar. Racing for the first time as a 3-year-old with Lasix, Juju's Map was off a step slow but came into the bridle quickly to assume the lead from between horses into the first turn. She led unchallenged down the backstretch until Powder River (Mineshaft) drew closer into the far turn. But the pressure was only temporary as Juju's Map easily kicked clear from that rival turning for home and won wrapped up by 4 3/4 lengths. From the extended family of MGSW Fault (Blame) and MGISW Bast (Uncle Mo), Juju's Map has a yearling half-sister named Cosmic Thread (Audible) and her dam produced a colt by Not This Time in 2022. Sales History: $190,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-2-0, $698,180. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Fred W. Hertrich (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
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International Threads in NHK Mile Cup Tapestry
Narrowly leading the market for the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday is 4-1 shot Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). A winner of the G3 Niigata Nisai S. and G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. at two, the relative of GI Pacific Classic hero Go Between (Point Given) lost his unbeaten tag when second in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. to Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) last December and makes his 3-year-old bow in this competitive contest from stall four.
“He ran solo in his last piece of work on the woodchip course over five furlongs, but he went quickly,” said trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida of the G1 Racing Company runner. “He looks good, and I can see the difference from when he was a 2-year-old. I think the distance of the race will be fine for him, and racing left-handed at Tokyo shouldn't be a problem either.”
Third in that feature was Danox Company Ltd.'s Danon Scorpion (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Successful in the G3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin in April, the colt is a son of Canadian Horse of the Year and three-time Classic victress Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}), a $1-million purchase by K I Farm out of the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Conditioner Yakayuki Yasuda said, “He is in good condition, and he's like Lord Kanaloa in the way that he races in a relaxed way. He is looking well in his coat, and hopefully things will go smoothly now right up to the race. A mile is probably his best distance, so I think he can run well.”
Lending strong American flavour to Sunday's event is American-bred transplant Jean Gros (More Than Ready), who hit a career high with an Apr. 9 defeat of Group 3 winner Matenro Orion (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the G2 New Zealand Trophy S. over this trip at Nakayama. A full-brother to dual graded winner Tom's Ready (More Than Ready) who was also third in the GI Forego S., the Susumu Fujita silksbearer was a $130,000 Keeneland September RNA turned $265,000 OBSMAR 2-year-old acquisition by Hideyuki Mori after breezing a furlong in :10 flat. Mori and Take combined to win the 1997 edition of this race with Seeking the Pearl (Seeking the Gold), who would also strike in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest one year later. Jean Gros and his veteran reinsman exit lucky gate 13.
Mori said, “He is developing well, and although quite a small horse, he is getting bigger gradually. If another horse doesn't want to make the running, I think he's capable of going forward and making his own pace.”
One of five members of the fairer sex signed on, Sonnet Phrase (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) is extremely light on starts, but after breaking her maiden at Niigata in August, she did finish second to Serifos in the Daily Hai Nisai S. in November. The Carrot Farm runner would be the first filly or mare to take this race since Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune) in 2017 and she leaves from stall two.
Said trainer Takahisa Tezuka, “The Tokyo mile should suit her, and there's no reason why she can't do well with the ability she has. The pace should be strong this time, and it'll be a full field of eighteen horses, but unless we try, we won't know. I would like her to show her potential here.”
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No Pace, No Problem for Still Unbeaten Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street took her record to six-for-six with a victory in the GIII Modesty S., the first graded race on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard. The gray caboosed the field through leisurely early splits of :25.18 and :50.31. Ranging up some five wide turning for home, she charged through in between Fluffy Socks and Hendy Woods in the lane and burst clear to score. Her stablemate Fluffy Socks secured second over Hendy Woods.
“With both my horses far back with that pace, I was quite worried,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “Down the backside, actually, Irad [Ortiz on Fluffy Socks] was able to extract himself off the fence and move up a couple of spots. And I saw Flavien [Prat] kind of zero right in behind Irad. So I figured, OK, if the closers are going to come, Bleecker Street is going to come and Fluffy Socks will be following right behind her. Then it'll come down to a 1-2 race. Bleecker Street ran amazingly well, and you have to remember, Fluffy Socks is back after three weeks' rest from a wide trip at Keeneland. These horses are pretty close, Bleecker Street had more rest, but an undefeated horse, six-for-six, she's hard to fault. So trip dependent, pace dependent, course dependent. So she's a remarkable talent. Without a doubt, it was her best race yet.”
A debut winner at Monmouth in August, Bleecker Street captured an allowance next out at the Meadowlands in October. Kicking off 2022 with an optional claimer score at Tampa Jan. 8, she captured both the Feb. 5 GIII Endeavour S. and Mar. 12 GII Hillsborough S. at that venue.
Pedigree Notes:
The winner is out of SP Lemon Liqueur, who in turn is a daughter of MSP Limoncella (Lemon Drop Kid). Bleecker Street is her second foal and she has since produced a juvenile filly named Red Lemonade (Always Dreaming) and a yearling filly by Flatter. Lemon Liqueur was bred back to Not This Time. This is the family of GISW Gabriel Charles (Street Hero) and GSW Power Gal (Jpn) (Empire Maker).
MODESTY S. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES-GIII, $250,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.10, fm.
1–BLEECKER STREET, 120, f, 4, by Quality Road
  1st Dam: Lemon Liqueur (SP), by Exchange Rate
  2nd Dam: Limoncella, by Lemon Drop Kid
  3rd Dam: Trip Around Heaven, by Halo
($400,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Peter Brant; B-Branch Equine, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $148,800. Lifetime Record: 6-6-0-0, $434,700. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fluffy Socks, 120, f, 4, Slumber (GB)–Breakfast Time, by Kitten's Joy. O/B-Head Of Plains Partners (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $48,000.
3–Hendy Woods, 118, m, 5, Uncle Mo–Separate Forest, by Forestry. ($95,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP). O/B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $24,000.
Margins: HF, HF, 1HF. Odds: 1.00, 2.50, 7.80.
Also Ran: Lake Lucerne, She Can't Sing, Pass the Plate, Curly Ruth, Stand Tall, Mona Stella. 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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