Hot Rod Charlie Denies Rich Strike in Lukas Classic

   The gutsy Hot Rod Charlie clawed his way back late to deny a late rally from GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike in the GII Lukas Classic S. Saturday beneath the Twin Spires. Favored at 6-5, the bay hustled up to press Art Collector (Bernardini) through opening splits of :23.55 and :47.94. Turning up the heat as three-quarters went in 1:11.77, the bay took control entering the far turn and had his nose in front at the top of the stretch. Rich Strike rallied up the outside and briefly headed Hot Rod Charlie, but the gritty 4-year-old dug deep to deny the Derby winner in the shadow of the wire.

Winner of the GI Pennsylvania Derby last year, Hot Rod Charlie checked in second in both the G1 Dubai World Cup in March and the GIII Salvatore Mile June 18. He was last seen finishing third behind Saturday's GI Woodward S. winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in Saratoga's GI Whitney S. Aug. 6.

Pedigree Notes:

Hot Rod Charlie is the lone Grade I winner for his sire Oxbow. He is a half-brother to champion and new Spendthrift sire Mitole. Larry best went to $1.9 million to acquire the winner's dam Indian Miss in foal to Into Mischief at the 2020 KEENOV sale. The resulting foal was a colt and she produced an Instagrand colt this year. Indian Miss was bred back to Practical Joke.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
LUKAS CLASSIC S.-GII, $498,000, Churchill Downs, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.77, ft.
1–HOT ROD CHARLIE, 125, c, 4, by Oxbow
                1st Dam: Indian Miss (Broodmare Of The Year), by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Glacken's Gal, by Smoke Glacken
                3rd Dam: Lady Diplomat, by Silver Deputy
($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
O'Neill; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $305,520. Lifetime Record:
GISW-USA, GSW & GISP-UAE, 18-5-5-4, $5,556,720. *1/2 to
Mitole (Eskendereya), Ch. Male Sprinter, MGISW, $3,104,910.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rich Strike, 122, c, 3, Keen Ice–Gold Strike, by Smart Strike.
O-RED TR-Racing, LLC; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Eric R. Reed.
$99,200.
3–King Fury, 121, c, 4, Curlin–Taris, by Flatter. ($950,000 Ylg '19
FTSAUG). O-Fern Circle Stables & Three Chimneys Farm, LLC;
B-Heider Family Stables, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.
$49,600.
Margins: HD, 4 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.33, 4.86, 16.20.
Also Ran: Happy Saver, Art Collector, Chess Chief.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Atomically Wins My Dear Girl, Denies Lynx Sweep Of FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes

Trainer Jose Pinchin and Michael Bernard's Atomically foiled Lynx's bid to sweep the 2022 fillies division of the FTBOA Florida Sires Stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park while drawing away to a dominating 6 ¾-length victory in the $400,000 My Dear Girl.

The My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile final for the fillies division of the series for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions, co-headlined Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes program with the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile finals for the colts and geldings division.

Arindel's Lynx had devastated her competition in the stretch run of all three of her previous starts, closing strongly to win her debut before trouncing her rivals in the first two legs of the FSS series, the $100,000 Desert Vixen at six furlongs and the $200,000 Susan's Girl at seven furlongs. Yet, it was Atomically ($7.60) who was the stronger filly in the stretch Saturday while scoring her first stakes victory in her first start in this year's FSS series.

The daughter of hugely successful first-crop sire Girvin debuted with a third-place finish Aug. 22 before graduating by seven-lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race Sept. 2. Atomically was racing around two turns for the first time and broke from the No. 9 post position for her stakes debut in the My Dear Girl.

“She was training so good. And her numbers were so good. Her numbers were way above everybody else in the race,” said Pinchin, whose wife Tracy and Bernard bred Atomically. “We weren't overly concerned about [the post]. The only thing we were concerned about was whether she was seasoned enough, because she only had two runs.”

Lynx got away from the starting gate cleanly from her No. 2 post but was shuffled back to fifth on the first turn, as Dreaming In Style sprinted for the lead with Time Passage, Dorth Vader and Cajun Tease in pursuit. Atomically advanced along the backstretch on the outside of horses under Edgar Perez to enter contention following a half-mile in 47.90 seconds.

Atomically swept to the lead on the far turn while Lynx got a clear to make her run. Although Lynx made a solid run into the stretch, but the 4-5 favorite was no match for the Pinchin trainee, who lengthened her advantage to the wire.

“I thought I was in a perfect position and at the half-mile pole I had a lot of horse,” Perez said. “I asked her to run and he went.”

Pinchin saddled Three Rules for a sweep of the 2016 colts and geldings division of the Florida Sire Stakes.

Atomically ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.35. Lynx held second under Edgard Zayas, 4 ¼ lengths clear of Dorth Vader.

Scandalous Act (2013) was the last filly to sweep her division of the FSS series. Eclipse champion Awesome Feather (2010), Aclassysassylassy (2004) and Nancy's Glitter (1997) had previously accomplished the feat.

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Born Dapper Now A Dual-Surface Threat After Selima Victory On Dirt

Augustin Stable homebred filly Born Dapper, already having shown an affinity for turf and synthetic surfaces, had no trouble adjusting to the dirt in her stakes debut in powering home a 3 ¼-length winner under Jevian Toledo in Saturday's $150,000 Selima at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 93rd running of the Selima for 2-year-old fillies was the third of five stakes worth $575,000 in purses on opening weekend of the calendar year-ending fall meet, serving as co-headliner with the $150,000 Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds. Both races were rained off the grass and contested at one mile on the main track.

Born Dapper ($8.20) was one of two horses owned by George Strawbridge of Augustin and trained by Jonathan Thomas along with Delight, the 3-1 program favorite that was scratched with the change of surfaced.

“We were forecasting the weather,” Thomas said. “The thought process was that if it rained like this we'd leave [Born Dapper] in and scratch the other filly and probably vice versa if it had stayed on. I wanted to see the complexion of the race and go from there.

“We were thrilled. The filly's been training super,” he added. “I had a feeling being Union Rags over a Pulpit mare she'd probably handle the slop and the dirt and the distance and all that, so it was great.”

Born Dapper settled in third along the inside as Anotherdaygoneby was intent on the lead and held it through fractions of 25.03 and 49.62 seconds, chased by Majesty's Freedom. Toledo tipped Born Dapper to the two path rounding the far turn for clear run, and they hit the top of the stretch in command before pulling away to win in 1:42.19 over the sloppy and sealed surface.

“Jonathan is very good, he never really gives much instructions. He just said to let her break, let her put herself in a comfortable spot and make a run when you're ready,” Toledo said. “So, I let her break on her own and she break good. I see someone that wanted to go so I let them go and sat right behind them. She relaxed beautiful, and before the quarter pole I just put her in the clear and she took right off.”

Pacesetting Anotherdaygoneby held second by 2 ¾ lengths over Lady Azteca, with another 1 ½ lengths back to Bee Mountain in fourth. The Classy One, 6-5 favorite What an Honor, Cha Cha Tap and Majesty's Freedom completed the order of finish. Lifelovenlaughter and Private Credit were also scratched.

“Jevian is such a great rider. He saved ground where he could [and] bided his time,” Thomas said. “He came into the lane with a lot of confidence and you could see the filly kind of soak that up, too. It all went better than expected.”

Born Dapper debuted running second in a five-furlong maiden special weight sprint May 28 over the all-weather surface at Woodbine before finishing third in a six-furlong turf sprint there July 2. She graduated in her prior start, a one-mile maiden special weight over the Monmouth Park turf Aug. 13.

“What we'll do is get her down to Keeneland after this and breeze her on the dirt a few times and let her tell us. I've run her on the Tapeta, on the grass and on this and she's shown up every time we've run her,” Thomas said. “She's earned her way to trying something, kind of that next step.”

First run in 1926, the Selima is named for the great English race mare who was imported to the U.S. in the 1750s by Benjamin Tasker Jr., manager of the famed Belair Farm in Prince George's County. The daughter of the Godolphin Arabian, considered 'Queen of the Turf,' also gained fame as a broodmare.

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Senor Buscador Upsets Ack Ack As Favorites Flounder

Winner of the 2020 Springboard Mile, looking every bit a horse with a future, Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) was the 5-2 second favorite when pitched in against the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and future GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in last year's GII Risen Star S. Sidelined off that effort and away nearly 16 months, connections kept the faith, and Saturday, the homebred colt rewarded them with a tough victory in the GIII Ack Ack S. at Churchill, earning a fees-paid berth into the Nov. 5 GI BigAss Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the process.

Away fairly for Francisco Arrieta, who earned the mount after working the colt locally, the 4-year-old was content to sit a trip just behind midfield while racing in the company of third favorite Untreated (Nyquist) and in the clear as longshot Surly Furious (Upstart) took them along through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.91. Given his cue entering the final 3 1/2 furlongs, Senor Buscador traveled ominously well three and four deep and launched his bid in earnest leaving the quarter pole.  Wide into the lane, he gathered up the pacesetter at the three-sixteenths, dueled into the final eighth of a mile with Injunction and got the better of that final-furlong tussle to score by a bit more than a length. Three Technique (Mr Speaker), winner of the Hanshin Cup S. over this course and distance July 4, was up late for third.

Favored Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) looked to veer to his left at the start and was locked away inside for the opening three-quarters of a mile before fading tamely late. Fulsome (Into Mischief) and Untreated proved no factor.

A handy allowance winner sprinting at Lone Star on his return to the races in July, Senor Buscador was a slow-starting eighth in the July 30 GII San Diego H., but was exiting a promising third to the improving Laurel River (Into Mischief) in the GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar Aug. 27, in which Speaker's Corner disappointed as the 11-10 chalk.

The win was the first at the graded level for Arrieta and second for trainer Todd Fincher, who conditioned Senor Buscador's half-brother Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper) to win the 2018 GIII Sunland Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Senor Buscador is the 23rd graded winner for his Lane's End-based sire and one of four full stakes winners from as many to race for his New Mexico-bred dam, winner of 10 of her 15 career starts, including seven black-type races in the Desert Southwest. The winner's unraced broodmare sire, who stands in New Mexico, was a son of Fappiano and GI Kentucky Oaks victress Blush With Pride, the dam of broodmare of the year Better Than Honour and therefore granddam of back-to-back GI Belmont S. winners Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold). Rose's Desert is also responsible for the yearling filly Aye Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), the weanling filly Rose A (Hard Spun) and visited Authentic this past season.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
ACK ACK S.-GIII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:34.60, ft.
1–SENOR BUSCADOR, 121, c, 4, by Mineshaft
                1st Dam: Rose's Desert (MSW, $626,035), by Desert God
                2nd Dam: Miss Glen Rose, by Peaks and Valleys
                3rd Dam: Snippet, by Alysheba
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.; B-Joe R
Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher;
J-Francisco Arrieta. $180,350. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1,
$376,677. *1/2 to Sheriff Brown (Curlin), MSW, $506,421;
Our Iris Rose (Ghostzapper), SW, $255,580; Runaway Ghost
(Ghostzapper), GSW, $783,509. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Injunction, 121, g, 4, Skipshot–Valid Valencia, by
Northern Afleet. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-J & J Stables, LLC
& Nicholas Vaccarezza; B-Mikhail Yanakov (KY); T-Carlo
Vaccarezza. $58,500.
3–Three Technique, 121, h, 5, Mr Speaker–Nite in Rome, by
Harlan's Holiday. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($50,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV;
$180,000 Ylg '18 FTKJUL; $47,000 RNA 4yo '21 KEENOV).
O-David E. Miller; B-Omega Farm LLC & Bally Breeders (KY);
T-Jason G. Cook. $29,250.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3HF, NK. Odds: 6.18, 13.96, 9.85.
Also Ran: Surly Furious, Fulsome, Silver Prospector, Speaker's Corner, Untreated. Scratched: Mailman Money, Twilight Blue.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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