Month: September 2023

Quality Road’s Talk of the Nation Takes $1M Gun Runner S.

Off as the 6-5 chalk in Saturday's $1-million Listed Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs, Joe Allen and CHC's TALK OF THE NATION (c, 3, Quality Road–She's Not Here, by Street Cry {Ire}) took command in upper stretch and staved off a stinging late rally from Wadsworth to lead home a 1-2 finish for their in-form stallion. Away in good order, Talk of the Nation took up a stalking position from second early on as Smokey Mandate (Strong Mandate) made the running down the hill and towards the side of the galloping oval. Held together into the final quarter mile, the dark bay put his head in front with about a furlong to travel and kept on resolutely. Wadsworth lingered towards the back of the pack early and was committed to an overland passage at an early stage by Florent Geroux. The Godolphin homebred finished full of run down the center of the course and was gaining late, but the wire arrived in time. A maiden winner in two starts on the dirt to begin his career, Talk of the Nation took his first two tries once switched to the dirt, including Tampa's Columbia S. Mar. 11. A money-burning runner-up in the June 3 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park, he was last seen checking in second to More Than Looks (More Than Ready) in the GIII Manila S. at Belmont Park July 7. It was the second win on the afternoon as breeder for China Horse Club, who was represented by new 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road at Sararoga. The colt's GII Yellow Ribbon S.-winning dam was acquired by CHC for $1.3 million at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale, and is herself out of Where's Bailey, a stakes-winning half-sister to Horse of the Year Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}); MGISW Balance (Thunder Gulch); and 'Rising Star' Eblouissante (Bernardini), the dam of this year's GII Rebel S. upsetter Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}). She's Not Here is the dam of a yearling colt by CHC part-owned champion Improbable and was most recently covered by Life Is Good, also campaigned by CHC in partnership. Lifetime Record: 7-4-2-0. O-Joseph Allen LLC & CHC Inc; B-CHC Inc (KY); T-Shug McGaughey.

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General Partner Stakes his Claim of the Saratoga Winner’s Enclosure

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In his second career start Saturday, General Partner (Speightstown) was really ready for prime time at Saratoga Race Course.

While it wasn't exactly a led-from-gate-to-wire performance, General Partner was in front quickly under Manny Franco. He was never seriously challenged and won the seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds a solid four lengths in front of the favorite Dive Bomber (Omaha Beach). Klaravich Stables's chestnut colt reached the wire in 1:22.33.

General Partner debuted for trainer Chad Brown at six furlongs on July 22 and after being prominent early ended up fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths.

“We really liked the horse first time out and in hindsight when he came back from running I could see how hard he was blowing. I ran him a couple of works short,” Brown said. “I was eager to run him because he had so much ability and I actually jumped the gun a little bit putting him in.”

With Klaravich owner Seth Klarman watching, General Partner broke his maiden with a flashy performance.

“It all worked out in the end,” Brown said, “because he got a race that he needed and got the last bit of fitness that he needed for a race rather than a couple more works and we were able to run him back at the meet and be successful today.”

General Partner, out of the Distorted Humor mare Fleeting Humor, was bred by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey and the Speightstown Syndicate. He paid $9.30 as the second choice in the wagering.

Brown said he expected General Partner to be on the lead, but not in the way that the race unfolded. He came out of Post 3 a step slow and appeared to brush with the horse to his inside.

“He didn't break that well and Manny made a key decision to go up in the lead,” Brown said. “I'm not sure I actually would have done that when he broke bad because he looked like he was going to be in a nice, cozy stalking spot. Manny used excellent judgement. That was really the difference in the race. He kept him clean the whole way.”

General Partner and Franco turned in split times of 22.74, 45.92 and 1:09.87. Without any real pressure, they got the final eighth in 12.46.

While Brown said a stake might be General Partner's next start, he did not commit to a specific race.

“There's been some really good-looking maidens this meet – I've been very impressed – that aren't mine,” he said.  “When you look at a horse like this, you look at a race like the (GI) Champagne S. This year, when you say that, you better know that if these horses all stay healthy this is going to be a real race if some of them end up there. This is not a meet where there's been like one Jack Christopher (Munnings) debut or something like that. There's been a handful of ones I can just think of right now that have been super-impressive to my eye. I'm just happy to have one of them.”

 

7th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.33, ft, 4 lengths.
GENERAL PARTNER (c, 2, Speightstown–Fleeting Humor, by Distorted Humor) finished fourth in what was a loaded maiden special contest July 22 behind well-met Valentine Candy (Justify) but ahead of returning rival Dive Bomber (Omaha Beach), who was crowned the 8-5 favorite between the two. Jostled at the start by an inner horse coming out, he recovered quickly to set a pressured pace from the public's choice to his outside and had taken firm command six furlongs out. Tucking closer to the rail though the bend and bracing for a pair of challengers, he straightened for home with a clear lead heading passed the eighth pole. Despite moving out late from the left hand stick, General Partner came home four lengths best over Dive Bomber. A half-sibling to a fleet of accomplished runners including  Seventhfleethumor (Afleet Alex), GSP, $133,785; Naughty Joker (Into Mischief), SW, $176,403; and Cathedral Reader (Shackleford), SP, $174,795, the victor is the first to the races after a couple years of poor breeding fortunes for the mare. His 2023 half-sibling was stillborn and Fleeting Humor was sent to Epicenter for 2024. Sales history: $250,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $64,050. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey & Speightstown Syndicate (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.

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Thanks To Explosive Finish From Agate Road, Repole Wins Another Saratoga Maiden

Just five races after Mike Repole was visiting the Saratoga winner's circle with 2-year-old winner Life's an Audible (Audible) in Saturday's first race, the owner wasted little time getting back to that same spot. Repole won his second maiden special weight race on the day and his seventh at the meet when Agate Road (Quality Road) unleashed a furious stretch drive to win the day's sixth race, a maiden on the turf.

Repole's 2-year-olds continue to be a relentless force at the Spa.

“He's a nice Quality Road and we really liked him,” Repole said. “Todd (Pletcher) is having a great meet, we're having a great meet and my team is doing a great job. A lot of these are 2-year-olds we bought at the sales. Our 2-year-olds are running really well. We're really loading up for this year and next year.”

Agate Road was a $650,000 Keeneland September purchase and the dam, Yellow Agate (Gemologist) won the GI Frizette S. for trainer Christophe Clement. Though there didn't appear to be a lot of turf breeding in the colt's pedigree, Pletcher must have known something. He entered Agate Road in an Aug. 5 maiden that was washed off the turf. Agate Road finished second in the one-mile event, losing by just a nose.

But rather than staying on the dirt, Pletcher placed the juvenile right back in a turf maiden. The result was a much- improved effort from the even-money favorite. Breaking from the 10 hole in a field of 10, Agate Road came out at the start and by the time he could be straightened up by Irad Ortiz, Jr. he was last. Ortiz got the colt going near the top of the stretch, but it still looked like a lost cause. At the eighth pole, he had just one horse beat. But from there launched a stretch rally for the ages. He passed eight horses and made up about six lengths inside the final furlong to win by a neck over Stolen Magic (Good Magic).

“I wouldn't say it was a masterful ride from Irad when he went 10-wide,” Repole said. “He's had better rides. When he broke a little slow from the 10 post he was going to be wide. He must have come home in under 12. He was flying at the end.”

The final time for the mile-and-a-sixteenth run over a firm turf course was 1:46.79 and Agate Road paid $4.10.

From his army of 2-year-olds, Repole may not be done. On Sunday, he will run Scalable in a six-furlong maiden special weight race and Miz Sense (Street Sense) in the GI Spinaway S. On Monday, he will send out Be You (Curlin) in the closing-day feature, the GI Hopeful S.

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