Any Grade 1 stakes win is usually an emotional moment for the connections.
Month: October 2023
Mitole’s Booth Breaks Like A Shot, Blitzes To ‘Rising Star’ Honors
by Patrycja Szpyra and J.N. Campbell
Sporting the familiar Heiligbrodt colors of his sire, Booth (c, 2, Mitole–Sophia's Song, by Bellamy Road) showed talent ran in spades in his family on this Super Saturday unveiling, taking the Keeneland night cap at odds of 5-1 by blitzing out of the gate and never giving the rest of the field a chance en route to securing 'TDN Rising Star' honors.
The colt, owned in partnership by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, and Whispering Oaks Farm, set all the fractions of :22.45, a half in :45.08 and :57.05 coming into the stretch before sailing home much the best by 5 1/4 lengths over favorite Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) to stop the clock in 1:10.23. The final time was 0.21 faster than what GSW Yuugiri (Shackleford) posted when winning the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. earlier on the card.
#7 BOOTH ($12.20) looked a lot like his sire, @spendthriftfarm's Mitole, when winning his debut in wire-to-wire fashion in the finale at Keeneland.
The colt is trained by Steve Asmussen for co-owners William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, @jackpotfarm, & Whispering Oaks Farm. pic.twitter.com/U4BTyaf30C
— TVG (@TVG) October 7, 2023
The winner is a half-brother to GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Bright Future (Curlin), who was purchased in 2020 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable for $350,000. Sophia's Song is also responsible for a yearling colt by Tiz the Law, foaled a colt by Maxfield May 4 and was bred to Jackie's Warrior for 2024. The dam herself hails from a busy family with MSW Tax Refund (Artax) and GSP Unbridled Beauty (Unbridled's Song) also claiming black-type in their careers on the track. The latter would later go on to produce GSP Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat), a Peruvian leading sire in his second career, and GSP Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday). Through a daughter of Unbridled Beauty, Booth is also related to GI Hopeful S. shocker Nutella Fella (Runhappy), and another daughter of that mare counts MSP-Fr Demain (More Than Ready) to her tally.
Sophia's Song's winning half-sister Denali Dreamscape (Corinthian) has produced SW New Boss (Street Boss) as well as GSP Daydreaming Boy (Goldencents) while sibling Casey's Dreamin' (Unbridled's Song) can claim GIII Ontario Derby hero Ironestone (Mr Speaker) to her credit. This is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster; MGSW Elysea's World (Ire); and GSW & MGISP Quero Quero.
The Heiligbrodts purchased outright another juvenile son of Mitole at this year's OBS March Sale in Global Icon for $260,000. Bred by Jeff Ganje, the colt has yet to enter training. As for Booth, he is his first-crop sire's (by Eskendereya) 15th winner and second runner to gain the 'Rising Star' stamp of approval.
11th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-7, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.23, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.
BOOTH, c, 2, by Mitole
               1st Dam: Sophia's Song {SW & GSP, $155,892}, by Bellamy Road)
               2nd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
               3rd Dam: Big Dreams, by Great Above
Sales History: $120,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,350. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm LLC; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
The post Mitole’s Booth Breaks Like A Shot, Blitzes To ‘Rising Star’ Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Frankie Dettori takes a step closer to retiring in a blaze of glory after claiming his landmark 500th career victory at Newmarket… as Inspiral annihilates the field
Dettori's last ride on these shores is 13 days away at Ascot - he will team up with Epsom Derby runner-up King Of Steel in the Champion Stakes - and he continues to notch landmarks along the way.
Up To The Mark Nails Master Of The Seas In Final Jump Of Turf Mile
“He's a serious horse.”
That was Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's assessment of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Up to the Mark after the 4-year-old colt by Not This Time nosed out 6-5 favorite Master of the Seas in Saturday's Grade 1, $1-million Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland.
Under a skillful ride by Jose Ortiz, Up to the Mark was winning his third consecutive Grade 1 race at distances from the one mile of Saturday's contest to the mile and a quarter of the Manhattan in his last start at Belmont Park on June 10. That kind of versatility gives Pletcher options for the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup, to be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4. The Coolmore Turf Mile is a “Win and You're In” Challenge Series race for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile, but the Hall of Fame trainer indicated the mile and one-half G1 Turf would be an option, too, depending on how Up to the Mark comes out of this race.
Second choice in the wagering at 2-1, Up to the Mark completed the mile on firm turf in 1:34.18, nearly a half second slower than Gina Romantica's final time in the G1 First Lady at the same distance two races earlier. He paid $6.58 to win.
Irish-bred Godolphin runner Master of the Seas – winner of the G1 Woodbine Mile last out Sept. 16 – looked a sure winner after overtaking Pletcher's other runner, Annapolis, in mid-stretch, but had to settle for a hard-luck second. Set Piece rallied for third, with Annapolis fourth of nine runners.
The post Up To The Mark Nails Master Of The Seas In Final Jump Of Turf Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
