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Speakeasy Score Gives Amanzi Yimpilo Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Berth

Forwardly placed throughout, eastern-based filly Amanzi Yimpilo rallied under Luis Saez to take Saturday's $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., by a head, defeating seven males in the process while earning a ticket to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Trained by Wesley Ward, Amanzi Yimpilo took blinkers off in what was her third start and got 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.77.

A first-out maiden turf sprint winner June 10 at Gulfstream Park, Amanzi Yimpoli, who fetched $300,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, was most recently third in an ungraded stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Saratoga on Aug. 19.

“She was pretty nervous behind the gate, we had a little trouble, but I knew she was ready,” said Saez, who was aboard for the first time today. “I could feel the power. She just broke very well and sat in a great spot which was the spot I was (hoping) to be in. When we came down the stretch, she fought. She was a fighter and we got there. I had a feeling we would get it.”

Off as 5-2 second choice in a field of nine that included one other filly, Amanzi Yimpilo paid $7.20, $3.80 and $3.00.

“We worked her a half mile on the dirt and we went wide, we weren't really trying to set the track afire,” said Blake Heap, assistant to Ward regarding Amanzi Yimpilo's lone workout at Santa Anita on Sept. 19. “We wanted to do something to get a feel of the situation here and get a little air. It worked out well. It's onto the Breeders' Cup we hope!”

Wyfire, in his first try on turf, ran a huge second under Flavien Prat, finishing a half length in front of Windy City Red. Off at 7-2, Wyfire paid $4.20 and $3.40.

Ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Windy City Red was off at 16-1 and paid $5.40 to show while outfinishing 2-1 favorite Commander Khai by a neck.

Fractions on the race were 21.89, 44.66 and 56.51.

The Speakeasy Stakes is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

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Late Rally By Viadera Gives Chad Brown Fifth Straight Noble Damsel

Juddmonte Farms' Viadera ran down pacesetter and stablemate Blowout in deep stretch, surging up the rail to take command in the final sixteenth and post a victory by a neck to give trainer Chad Brown the exacta in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Noble Damsel for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The English-bred Viadera, who won her first North American race at second asking last out in the De La Rose on July 17 at Saratoga Race Course, won her first graded stakes appearance in the United States while giving Brown his fifth consecutive victory in the Noble Damsel with five different horses.

Another Brown-trained English bred, the 2-1 favorite Blowout, led the nine-horse field through the early going, breaking sharp from the gate and opening an advantage on Sweet Bye and Bye in going through a brisk quarter-mile in 22.17 seconds and the half in 44.85 on the firm Widener turf, with Viadera saving ground in seventh position.

Out of the turn, Blowout continued to hold a slim lead over a game Sweet Bye and Bye, with Joel Rosario urging Viadera up to an advantageous position before angling to the inside, where she picked off rivals before finding a seam near the rail.

Approaching the wire, an all-out Viadera got the lead with the fellow Brown trainee to her immediate outside, completing the course in a final time of 1:32.06.

“I was in a good spot and there was a lot of speed,” said Rosario, who teamed with Brown for his third Noble Damsel win in four years. “For a second, I thought they were going to get away from me, but I was comfortable where I was, and I just tried to ride her from there. When it was time to go, she kicked good.

“It looked like I might have to go between horses [in the stretch] but they came off the rail and I took a chance to go to the rail and hope not to get blocked inside,” he continued. “She kept coming and coming. She ran super.”

Off at 5-1, Viadera returned $13 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $211,441. Her effort was another in a list of Brown triumphs in the turf route, joining a list that includes Significant Form [2019], 2019 Eclipse Award Turf Female-champion Uni [2018], Off Limits [2017] and Mrs McDougal [2016].

“The winner, Viadera, really got a great trip from Joel [Rosario] and she's a fine filly in her own right. She's really put it together her last two starts with two nice wins,” Brown said.

Blowout, owned by Peter Brant and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, was the runner-up for a third consecutive race, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Sweet Bye and Bye.

“Blowout probably ran the best race,” Brown said. “The fractions were grueling, and it was hard to stomach watching it unfold but she held on gamely and nearly won. I'm so proud of her effort and surprised that any horse could hold on and battle to the wire and almost win.

“They ran super. Viadera got a great setup saving all the ground and I'm really proud of her,” he added. “Blowout ran probably the best race. For her to set those fractions and still battle on, I'm so proud of her. Both horses really ran terrific.”

Joseph M. Imbresi's Sweet Bye and Bye, conditioned by Tony Dutrow, ran third to earn graded stakes blacktype for the second time in three career efforts.

Noor Sahara, the third Brown trainee, finished fourth, with Chaleur, Atomic Blonde, Feel Glorious, Getmotherarose and Lemon Zip completing the order of finish. Another Broad, entered for the main track only, was scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday with another 10-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Firenze Fire Back On Favorite Track, Wins Vosburgh Easily

Second, beaten a nose by Imperial Hint in the 2019 renewal, Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire came from off the pace under jockey Jose Lezcano to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. In so doing, the 5-year-old Florida-bred by Poseidon's Voyage, trained by Kelly Breen, earned an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint will be run at Keeneland Nov. 7 as part of the two-day world championships program.

Racing over his favorite surface, where he won the G1 Champagne at 2, the G3 Dwyer at 3 and the G2 True North Stakes earlier this year, Firenze Fire covered six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.74. He paid $7.20 to win the Vosburgh, his 12th victory in 29 lifetime starts.

Funny Guy finished second, with pacesetter Share the Ride third, True Timber fourth and Engage last in the field of five after the scratch of Stan the Man.

Firenze Fire was transferred to Breen earlier this year after his former trainer, Jason Servis, was indicted on drug misbranding charges that are part of a federal probe in racehorse doping.

After a fourth-place finish in the G1 Carter Handicap in his first start for Breen, Firenze Fire won the True North and then finished fourth behind Volatile in the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. He came off an 11th-place finish in the slop at Saratoga in the G1 Forego won by Win Win Win.

Share the Ride set the pace in the Vosburgh, going :22.33 for the opening quarter mile and :45.53 for the half. Firenze Fire tracked the leader in second, taking command in the stretch after a five-furlong fraction of :57.36.

“Today, it was a small field, so I wanted to break good and he was in the bridle the whole way,” said Lezcano. “When I asked him at the quarter pole, he took off.”

“I can say he doesn't like the mud [following a last-place effort in G1 Forego],” said Breen. “You can put a line through his last race and he really performed today. He loves Belmont. We'll have to get him as used to Keeneland as he is to Belmont. I'll bring a couple of buckets from here and put it down the Keeneland stretch and bring our track to Keeneland. He's doing great. He looked great today and we're on to the Breeders' Cup [Sprint].”

Ron Lombardi of Mr. Amore Stable said: “I think he's right there [with the best sprinters in the country]. There's no question about it. Kelly has done a fantastic job with him. It's our second win after everything [trainer change] and he's a solid horse. He always delivers and he recovers well. We'll decide after the Breeders' Cup what we're going to do, there's a lot of options but I love racing. If he does well there, it will be a tough decision [to send him to stud].”

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No Nay Never Filly Beats Boys in Speakeasy

Amanzi Yimpilo bested the boys and secured a spot in the gate for the GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. A debut winner sprinting on the lawn at Gulfstream June 10 and was third in Saratoga’s Bolton Landing S. Aug. 19. Shedding blinkers for this one, the chestnut pressed the pace from second through a swift opening quarter in :21.89. Keeping the pressure on through a half in :44.66, the $300,000 KEESEP buy swept to the front in the final sixteenth and held off a late run from Wyfire to secure her first black-type victory.

“She was pretty nervous behind the gate, we had a little trouble, but I knew she was ready,” said rider Luis Saez. “I could feel the power. She just broke very well and sat in a great spot which was the spot I was thinking to be in. When we came down the stretch she fought, she was a fighter and we got there. I had a feeling we would get it.”

The winner’s dam produced a No Nay Never filly last year and a Caravaggio filly this spring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

SPEAKEASY S., $102,000, Santa Anita, 9-26, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.77, fm.
1–AMANZI YIMPILO (IRE), 117, f, 2, by No Nay Never
                1st Dam: Honourably (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Honour Bright (Ire), by Danehill
                3rd Dam: Dabiliya (Ire), by Vayrann (Ire)
($300,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Moulton,
Susan, Detampel, Marc and CJ Thoroughbreds; B-Longueville
Bloodstock & Matrix Bloodstock (IRE); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Luis
Saez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $94,200.
2–Wyfire, 120, c, 2, Dominus–Summertime, by Siberian
Summer. ($55,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT; $47,000 RNA 2yo ’20
OBSMAR). O-Gary Barber; B-Richard Wira & Yvette Wira (KY);
T-Peter Miller. $20,000.
3–Windy City Red, 122, c, 2, Chitu–Gator Hall, by Graeme Hall.
($54,000 2yo ’20 OBSAPR). O-Ritt, Ryan C. and Spinazze, Mark;
B-James Gamble (FL); T-Jonathan Wong. $12,000.
Margins: HD, HF, NK. Odds: 2.60, 3.70, 16.40.
Also Ran: Commander Khai, No Pedigree, The Great One, Basque Man, Feathers (Ire), Fury Kap.

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