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Violence’s Volatile Takes Care of Business in Vanderbilt

Sent off the prohibitive 2-5 chalk while making his first appearance in Grade I company, Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ Volatile (Violence) fell out onto the lead, enjoyed a soft time of things on the engine and turned it on late to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga.

The Vanderbilt was reduced to a field of four by the gate scratching of Lexitonian (Speightstown), who was unlikely to have a say in the finish, but who may have set or otherwise impacted the pace. The start of the race was further delayed by Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), who broke through the gate, but was pulled up after galloping about a furlong and was passed fit to run. The quartet broke as one, but with none of the horses showing particularly keen early interest, Ricardo Santana, Jr. took the bull by the horns and led the field through an opening quarter in :23.46, a nearly unheard-of split for this level of competition.

Chased around the turn by dual Saratoga Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) and GISW Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) farther out, Volatile turned for home after a half in :46.67 and dared them to match strides with him late. But as he had done in previous victories in Oaklawn allowance company Apr. 24 and in the Listed Aristides S. at Churchill June 6, he delivered a quick turn of foot and covered the final two furlongs in a career-best :22.94 to defeat a very game Whitmore. Mind Control held for third over Firenze Fire, the four horses covered by two lengths at the wire.

“For a Grade I sprint race to be allowed that first quarter [:23.46 seconds] was very fortunate,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, winning the Vanderbilt for the third time (Majesticperfection, 2009; Justin Phillip, 2013). “I think the anxious moments were all pre-race with the incident at the gate. Once he was away from the gate smoothly and they threw up the first quarter, he would be awfully hard to beat from there.”

Added Phoenix Thoroughbreds’s Amer Abdulaziz: “We’ll need to see how he comes out of this, but the future looks exciting. Today’s win was an important one for his value as a stallion, but he also proved he is one of the best sprinters in the country. We’d love to give him a chance to prove that. This is our first Grade I winner with Steve and we are delighted for him and his team. Also massive congratulations to our very good friends and partners Three Chimneys.”

Volatile, his sire’s most expensive horse sold at public auction when hammering for $850,000 at Keeneland September in 2017, was a debut winner at Ellis Park last August and was second in Churchill allowance company the following month before closing the season with a victory in Louisville Nov. 3. He posted stalk-and-pounce successes in his two aforementioned appearances this season while running up the score to the tune of 15 1/2 lengths combined.

Pedigree Notes:

Volatile is the second Grade I-winning sprinter for his sire in the last five weeks, joining ‘TDN Rising Star’ No Parole, who earned his wings in the Woody Stephens S. in similar front-running fashion.

Volatile, also the 24th top-level winner produced by a daughter of the late Unbridled’s Song, is out of a stakes-winning daughter of Lady Tak, who was conditioned by Steve Asmussen to wins in this track’s GI Test S. and GI Ballerina S. Lady Tak is also the dam of Japanese SW & GSP A Shin Spartan (Zensational) as well as the very promising 3-year-old filly Casual (Curlin).

Melody Lady is the dam of the 3-year-old colt Soccer Dad (Bayern), a $260,000 KEESEP yearling who was second in a Del Mar maiden turf sprint in his lone trip to the races. Her 2-year-old of this year is the Bayern colt Grendel and she produced a filly by Army Mule this season.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALFRED G. VANDERBILT H.-GI, $232,500, Saratoga, 7-25, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.61, ft.
1–VOLATILE, 121, c, 4, by Violence
                1st Dam: Melody Lady (SW), by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Lady Tak, by Mutakddim
                3rd Dam: Star of My Eye, by Lucky North
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($850,000 Ylg
’17 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix
Thoroughbred III; B-Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc & Stretch
Run Ventures, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo
Santana, Jr. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 6-5-1-0, $341,040.
*Full to Buy Sell Hold, SW & GSP, $125,520. Werk Nick Rating:
   A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Whitmore, 123, g, 7, Pleasantly Perfect–Melody’s Spirit, by
Scat Daddy. O-LaPenta, Robert V., Moquett, Ron and Head of
Plains Partners LLC; B-John Liviakis (KY); T-Ron Moquett.
$50,000.
3–Mind Control, 123, c, 4, Stay Thirsty–Feel That Fire, by
Lightnin N Thunder. O-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) & Madaket
Stables, LLC; B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Gregory Sacco. $30,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NK. Odds: 0.40, 4.30, 6.00.
Also Ran: Firenze Fire. Scratched: Lexitonian. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree

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Prominent Owner, Successful Businessman Jon Kelly Dies

Jon S. Kelly, a successful California businessman who maintained Thoroughbred racing operations all over the world, passed away Saturday morning at his home in Tres Palomas in Rancho Santa Fe. He celebrated his 84th birthday July 24 and passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer. Kelly had been in hospice care and several family members, including his wife, Sarah, were at his side at the time of his death.

Born in Berkeley and schooled in the east and at the University of California–Berkeley, Kelly entered the broadcasting business, founding Kelly Broadcasting Company and later founded and ran Summit Broadcasting Radio Company. He owned television stations in Seattle and Sacramento. He was also a successful banker, having founded River City Bank in the state capitol and was also a successful real estate executive.

A horse owner since the 1960s, Kelly has raced horses in England, Ireland and Australia in addition to the U.S. He most notably raced MGISW Borrego (El Prado {Ire}) with trainer Beau Greely and also had horses with Bob Baffert, Richard Mandella and Christophe Clement. Gingham (Quality Road), a horse raced by Sarah Kelly and Jane Wiltz, won the Angels Flight S. just last month at Santa Anita for Baffert. Kelly and his wife also campaigned Red Vine (Candy Ride {Arg}), a stakes winner and runner-up in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and GI Cigar Mile H., with Clement.

Kelly also maintained racing stables in Australia with Gai Waterhouse and in Ireland with Jessie Harrington. Sarah Kelly’s Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) was runner-up in the G1 Irish Oaks July 18. Kelly, in conjunction with Reg Inglis and Paul Frampton, signed for an A$2-million son of I Am Invincible (Aus) top the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in Queensland, Australia.

“He was quite a guy,” said Dr. Greg Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board and a longtime Kelly friend. “He could make anyone laugh. He always lifted your spirits.”

Ferraro told of business associates Kelly had worked with 30 and 40 years ago writing him letters recently sending thanks for his council and guidance and how it had shaped their careers and lives. He spoke personally of Kelly sending him to a Louisville hospital for a life-saving operation, then make a huge donation to the hospital in Ferraro’s name.

“He didn’t make it in his name, which he should have,” said Ferraro, “but that was John. He did so many good things for so many people and he never bragged or looked for credit. He just was a good person who did good things. He was special.”

Kelly is survived by his wife and six children, as well as many grandchildren.

Those wishing to make a donation in his name are encouraged to do so at two of his favorite projects–the Center for Equine Health at the UC Davis School for Veterinary Medicine or the Gregson Foundation, which services backstretch workers and their families.

At his request, there will be no services.

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Gulfstream Park: $1-Million Jackpot Guarantee For Sunday’s Rainbow 6

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $1 million when racing resumes Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

First race post is noon.

The Rainbow 6 has not been hit by a single winning ticket in 14 consecutive days. Multiple tickets with six winners Saturday returned $4,015.80.

Sunday's Rainbow 6 begins with the sixth race, a mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up that attracted a field of nine. The seventh race and second in the Rainbow 6 sequence is a $50,000 maiden event for 3-year-olds that has a 9-5 morning-line favorite in El Pillo. There are four turf races in Sunday's Rainbow 6 with the final two races being run on the grass.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

There will be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 on Sunday, August 2.

Tatweej Makes Winning Debut, Mexican Wonder Boy Wins U.S. Debut
Shadwell Stable's Tatweej, a 3-year-old son of Tapit purchased for $2.5 million at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, won his racing debut Saturday at a mile. Out of the Grade 1-winning mare Tiz Miz Sue, Tatweej set fractions of :23.80, :46.10 and 1:10.50 for trainer Todd Pletcher before coming home under jockey Edgard Zayas in 1:36.60.

Don Fausto Racing's 3-year-old colt Mexican Wonder Boy made a successful U.S. debut, winning an allowance optional claimer at a mile in 1:36.94. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Mexican Wonder Boy won four of seven races in Mexico last year, his last three by 31 ¾ lengths. For jockey Leonel Reyes it was his 300th victory in the U.S.

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Shirreffs Sends Honor A.P. Out For ‘Practice’ Before Shared Belief Stakes

Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A.P. led a group of talented 3-year-olds, several with Kentucky Derby potential, in workouts Saturday morning at Del Mar. Honor A.P. and two Bob Baffert trainees, Cezanne and Thousand Words, were undergoing their final major exercise for next Saturday's $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes, which has qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

The COVID-19 outbreak forced the Run for the Roses to be rescheduled from its traditional first Saturday in May spot to the first Saturday in September.

Honor A.P., trained by John Shirreffs for the C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing, went after the second track renovation break, arriving around 8 a.m. under exercise rider Francisco Alvarado. The son of Honor Code worked with 4-year-old winner Takeo, spotting his stablemate a four-length head start before drawing even at the head of the stretch and pulling away.

Del Mar clockers had Honor A.P. with interim fractions of :24.80, :36.60, and an official five-eighths in 1:01.20 while galloping out to six furlongs in 1:14.20.

“From my angle he went 11 (seconds) and change or 12 the last eighth,” Shirreffs commented via text. “The work was practice.”

Unbeaten (2-for-2) Cezanne and Thousand Words, winner of the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity in December and Grade III Robert B. Lewis in February, worked side-by-side for six furlongs in 1:13.80.

Hollywood Gold Cup winner Improbable, being targeted for the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga a week away, was clocked in 1:25.80 in a work slightly compromised when another horse ran loose and alarm sirens were sounded.

“The track I think is a little slow today, but I'm pleased with all of them,” Baffert said. “The loose horse screwed up Improbable's work, but he'll be all right.”

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