After beginning the new year with a pair of victories, the streaking Scalding (c, 4, Nyquist–Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro) continued his ascension with a game neck decision over favored Cody's Wish (Curlin) while making his stakes debut in Saturday's GIII Michelob Ultra Challenger S. at Tampa. Dynamic One (Union Rags) was third.
The 5-1 chance sat a good trip in an outside third. He set his sights on the leader rounding the far turn as Cody's Wish, a winner of three straight at Churchill last fall, also revved up one to his outside. The pacesetting Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) was the first to blink in the stretch and it was down to Scalding and Cody's Wish. Cody's Wish loomed boldly on the outside and looked like he was on his way, but Scalding wasn't done yet, and fended that rival off for a hard-fought victory. Last term's returning GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. winner and Shug McGaughey-trained stablemate Greatest Honour (Tapit) never factored in sixth.
A well-beaten eighth in his debut going seven furlongs at Aqueduct Nov. 11, Scalding took a big step forward to finish second stretching to a one-turn mile in Ozone Park Dec. 2. Sent south for the winter and aimed at two-turn races, the dark bay kicked off his 4-year-old season with a maiden victory while making his route debut in the Gulfstream slop Jan. 5, then added an optional claimer by a flashy 5 1/4 lengths at Tampa last time Feb. 11.
“It's a big job going from an allowance/other than condition to this spot, but we've always liked this horse,” McGaughey said. “He has been training forwardly and from what we saw today, his future is definitely [bright]. He had a race over the track, and I think that probably helped him. He is a pretty talented number and his last two races had been so good, with a little encouragement from the owners we decided to take a shot, and it worked.”
Scalding added to a big day for winning co-owner LNJ Foxwoods. The Roth family was also represented by G1 Coolmore Classic heroine Lighthouse (Mizzen Mast) in Australia.
Pedigree Notes:
Scalding becomes the fifth graded/eighth stakes winner for young sire Nyquist. He is the 19th graded/54th stakes for broodmare sire Medaglia d'Oro. The unraced Hot Water, a daughter of SW & GSP Elusive Heat, has also produced SW & GSP Tracksmith (Street Sense); stakes-placed Tortuga (Bodemeister); impressive Oaklawn 3-year-old filly maiden winner Hot and Sultry (Speightster); 2-year-old colt Runhappy d'Oro (Runhappy); and a yearling filly by Omaha Beach ($160,000 KEENOV purchase by The Elkstone Group). She was covered by War of Will for 2022. Scalding's third dam is 2001 champion 3-year-old filly Xtra Heat.
Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
$100,000 MICHELOB ULTRA CHALLENGER S.-GIII, $100,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 3-12, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.53, gd.
1–SCALDING, 118, c, 4, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Elusive Heat, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Xtra Heat, by Dixieland Heat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($400,000
Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable, LLC
and LNJ Foxwoods; B-Godolphin & Cobalt Investments, LLC
(KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Javier Castellano. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $124,800. *1/2 to Tracksmith (Street
Sense), SW & GSP, $282,133. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cody's Wish, 120, c, 4, Curlin–Dance Card, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin,
LLC; T-William I. Mott. $20,000.
3–Dynamic One, 120, c, 4, Union Rags–Beat the Drums, by
Smart Strike. ($725,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable,
Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. $10,000.
Margins: NK, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 5.30, 2.10, 4.30.
Also Ran: Mischief Afoot, Wolfie's Dynaghost, Greatest Honour, Tune In. Scratched: Hidden Stash, Shirl's Speight, War Stopper.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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