Sunday’s Insight: ‘TDN Rising Star’ Scylla Marks New Campaign At Gulfstream

9th-GP, $92K, OC62k, 4yo/up, f, 1m, 5:07 p.m. ET.
Juddmonte colorbearer SCYLLA (Tapit) makes her return to the races as the older filly looks to jumpstart her new campaign.

The Bill Mott trainee certainly made her mark when she attained 'TDN Rising Star' honors as a debut winner at Keeneland last April, and then followed that up with an 8 1/4-length win against optional claimers at Churchill Downs in early June.

Out of champion older mare Close Hatches (First Defence), the homebred is a full-sister to MGSW/MGISP and current sire Tacitus. Close Hatches herself counts as a full-sister MGISP Lockdown, who is responsible for 2023 Eclipse Award winning older dirt female Idiomatic (Curlin). Under Scylla's third dam we find Irish multiple group 1 stakes hero Siskin (First Defence). TJCIS PPS

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American Pharoah’s Ghalia Princess A Smooth Winner of the Cicada

Sumaya US Stable homebred Ghalia Princess (American Pharoah) made light work of three rivals to post a first black-type success in Saturday's $100,000 Cicada S. at Aqueduct.

Cutting back a furlong after finishing runner-up in the Feb. 17 Ruthless S., the bay was away from stall one without incident, but was beaten for speed by Reconcile (War Front). Manny Franco elected to take a tug on Ghalia Princess, easing her back and into the two path to do the chasing through an opening quarter in :22.15. Content to race with that target ahead of her rounding the turn, Ghalia Princess began to pour on the pressure into the stretch, claimed the front-runner for good with about a furlong and a half to travel and was punched out hands and heels to take it by six lengths in a sharp clocking.

“They broke good and I thought it was the right call to let [Reconcile] go on,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to trainer Brad Cox. “I thought she [Ghalia Princess] ran on and let her big stride kind of unfold the way it does and [didn't] press her too much. It kind of went the way we thought. I didn't think she'd be quite as quick to keep up with these guys, but she could if she was pressed. I think Manny [Franco] made the right call by just letting the race unfold the way it did.”

Oussama Aboughazale's International Equities Holdings acquired the winner's dam for $600,000 as a weanling at the 2014 Keeneland November sale and she became a three-time winner at the races, including the 2017 Sunland Park Oaks. Ghalia is a daughter of Grade III winner Verdana Bold–also the dam of the multiple stakes-placed Copperplate (Curlin)–and is represented by a yearling colt by Constitution. She visited Not This Time for her most recent covering.

CICADA S., $93,000, Aqueduct, 3-16, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:09.85, ft.
1–GHALIA PRINCESS, 118, f, 3, by American Pharoah
                1st Dam: Ghalia (SW, $168,800), by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Verdana Bold, by Rahy
                3rd Dam: True Legacy (GB), by A.P. Indy
($575,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-Sumaya U.S. Stable; B-International Equities Holding, Inc.
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Manuel Franco. $55,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-1-0, $111,000.
2–Reconcile, 118, f, 3, War Front–Welcoming, by Tapit.
O/B-Robert S. Evans (KY); T-Adam Rice. $20,000.
3–Anna's Wish, 118, f, 3, Dialed In–I'm Cozy, by Grand Slam.
($14,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $45,000 RNA 2yo '23 OBSMAR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Triple M Racing Stable LLC; B-Pope, Marc,
& Pope McLean Jr. (KY); T-George Weaver. $12,000.
Margins: 6, 6 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 5.50, 10.90.
Also Ran: Miss Harriett. Scratched: Value Area.

 

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Bee Jersey’s Beeline Stays Perfect in Hutcheson

 Beeline (Bee Jersey) thrashed a salty field of maidens by 3 3/4 lengths on course-and-distance debut Feb. 10 and had been flattered since, as three rivals won their next starts while improving their Beyers by 23, 11 and 34 points, respectively, the last of those on a drop into maiden claiming.

The odds-on favorite hit the ground running, but had pressure stacked up to his outside and looked to be in deep water as the slow-starting Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) threatened to make a race of it three deep at the top of the lane. Resurgent inside with Edgard Zayas laying his body down, Beeline was confronted by Improptude (Khozan) with time ticking away and was the recipient of a fortuitous bob.

A £600,000 buyback out of the 2014 Goffs London Sale, Secretariat Humor is out of a full-sister to this breeder's champion Perfect Soul (Ire), whose six winners from six to race also includes Grade III-placed Ready Soul (More Than Ready) and SP Miss Injustice (Court Vision). Secretariat Wonder has a 2-year-old full-sister to Beeline named Tremendous Bee, a yearling full-brother and was bred back to the former Fipke runner for her 2024 foal. Beeline is the sixth stakes winner for his sire. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

HUTCHESON S., $106,000, Gulfstream, 3-16, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.59, ft.
1–BEELINE, 118, c, 3, by Bee Jersey
1st Dam: Secretariat Humor, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Secretariat's Soul (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Ball Chairman, by Secretariat
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($70,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Vintage Thoroughbreds LLC, Scott Estes & Brian Hanley; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Riley Mott; J-Edgard J Zayas. $60,760. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $102,760. *Full to Topsy, SW & GSP, $227,363.
2–Improptude, 118, c, 3, Khozan–Tizlot, by Tiznow. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-Fly With Me & Tami Bobo; B-Tami Bobo (FL); T-Antonio Sano. $25,600.
3–Patriot Spirit, 120, c, 3, Constitution–Mistical Plan, by Game Plan. ($95,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $235,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Mellon Patch Inc; B-Blue Heaven Farm (KY); T-Michael B Campbell. $9,800.
Margins: NO, 1HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.80, 26.60, 6.00.
Also Ran: Valiant Force, Ship to Shore, Sir Flash, Starship Mocha.

 

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Longtime NYRA Employee Michael Prunetti Dies At 77

Michael F. Prunetti, a veteran NYRA employee, passed away March 15 at the age of 77. Remembered by his NYRA colleagues in a note released Saturday, Prunetti spent over 40 years as a racing official around New York tracks including time as the Assistant Racing Secretary.

“What a kind gentleman he was,” recalled NYRA Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes. “Mike took the time to teach me how to do things the right way. I learned a tremendous amount under him. He was one of the best. He was a jewel.”

Prunetti retired to Florida where he continued to volunteer his time until his passing.

“Mike was also a genuinely nice guy, loved the game and loved people,” said Peter McGivney, a fellow NYRA racing official. “Everybody thought the world of him.”

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