Sunday’s Racing Insights: Leslie’s Humor Debuts At Gulfstream Park

4th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:38 p.m. ET.
Bred by Stonehaven Steadings & Leah O'Meara, LESLIE'S HUMOR (Kantharos) makes the races for LSU Stables. Initially sold for $125,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, the chestnut RNA'd for $110,000 at OBS April before going for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in June.

The second to race for La Titina (Distorted Humor), the 3-year-old filly's younger half-brother by Not This Time was purchased for $310,000 last September at Keeneland by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds.

Granddam and MGISW Ask the Moon (Malibu Moon), a $1.8 million acquisition by Stonestreet while carrying MSW Belgrano (War Front), also produced the stakes placed dam of recent Mucho Macho Man S. runner-up First World War (War Front). TJCIS PPS

5th-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, 1m 40yds, 2:34 p.m. ET.
Atrocious (Ghostzapper) makes his first start for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and their partner Stonestreet Stables, who also bred this colt. A $500,000 buy at the Fasig-Tipton Select Saratoga Yearling Sale, the Christophe Clement trainee is out of GII Black-Eyed Susan S. heroine Fiftyshadesofhay (Pulpit). She is also the dam of SW Locally Owned (Distorted Humor). TJCIS PPS 

6th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:38 p.m. ET.
The Phipps Stable sends out for her debut Mystifying (Curlin). The homebred is out of SP Puzzling (Ghostzapper) who is also responsible for a 2-year-old by Street Sense. That colt went to Centennial Farms for $500,000 at Keeneland September.

The Shug McGaughey runner hails from an extended female family which includes GI Manhattan H. hero Dancing Forever (Rahy), SW Miss Yearwood (Will Take Charge), GSW Carrumba (Bernardini), and deeper still under her third dam, the strong line of champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold). TJCIS PPS

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Saratoga Special Winner Rhyme Schemes Aiming for Late Spring/Early Summer Return

Rhyme Schemes (c, 3, Ghostzapper–Katherine, by Distorted Humor), sidelined since posting a jaw-dropping, 9 1/2-length victory for trainer Norm Casse in last summer's GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 12, is being aimed at a late spring/early summer return to the races.

The Pura Vida Investments LLC colorbearer is currently laid up with Gabriel “Spider” Duignan at Springhouse Farm in Kentucky and could resume light training in March.

“He's doing great,” Pura Vida's managing partner Deuce Greathouse said. “He wasn't going to make the Derby preps, so we decided to give him some extra time. We'll have him ready by late spring/early summer if we have no hiccups.”

He added, “He needed plenty of time, but it wasn't something that should hinder him going forward. He's got a really good mind on him, so he's been a good patient. Knock wood, everything has gone to plan to this point. I don't want to jinx anything, but he's on schedule.”

A well-beaten sixth in a live maiden special weight on debut at Churchill Downs May 18, Rhyme Schemes won his next two starts with the addition of blinkers by a combined margin of 19 lengths. He was a daylight, front-running winner with a gaudy 94 Beyer Speed Figure at second asking at Ellis June 15, then showed a different dimension by rallying powerfully from fourth after bumping with a rival at the start in the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special.

“We'll let him tell us when he's ready,” Greathouse said. “We'll probably just give him an a-other-than (allowance), and if that goes to plan, then look at stakes.”

Rhyme Schemes, one of 54 graded stakes winners worldwide for Ghostzapper, brought $210,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He is the second foal out of the winning Distorted Humor mare and $575,000 OBS April breezer Katherine, who hails from the extended female family of GISWs Dream Rush (Wild Rush), Dreaming of Julia (A. P. Indy), Malathaat (Curlin), et al. The Ghostzapper x Distorted Humor cross is also responsible for GISWs Guarana and Molly Morgan. Rhyme Schemes was bred in Kentucky by Parks Investment Group, LLC.

“He's such a cool horse,” Greathouse said. “With his pedigree to go long, and as deep as that family is, we couldn't be more excited. Now, we just gotta keep our fingers crossed and hope that he comes back the same horse that he was. Physically, there's no reason for me to think that he's one of those early 2-year-olds that won't develop into a 3-year-old.”

Greathouse concluded, “It was obviously heartbreaking not getting to go to those big races at the end of his 2-year-old-year. Hopefully, it's for bigger and better things down the road.”

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Vino Rosso’s Tuscan Sky Airs At First Asking at the Big A

1st-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 1-13, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.51, my, 5 1/4 lengths.
TUSCAN SKY (c, 3, Vino Rosso–South Andros {SW, $207,125}, by Sky Mesa), a clear 7-2 second choice on debut taking on the three-start maiden, but 3-4 chalk Have You Heard (Hard Spun), found his best stride entering the final furlong and streaked home to open his account impressively at first asking in the Saturday opener from Aqueduct. Tuscan Sky won the break and took his four rivals along through the opening furlong, but Have You Heard wrested command before the half-mile marker as the debuting Ambition (Street Sense) tried to press the pace around the turn. Tuscan Sky traveled with a bit of a high head carriage down the backstretch and was third into the turn, but didn't look to be loving the rain-affected conditions under foot and was one-paced three wide nearing the stretch. But produced wide into the lane by Manny Franco, the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton July purchase jumped into the bridle and quickened up nicely to report home by a convincing 5 1/4 lengths. Sierra Farm acquired the stakes-winning South Andros for $85,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale and the mare is best know as the dam of Private Creed (Jimmy Creed), GSW & GISP, $1,329,166, third in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and victorious in last year's GII Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky Downs. A half-sister to SW Lunar Mist (Malibu Moon), South Andros foaled a Complexity colt in 2022 and a full-brother to Private Creed last year before visiting Jackie's Warrior. Sales history: $200,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

 

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