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Arqana February Catalogue Features Group Winner Air De Valse

G2 Prix du Petite Couvert heroine and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye-placed Air De Valse (Fr) (Mesnil des Aigles {Fr}) (lot 51) is one of 356 lots in Arqana's February Sale catalogue which was released on Friday.

Slated for 11 a.m. local time on Feb. 14-15, the sale features horses-in-training on the Flat and over jumps, maidens, broodmares, stores, 2-year-olds, and yearlings. There are also five wild card slots available, three for horses-in-training and two for the breeding stock portion.

Joining Air De Valse, is winning debut hurdler Marvin Flight (Fr) (Spider Flight {Fr}) (lot 14), who is from the family of Group 1 winners Golden Flight (Fr) (Saint Cyrien {Fr}) and Sunny Flight (Fr) (Saint Cyrien {Fr}). A select nine-lot dispersal of Ecurie Zingaro is also part of the catalogue, with Prince Gibraltar (Fr) 3-year-old filly Princess City (Fr) consigned as lot 103. She is a half-sister to group winner Peace Garden (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}).

There are also seven unraced pre-training 3-year-olds offered by Haras du Chene under court order and sold without reserve. Among them is lot 66, a full-sister to G3 Albany S. heroine and G1 Cheveley Park S. second Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}); a Lope De Vega (Ire) half-brother to GI Haskell S. victor Coil (Point Given) and GI Hollywood Derby winner Chiropractor (Kitten's Joy) (lot 72); and lot 78, a Cracksman (GB) half-sister to Group 2 winner Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) from the family of Group 1 scorers Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) and Belle Et Celebre (Fr) (Peintre Celebre).

The breeding portion of the sale includes 82 fillies out-of-training and 115 broodmares, with Wertheimer & Frere offering lot 137, Parole (Fr) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), who is a half-sister to group winner and dual French Classic-placed Legend War/Dicton (GB) (Lawman {Fr}); Zerziyna (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 249), a half-sister to listed winner Zeyrek (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and a granddaughter to Arc victress Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) from the Aga Khan Studs; Bea Remembered (GB) (Doyen {Ire}) (lot 121), the dam of multiple group winner and Group 1-placed Stormy Antarctic (Stormy Atlantic) in foal to Wooded (Ire); and a half-sister to Classic winner Coeursamba (Fr) (The Wow Signal {Ire}), Twelveoclock (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}) (lot 141) in foal to Zarak (Fr) presented by Haras de l'Aumonerie.

The sale is rounded out by 52 yearlings and 17 2-year-olds under both codes, including lot 116, a son of Zarak and listed winner Hell's Queen (Fr) (Gentlewave {Ire}) from Haras de Sainte Marie aux Anglais; and a son of Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (lot 136) who is out of a half-sister to listed winner Earl Of Leitrim (Ire) (Johannesburg) from the family of Group 1 winner Divine Proportions (Kingmambo) and Whipper (Miesque's Son) offered by Haras de Saint Isidro.

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Juveniles Headline Saturday Graded Stakes Action

Curly Jack (Good Magic) looks to return to winning ways at a venue at which he is already two-for-two in Saturday's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs. A debut winner at this oval in June, he was off the board in Saratoga's GIII Sanford S. in July, but missed by just a head in the Ellis Park Juvenile S. in August. Rallying to victory in this oval's GIII Iroquois S. Sept. 17, the bay was fifth at odds of 55-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4.

Steve Asmussen seeks his fourth win in this event and has two chances to do it. Red Route One (Gun Runner) looks to add his sire's long list of accomplishments with just two crops. After two tries on turf, including a maiden win, the Winchell homebred rallied to be third when switched to dirt in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 8 and was fifth three weeks later in a sloppy renewal fo the GIII Street Sense S.

His stablemate Gigante (Not This Time) won his only start on dirt and has made his other three runs on grass, including a dominant win in the Kitten's Joy S.

Ken McPeek also saddles two, the Street Sense runner-up Hayes Strike (Connect) and maiden winner of four starts Denington (Gun Runner).

One race prior the juvenile fillies get their time to shine in the GII Golden Rod S., headlined by a pair of undefeated debutantes, both of whom have scored all their victories beneath the Twin Spires. Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) won on debut here Sept. 25 and romped by 7 1/2 lengths over T Max (Connect) in the Rags to Riches S. Oct. 30.

Godolphin homebred Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) opened her account here with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy effort Sept. 18 and took a sloppy optional claimer Oct. 30. She will attempt two turns for the first time here.

Bill Mott ships in with a live one in American Rockette (American Pharoah). Rallying to victory in an off-the-turf sprint at Saratoga July 21, the bay closed well to be fourth in that venue's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 4 and filled the same spot in Belmont's GI Frizette S. Oct. 2.

Woodbine also hosts a pair of graded events for 2-year-olds in the GIII Grey S. and GIII Mazarine S. Colts are up first in the Grey, which is headlined by Hal (Accelerate). A debut winner at this venue Oct. 2, he followed suit with a win in the Display S. Nov. 5.

Mark Casse saddles three members of this seven-horse field, all of which are fillies taking on the boys, topped by Forever Dixie (Quality Road). Graduating at fourth asking when switched to the local synthetic Oct. 1, she rallied to be a close second in the Glorious Song S. Nov. 5 and, like Hal, attempts two turns for the first time here.

Casse also sends out debut winner Ryder Ryder Ryder (Quality Road) and Renegade Rebel (Nyquist), who earned diploma over track and trip in her fourth attempt Oct. 29.

All three fillies are cross-entered in the Mazarine and will likely be split between the two tests. Also worth a look in the Mazarine is Honor D Lady (Honor Code), who graduated at second asking going this distance on the Gulfstream synthetic Oct. 7 and gets Lasix for the first time here.

Saturday's action also offers four graded events for older horses: the GIII Fall Highweight S. and GII Red Smith S. at Aqueduct, the GII Seabiscuit H. at Del Mar and the GIII Berkeley H. at Golden Gate.

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Friday BC Winners in Fine Form

All of the Friday Breeders' Cup winners came back in fine form, according to their respective trainers Saturday, topped by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (Violence).

“He's happy and proud of himself this morning,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I thought he was more professional yesterday than he was when he won the [GI Claiborne] Breeders' Futurity here.”

Pletcher said Forte would get a little break–“not sure where”–and then look at a two-prep program from Pletcher's winter base at Palm Beach Downs in Florida leading up to the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby.

Mark Casse was still basking in the glow of Wonder Wheel's (Into Mischief) win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

“I think the performance was amazing by Tyler [Gaffalione] and Wonder Wheel,” Casse said. “They were both dealt a tough hand. Things didn't go as planned. Obviously, we figured we would be up a little closer early. She didn't break running like she has in the past, and she just put in an amazing trip. With the spots that Tyler had to go through it was astonishing actually. Tyler can only do those things when he has a horse like her. I've been doing this for 40-something years. There's not a lot of awe moments, but that was an awe moment for me. She's a young horse that had to overcome a lot of adversities and she won with authority so I'm very proud of her, and proud of our entire organization.”

Casse reported that Wonder Wheel will ship out Sunday morning to spend the winter at his training facility in Ocala, Florida while they assess the next move for the filly.

The European runners, who swept Friday's turf races, were all reported to be in fine form as well.

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Sunday Insights: Hoping For a Perfect ’10’

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, post time: 2:30 p.m. ET
BO DEREK (Speightstown) must have ticked all the proverbial boxes at last year's Keeneland September sale, as she was acquired by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm for $900,000, the priciest of 42 (53 ring) of her Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint-winning sire's yearlings that were reported as sold in 2021. And the family behind her is extremely live. The Mar. 12 foal is the first from Wildwood Rose (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-sister to the late GI Besilu Stables Florida Derby hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet Alex) and to GSW/MGISP My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), whose 'Rising Star' son Annapolis (War Front) will have his fair share of supporters in next weekend's GI Breeders' Cup Mile off his victory in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. The Into Mischief yearling half-sister to Bo Derek was hammered down to Whisper Hill Farm for $1.15 million at KEESEP last month. Among the competition is the outposted Tough Legacy (Hard Spun), a sister to GIII Regret S. victress Hard Legacy whose dam Stone Legacy (Birdstone) was the very, very distant runner-up to Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2009 GI Kentucky Oaks. TJCIS PPs

1st-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 1:00 p.m. ET
A pair of Into Mischief colts share the spotlight in the 'Stars of Tomorrow I' opener Sunday. TALLADEGA fetched $400,000 at Keeneland November in 2020, one of three of the exceptional stallions 12 foals to achieve that top foal price, and improved into an $850,000 KEESEP yearling for the aforementioned WinStar/Siena partnership. Closely related to GSW Holiday Disguise (Harlan's Holiday) and also a half-brother to three-time stakes winner Midnight Disguise (Midnight Lute) and GI Del Mar Debutante runner-up Forest Caraway (Bodemeister), the bay is out of a winning half-sister to GSW millionaire Naughty New Yorker (Quiet American). Midnight Pranks, a $500,000 KEESEP acquisition, is out of the unraced Midnight Girl (Drosselmeyer), who was purchased by Twin Hopes Farm for $300,000 with the Into Mischief colt in utero at Fasig-Tipton November in 2019. The mare is a half-sister to dual Grade I winner Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute) while the deeper female family includes GISW Hookedonthefeelin (Citidancer) and her Grade I-winning offspring Pussycat Doll (Real Quiet) and Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor). TJCIS PPs

7th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 4:01 p.m. ET
The cleverly named GORDY'S LABEL (Mo Town) was the second-dearest first-crop yearling for this sire (by Uncle Mo) when John Ballantyne's NBS Stables went to $300,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. The dark bay was also the gold medal winner among Mo Town's first foals to go through the ring at $185,000 at KEENOV in 2020. A half-brother to SW Just Read It (Constitution), the Jan. 18 foal is out of a full-sister to SW & GSP Pool Winner (Broken Vow) and to MSP Sounds of the City (Street Cry {Ire}), the dam of MGSW & MGISP Venetian Harbor (Munnings). TJCIS PPs

6th-SA, $61k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 6:31 p.m. ET
FORT WARREN (Curlin) has the fence for this career debut and most recently worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:12.80 Oct. 24, the third-best of the morning behind a couple of 'TDN Rising Star' stablemates named Taiba (Gun Runner) and Messier (Empire Maker), who went in 1:11.40. The Feb. 11 foal is the lone listed produce for his SW/GSP dam La Appassionata (Bernardini), a full-sister to GSW Wilburn and a half to Grade II-winning juvenile Beethoven (Sky Mesa) and to the dam of GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro). Fort Warren was a $550,000 KEESEP graduate. Drawn just to his outside is Earnhardt homebred Texthelegend (Justify), whose dam Life Blessings (Tapit) is a daughter of the couple's two-time Eclipse Award and five-time Grade I winner Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie). A $100,000 purchase out of the 2021 Fasig-Tipton July Sale, Habeas (Tapwrit) fetched $450,000 at this year's OBS April Sale (:21 flat), the most-expensive of 39 juveniles (45 ring) from the first crop of the Gainesway stallion. The gray is out of a half to GI Spinaway S. winner So Many Ways (Sightseeing). TJCIS PPs

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