The 5-year-old was bred to St Claude (Tiznow), who is owned by Pete and Martha Williams and is boarded at Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds. She is from the family of Horse of the Year Flightline and tallied her first registered colt Jan. 12 by Army Mule.

A graded stakes winner at 2 and 3 as a homebred for Bass Racing under trainer Todd Pletcher, Annapolis set a new stakes record in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Annapolis's dam, My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), was a graded stakes winner on dirt and runner-up in the GI Kentucky Oaks. The Claiborne sire also includes 'TDN Rising Star' GI Florida Derby hero Materiality (Afleet Alex), GI Alabama S. victress Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) and GI Travers S. victor Afleet Express (Afleet Alex).

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“We have been working on upgrading our bloodstock over the last several years with a focus on good-running mares that might not have a Kentucky commercial pedigree up front, but still have the ability to create excellent racehorses and future stallion prospects. If you look at the current stallions in Kentucky, you will see that around half are out of mares with non -commercial Kentucky sires. My personal opinion is that it is time to shift focus back to creating sound-running horses that also appeal to buyers in the ring. We have always focused on what our babies will be doing at three, five, 10 and 15 years old-creating a sound horse that can be utilized in many different fields, not just racing. That being said, we at Harper Ridge Thoroughbreds have shifted our focus partly away from True Nicks and have started utilizing the G1 Goldmine match more. For us personally, I feel like G1 gives you a more complete deep dive, if you will, into the overall pedigree-putting a lot of emphasis on mom's side and how the overall group of horses in the pedigree perform when crossed. Most of our mares' current pregnancies and upcoming breedings match this.”

RICH IMAGE (7, Imaging-Richetta, by Polished Numbers) to be bred to Gunite.
We have had this mare from the beginning of her breeding career. Every foal has just gotten nicer and nicer. She throws excellent balance and size. Her first foal by Maximum Security is currently in training with Eric Reed. We have her Tiz the Law yearling filly, who is phenomenal. Anxiously awaiting her Early Voting this year and going to Gunite was a no-brainer. He is beautiful. Retired sound and moves like a well-oiled machine. Gun Runner is really hot right now and the cross was excellent. This female family is really taking off with Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) now a graded stakes winner.

APPEALING WAY (10, Tizway-Turkappeal, by Turkoman) to be bred to Annapolis.
This is another mare we have had since the beginning of her breeding career. She is currently in foal to Mandaloun. She had her first foal last year by Complexity. This is a deep family with a lot of black-type. Older pedigree, but produced sound horses. She is a half-sister to Grade III winner Pink Champagne (Awesome Again) and most of the siblings were excellent runners. She crosses well with Annapolis. He was a winner at two, three and four. He's from a great dirt family but won on turf. I think he will be versatile. It was a G1 Goldmine cross.

Navy Sword will visit Goldencents in 2024 | Coady photo

SAFFRON GIRL (7, Tapizar-Mattie Camp, by Forest Camp) to be bred to Speaker's Corner.
We are breeding Saffron Beach to Speaker's Corner. This is a big, tall mare. Lots of leg. Her first foal by Spun to Run was well put together and nicely balanced. We then bred her to Speaker's Corner because it was off the charts both on G1 and TrueNicks. We are currently waiting for that foal to come and breeding her back to him seemed like a sensible idea. Speaker's Corner won some excellent races, had some excellent Beyer figures and raced into his 4-year-old year. I'm excited to see the foal coming this year. We have had this mare up for sale but she's such a nice mare that its really been a back and forth of not wanting to let her go. She has a lot to offer and is a fan favorite at the barn.

MONEY INTHE STARRS (8, Abraaj–Our Monstarr, by Demons Begone) to be bred to Yaupon.
This is a nice mare. I sent her to the sale this year and she got overlooked. I was happy to take her home. She was a stakes winner on the track and clinched Champion 2-year-old filly in Washington. She is currently in foal to Epicenter and I'm counting the days. Yaupon was well received at the sales and physically he matches her very well. Her pedigree isn't really seen here in Kentucky so its hard to find a great cross for her on paper, so for this mare we are going in a different direction than our other mares. We really liked what she produced with the Knicks Go filly she had last year and are pretty confident with what she will throw in upcoming years. Her mother was an excellent horse and Demons Begone horses are hardy runners.

NAVY SWORD (7, Bodemeister-Wooden Nickel, by Divine Park) to be bred to Goldencents.
This is a nice mare. She ran well in her company. She was a stakes winner of almost $200,000. We ran her G1 report and she really crossed well with Into Mischief sons. Goldencents is proven and is dependable to get you a good runner. This is a mare we are looking forward to having for many years and feel like we are starting her strong with a reliable sire.

DELIGHTFUL DREAMER (7, Animal Kingdom-Age of Silver, by Silver Deputy) to be bred to Jimmy Creed.
This is a mare I had been trying to get for a while. I lost her on a shake last year and was lucky enough to be able to get her this year when she retired. This is a nice family. Mom has proven to be quite fruitful on the blacktype scale. Since Distorted Humor works so well with this family we decided Jimmy Creed was an excellent choice for a first foal. He is also reliable, tried and true. Her mom produced some excellent horses on the Distorted Humor cross so we are hopeful she can do the same.

PENDOLINO (8, Honorable Dillon-Wonzit, by Tizow) to be bred to Yaupon.
We got this mare in New York. She was a hard-knocking mare who won over $200,000. She comes from the immediate family of Naughty Gal (Into Mischief). She's currently due any minute to Rock Your World. Again with Yaupon, he was a great runner, his foals have been very well received at the sales and physically, he matches her well. She has been a dream at the farm and we are excited to see what this family continues to produce.

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LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, which hadn't had a million-dollar mare since 2019, had two reach seven figures during its opening session Monday in Lexington, with 19-year-old Tom Wachman making the day's highest bid of $1.6-million to acquire the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief) on behalf of his grandfather, John Magnier's Coolmore. Late in the session, Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm purchased Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) for $1 million.

“I think we've got to be very happy with the way the session turned out,” Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said Monday evening. “We had two million-dollar plus horses, which is the first time since 2019. The numbers were pretty much on par for much of the day compared to last year and last year was a very strong sale.”

A total of 225 horses sold Monday for $17,547,500 for an average of $77,989 and a median of $32,000. Bolstered by the two million-dollar mares, the session average was up 7.43% from a year ago, while the median declined 20%.

With 97 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 30.12%. It was 31.29% a year ago.

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, accompanied by Ramona Bass, was the session's leading buyer with three mares purchased to support Bass's recently retired Grade I-winning sire Annapolis. The session featured a diverse buying bench with the 16 top-priced horses selling to 14 different buyers.

Cormac Breathnach and Tony Lacy on Monday | Keeneland

“I was really pleased with the depth of the buyer bench here,” said Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “There were a lot of people signing tickets in the ring and a lot of important buyers from America and also from around the world.”

Demand for short yearlings, a segment of the market which was competitive at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale two months ago, remained strong Monday in Lexington. Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, the session's leading consignor, sold the day's two top-priced yearlings, with a colt by Curlin selling to Milan Bloodstock for $375,000 and a son of Maclean's Music selling for $300,000 to Muir Hut Stables.

“The demand for yearlings was strong,” Breathnach said. “We sold 22 six-figure yearlings today versus 17 for the same day last year.”

Still there was a familiar polarization in the market.

“The market is very, very selective right now,” said Hill 'n' Dale manager Jared Burdine. “There are no end-users for the weanlings and pinhookers are very professional. They line up on the same horse.”

Lacy acknowledged the selectivity in the market, but also saw some positivity in Monday's results.

“Quality was very much to the fore,” Lacy said. “I think there was a little weakness on the ones of perceived lesser quality. But in saying that, I think the sellers were very pleased the way the market was shaking out and the buyers found it tough to buy what they were looking for. So, all in all, a good day.”

The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

$1.6M Prank Kickstarts January Sale

Prank (Into Mischief) (hip 77), never able to follow up on a scintillating debut victory on the racetrack due to injury, had a star turn in the sales ring at Keeneland Monday, selling for $1.6 million to Coolmore. The 4-year-old was consigned by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing to that 9 3/4-length victory which earned her 'TDN Rising Star' honors at Saratoga in 2022.

“She's a lovely filly and a very good race filly,” said Tom Wachman after signing the ticket on the bay filly on behalf of the Coolmore team. “I'd say she will go to Justify. He's a phenomenal stallion doing it on the grass and the dirt. So I'd say that's where she'd go.”

Wachman, the 19-year-old grandson of Coolmore founder John Magnier, said this was the highest-priced horse he has signed for to date.

“I'm just trying to learn the ropes at the moment,” he said.

Looking like a million bucks! Prank, TDN Rising Star and half sister to Mo Donegal delivers $1.6 million at Keeneland January. #KeeJan pic.twitter.com/2q4lydbpDm

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 8, 2024

Out of Callingmissbrown (Pulpit), Prank is a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo). Bred by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables, she was purchased for $500,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale.

“She was a real talent,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said of Prank. “She broke her maiden by 10 at Saratoga when she won by the length of the stretch basically. She got injured and wasn't able to make it back. But she had that brilliance that people want, the type that if you pass that along to your foals, they can be Grade I winners. We certainly thought she had the ability to be a Grade I winner. On the day she broke her maiden, you would have said she was the best 2-year-old in America, colts or fillies. Her figures were among the fastest in six years in Saratoga. And those horses were Grade I winners, so the ability was there.”

Prank's last recorded works came in August and her presence in the January sale was largely an issue of timing, according to Graves.

“We were going on with her and she developed a little issue,” Graves said. “And it was obvious that we weren't going to be able to continue on and it was time for her to be a broodmare and dissolve the partnership. So she landed here.”

“She sold way above our expectations”

After the Ring: Brian Graves speaks on the session topper, Prank, who sold for $1.6 million today at Keeneland January. #KeeJan @Gainesway pic.twitter.com/Tw1mlBP2jJ

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 8, 2024

Graves admitted the filly's $1.6-million price tag exceeded expectations.

“The young and beautiful have been selling well,” Graves said. “It's been holding up and we thought she would be in the top end, but that was a bit more than we were expecting.”

Prank was the first seven-figure horse sold at Keeneland January since Abel Tasman (Quality Road) sold–also to Coolmore–for $5 million in 2019. @JessMartiniTDN

Curlin's Voyage Brings $1 Million

Canadian champion Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) (hip 413) became the second seven-figure offering of Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale when bringing a final bid of $1 million from Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm. The 7-year-old mare, who was supplemented to the auction, sold in foal to Flightline from the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment.

“I liked the pedigree, the physical and who she was in foal to,” Nakamura said through an interpreter. “Everything matched up. I liked everything about her.”

Curlin's Voyage hammers at $1 million, sold in foal to Flightline to K I Farm! #KeeJan @HillnDaleFarm pic.twitter.com/MwoICWoo8Z

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 9, 2024

Curlin's Voyage, who produced a filly by Tapit in 2022 and a filly by Uncle Mo in 2023, was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale.  Racing for the partnership of Sikura and Windsor Boys Racing, the chestnut won the 2019 GIII Mazarine S. and 2020 Woodbine Oaks. She was named Canada's champion 2-year-old filly in 2019 and came back to be named champion 3-year-old filly in 2020.

The mare is out of Atlantic Voyage (Stormy Atlantic), a full-sister to Grade I winner Stormello.

Asked about his plans for the mare, Nakamura said, “I haven't decided yet. Still in the decision-making process.”

Annapolis Date for Bridlewood Cat

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, sitting alongside Ramona Bass, signed the ticket at $750,000 to acquire Bridlewood Cat (Street Sense) (hip 267). The 8-year-old mare, in foal to Tapit, was consigned by Denali Stud, as agent for Bridlewood Farm. She now has an impending date with the Bass family's recently retired Grade I winner Annapolis (War Front).

“It was a tremendous result, she's a beautiful mare.”

After the ring: Conrad Bandoroff on Bridlewood Cat selling for $750,000 at #KeeJan @DenaliStud pic.twitter.com/PJQ6NI5tdO

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 9, 2024

“She was bought for the Bass family with the intention to give Annapolis the best mare support he could possibly get,” Young said. “She is a terrific, talented horse who won her first two races with mid-90s Beyers. She had Grade I talent and is a very good-looking horse on her own. She is probably one of the fastest Street Sense fillies that there ever was, breaking her maiden going three-quarters in :09 and change and she is the type of mare that the family is going to support this horse with.”

Purchased by Bridlewood Farm for $750,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale, Bridlewood Cat was stakes-placed while winning two of 10 starts for earnings of $115,090.

She is out of Ithinkisawapudycat (Bluegrass Cat) and is a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. winner Sweet Loretta (Tapit). Ithinkisawapudycat is a half-sister to Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Spring in the Air (Spring At Last).

“She is from a highly talented 2-year-old family,” Young said. “Her half-sister is a Grade I winner on the dirt at Saratoga as a 2-year-old. Under the second dam is the 2-year-old champion of Canada. And we are going to breed her to an undefeated 2-year-old stakes winner in Annapolis.”

Steve Young | Keeneland

Bred and campaigned by the Bass family, Annapolis earned his first graded victory as a juvenile, winning the 2021 GII Pilgrim S. In 2022, he added the GI Coolmore Turf Mile and GIII Saranac S. He will begin his stud career next month at Claiborne Farm at a fee of $12,500.

“He is going to throw a lot of quality 2-year-olds,” Young said of the stallion. “He's going to throw dirt. We never got a chance to run him on the dirt, but he always trained tremendous on the dirt. This is the type of mare he deserves.”

Young signed for My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), with Annapolis in utero, on behalf of Bass for $4 million at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

Bridlewood Cat produced a colt by Authentic in 2022 and a colt by Essential Quality in 2023.

Young and Bass returned later in the session to acquire Kaling (Practical Joke) (hip 387), third in 2022 GI Spinaway S., for $650,000 from the Bluewater Sales consignment and closed out the opening session of the auction with Juniper's Moon (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 419), purchased for $625,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency. @JessMartiniTDN

Hill 'n' Dale Consigns Pair of Top-Priced Colts

Hip 236, a son of Curlin out of 'TDN Rising Star' A Z Warrior (Bernardini), went to Milan Bloodstock on a final bid via phone of $370,000 during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The colt was the second of two top-priced short yearlings to sell within a matter of minutes consigned by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

“Curlin sets records year after year,” said Jared Burdine, general manager at Hill 'n' Dale. “This foal fit everyone's criteria. All of them [buyers] want kind of the same thing and the same five or six people were on the horse. So when it lines up, you get paid on those.”

Hip 236 | Keeneland

Hip 236 hails from a family of 'TDN Rising Stars' including not only his dam but also three of his dam's half-siblings in Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile), herself the dam of another 'Rising Star' in Under Oath (Speightstown), along with E Z Warrior (Exploit) and J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday). He is also a half to last year's Runhappy Ellis Park Debutante S. winner Justa Warrior (Justify).

The yearling was bred by Cypress Creek Equine, which purchased A Z Warrior in foal to Uncle Mo for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale.

Just a few minutes earlier, Muir Hut Stables went to $300,000 for hip 200, an Ontario-bred short yearling by Maclean's Music. Bred by Josham Farm's Ted Burnett, the colt is out of Wild N Ready (More Than Ready), a mare purchased by Josham Farm for $170,000 out of Keeneland November in 2017.

“We thought he'd in the 100 range,” said Burnett. “He had a few minor vet issues that I thought might hurt him but, if you've got the right horse and the issue is not a big one, I don't think it makes much difference [in the price],” said Burnett. “We have a very strong program in Ontario. So we always find that Ontario-breds have a special market and often we feel that we get a little bit of a premium because of that.”

Burnett sold Wild N Ready two months ago at Keeneland November for $60,000 carrying a full-sibling to this colt. @SGrimmTDN

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A graded stakes winner at two and three in the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Annapolis earned over $1.5 million as a homebred for Bass Racing. Annapolis was produced by My Miss Sophia, winner of the GII Gazelle S. and runner-up in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Carrying Annapolis, My Miss Sophia brought $4 million from agent Steve Young on behalf of the Bass family at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale.

“Annapolis has been a star since the day he was born,” said Claiborne Farm President Walker Hancock. “Being a $4 million in utero purchase, the bar was high and he lived up to his lofty expectations. He was a graded stakes winner at two, a record-setting Grade I winner at three, and hails from an incredible dirt family.”

Hancock continued, “His dam was a graded stakes winner on dirt and was runner up in the Kentucky Oaks. Also in the family are Florida Derby winner Materiality, Alabama winner Embellish the Lace, and Travers winner Afleet Express. With his imposing physique, we believe his offspring will be a success in the sales ring and on the racetrack.”

Annapolis, winner of the 2021 GII Pilgrim S. and 2022 GIII Saranac S., will stand for a fee of $12,500 LFSN.

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Yet, by just about any measure, it was not a good meet. Saratoga came into 2023 with the wind at its back. Every year the racing seemed to get bigger, the handle would grow and more and more fans would pile into the historic racecourse. Taking out the covid year, handle had risen at Saratoga for five straight years.

Would Saratoga ever lose its momentum or would it keep growing exponentially?

It turned this year. The 12 fatalities, including two particularly gruesome ones that occurred in full view of packed grandstand and before a national TV audience, were as bad as it gets. How many racing fans were turned into ex-racing fans on those days? NYRA has always taken the safety of the horses and jockeys very seriously and will no doubt continue to put in place measures to keep both safe.

They have some control over horse safety, but none over the weather, which was a huge problem at the meet. During the 2022 meet, only 15 races came off the grass. Through Sunday of the 2023 meet, 65 races had come off the grass. There had been 189 grass races run in 2022 versus 129 this year. That always leads to the same problems. When races come off the turf there are always a number of scratches, typically creating off-the-turf races with four or five-horse fields. On Aug. 10, an off-the-turf race actually turned into a match race. This is stuff no one wants to bet on.

NYRA is ready to do what it can to address that problem. NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke has said that there is serious interest in installing a synthetic track at Saratoga by the 2025 meet. It wouldn't replace either the dirt main track or the two turf courses but would give NYRA a third option when it comes to racing surfaces and the synthetic track would largely be put to use when the rains washed races off of the turf.

The weather has been a problem, but if you dig a bit further you can find some signs that Saratoga handle was affected by more than the rain. On GI Travers Day 2023, when two races came off the turf, the handle was $50,183,71. In 2022, the handle was $55,559,315 when one race came off the grass. This past Saturday, on GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Day, they bet $27,400,509 on a day not impacted by weather. The year before the handle was $32,505,600.

“I think what happened is with all the earlier rain we lost some momentum and when that happened it's hard to get it back,” O'Rourke said.

Field size fell by 2.5 percent, from 7.75 to 7.56. A more telling number was the average handle per betting interest. It was $255,773 this year and $272,599 last year, for a drop of 6.2%.

What's done is done and there's nothing to do now but turn the page and hope Saratoga 2024 is one of the safest meets in history and the weather is gorgeous from opening day to closing day. The place is still magical and popular, but everything peaks at some point. Maybe that's happened to Saratoga.

European Dominance On The Turf

This is getting a bit ridiculous. U.S. racing is used to second-flight European horses coming over and winning some of our biggest grass race, but the year European shippers are having this year shows that our grass horses are vastly inferior. Take Saturday's GIII $2 million Mint Millions at Kentucky Downs. There was only one European shipper in the field, Ancient Rome (War Front), who is trained by Charlie Hills and was ridden by Jamie Spencer. Facing the likes of GI winner Annapolis (War Front), he came into it off a win in a handicap race. Before that you had to go all the way back to 2021 for his last graded win, a victory in the GIII Prix des Chenes in France. He won that by a half-length. He won the Mint Millions by a half-length.

A week earlier, it was Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). He came into the GI Sword Dancer after losing by 21 1/2 lengths in the GI King George VI and Queen Elizabeth I Stakes, where he went off at 125-1. Yet, that was good enough to win the Sword Dancer by 4 1/2 lengths. The win broke a nine-race losing streak, going back to the 2021 GI Belmont Derby where he also took advantage of a weak group of U.S. turf horses.

Then there's Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify). She was sent off at 50-1 in the GI Irish 1,000 Guineas and finished last beaten 14 1/2 lengths. But that was good enough for her to take home first prize of $500,000 in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational in her next outing.

Good luck to our horses in the Breeders' Cup turf races.

Surprise, Surprise, Still No News Out Of Saudi Arabia

Back in 2020, Maximum Security (New Year's Day) crossed the line in front in the 2020 $20 million Saudi Cup. Just a few days later, his trainer, Jason Servis, was arrested and charged with using performance-enhancing drugs on most of the horses in his barn. When that news broke, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said it was withholding the purses until it could investigate the situation

It's been 29 months since Servis was indicted, he has pled guilty and in November will begin a four-year prison sentence. The case is over, but the Saudis still haven't paid out the purse. Presumably, the winner's share of $10 million will eventually go to Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). But no one has been paid as the Saudis, who should have all the evidence they'll ever need, do nothing and don't seem to be in any hurry to write a check. We tried to get an update on the situation this week, but the answer we got didn't really answer anything.

“Due to the extended nature of the judicial process in the USA, the JCSA has been unable to fully conduct its own investigation into the awarding of the winner's prize for The Saudi Cup 2020,” wrote the JCSA's Sarah Tregoning in response to an email sent by the TDN. “Now that the legal process in the USA has finished, the JCSA expects to swiftly conclude its own investigation and make an announcement in the coming weeks.”

I wouldn't hold your breath.

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“It's very rewarding,” said Mott after the Kelso. “Ordinarily, you don't get any more than two seasons out of a horse running at the top level. To have a horse that can run at two, three, and maybe four seasons to run at the very highest level is very good. You don't find those kind.”

Casa Creed is most assuredly one of “those kind.” Although he hasn't won since last August, he was coming off a third in the GI Jaipur S. June 10 at Belmont in his first start of the year after taking that race in both 2021 and 2022. He hasn't shirked any competition, has traveled to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and has now won seven black-type events, including five graded races and three at the highest level. This is his sixth consecutive season running at the Spa, where he made his first career visit to the winner's circle in an off-the-turf main track maiden in 2018.

#8 Casa Creed takes the G3 Kelso S. at Saratoga under @luissaezpty for trainer Bill Mott!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/IoYnfl3S41

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 15, 2023

“He's a fun horse,” said Mott. “We love to see him run and we try to give him enough time to make sure he's ready to go but at this point in time it doesn't have to be a Grade I. The Fourstardave is and that's a big goal, but to be able to see him and have him compete is great fun.” In addition to winning the Fourstardave last year, Casa Creed was third in the race in both 2020 and 2021. This year's Fourstardave is set for Aug. 12.

A $105,000 Keeneland September yearling who has earned more than 20 times that amount, Casa Creed broke from the outside in the Kelso and settled comfortably a few spots wide as streaking consecutive four-race winner Big Everest (GB) (The Gurkha {Ire}) led the way through a :23.35 first quarter. 'TDN Rising Star' and last year's GI Turf Mile S. winner at Keeneland, Annapolis (War Front), raced in tandem to the inside of Casa Creed, the two several lengths behind Big Everest after a half in :47.07. As the field bunched up going into the far turn, Luis Saez let Casa Creed out a notch and he mowed down the horses in front of him while wide, collared and went by Big Everest with no fuss, then pulled clear all while on his wrong lead. It wasn't until the last few strides that he swapped to his correct lead, but it didn't matter as he had a length on the field as Annapolis chased him home. GSW English Bee (English Channel) finished third.

“He's special,” said Lee Einsidler of co-owner LRE Racing. “He's taken us around the world and he's made a huge difference in our lives, really. When you get into this game, they become part of your family. Life is all about building memories and this is another great one.”

Pedigree Notes:

Three-time GISW Casa Creed is one of five graded winners for Spendthrift Farm's Jimmy Creed, who also has 21 black-type winners. Interestingly, two of the stakes winners by the son of Distorted Humor are out of Bellamy Road mares. The latter has 11 stakes winners out of his daughters, including last year's MGISW Cave Rock (Arrogate).

Unraced Achalaya has been through the sales ring six times, most recently in 2021 at Keeneland November when selling in foal to Authentic. Out of MGSW Wild Heart Dancing (Farma Way) and a half to GISW Man From Wicklow (Turkoman), she brought $725,000 from Thirty Year Farm. That was a far cry from her 2018 trip through the OBS Winter Mixed ring, when she brought $15,000 from Trackside Farm while in foal to Jess's Dream. At the 2018 sale, she was carrying eventual MGSW Chess's Dream in utero while Casa Creed had just turned two and had yet to race. Achalaya has since produced a 2021 colt named Bold Landing (Omaha Beach), who hammered for $775,000 from White Birch Farm at Keeneland September, and a yearling filly by Authentic, who was a $390,000 RNA as a Fasig-Tipton November weanling. She most recently produced a filly by Curlin, born Apr. 30.

Saturday, Saratoga
KELSO S.-GIII, $175,000, Saratoga, 7-15, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:35.51, fm.
1–CASA CREED, 124, h, 7, by Jimmy Creed
           1st Dam: Achalaya, by Bellamy Road
           2nd Dam: Wild Heart Dancing, by Farma Way
           3rd Dam: Star of Wicklow, by Fast Play
($15,000 Ylg '17 OBSWIN; $105,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-LRE Racing LLC and JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs Stud, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Luis Saez. $96,250. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 32-8-5-5, $2,185,308. *1/2 to Chess's Dream (Jess's Dream), GSW, $237,418. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Annapolis, 124, c, 4, War Front–My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled's Song. 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $35,000.
3–English Bee, 118, g, 7, English Channel–Evil Kitten, by Kitten's Joy. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $21,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.25, 0.95, 31.75.
Also Ran: Ice Chocolat (Brz), Big Everest (GB), Filo Di Arianna (Brz), Anaconda. Scratched: Gun It, Mid Day Image.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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You probably already knew that the Sanford S. is the only race that the legendary Man o' War ever lost. Or that over a five-year span in the '60s, the great Kelso amassed a staggering record of 63-39-12-2. You also knew that the late '80s warrior Quick Call, who lived to the ripe old age of 35, was denied a third consecutive GII Forego H. by a nose to Lay Down.

And if you are pretty sharp, then you have it down pat that the inaugural running of the Diana S. occurred the same year–1939– that Hitler invaded Poland, which was the last time mounted cavalry saw action against tanks.

Saratoga is dripping with history–it's literally in the water. The track's storied past reminds us of Max Weber's warning that, “Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never before achieved.” In other words, we need the magic to keep us anchored, as we bob along in a digital sea of information.

With the historical juices sufficiently percolating, here's a rundown of the weekend graded action.

GI Diana S. (Saturday)
Besides trainer Charlie Appleby in 2021, no one has been able to dethrone Chad Brown in this Grade I turf event since 2016. The likelihood of another win for Brown appears imminent, were it not for the presence of Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}).

Marketsegmentation | Sarah Andrew

Trained by Mark Casse, the 5-year-old mare is a MGSW who is making her first trip down from Woodbine. “She's coming back a little quick, but I'm going with the old Allen Jerkens line, 'When they're going good, run 'em,'” Casse said.

Out of Brown's four entries, Peter Brant's defending champ and 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks best, but Marketsegmentation (American Pharoah), a 4-year-old filly owned by Klaravich Stables, is coming off a signature win June 9 in the GI New York S. at Belmont Park.

GIII Kelso S. (Saturday)
Shortening up over the grass, an experienced group of 4-year-olds and up assemble, with 'TDN Rising Star' and GISW Annapolis (War Front) serving as the standout. The Bass Stables homebred, who was second in last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, won the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. at Keeneland in October en route to a GI Breeders' Cup Mile berth.

Standing in his way is the accomplished grass miler Big Everest (GB) (The Gurkha {Ire}). Making his first graded stakes start, the 5-year-old gelding has won his last six out of seven starts.

“He was the kind of horse that, early on, he fought with the jockey,” said Big Everest's co-owner Dean Reeves. “We learned over time that he was fighting with the jockey because he had speed and wanted to go to the front. So, once we got out of his way and once he was gelded, he doesn't back up and they don't have enough to catch him.”

Also entered is the well-traveled fan-favorite, MGISW Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), whose style for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott makes him extremely dangerous towards the wire.

GIII Sanford S. (Saturday)
Rounding out the Saturday graded action is this 2-year-old NYRA series test, which has drawn 10. Trainer Steve Asmussen watched Gold Sweep (Speightstown) romp home by nine lengths as he posted a 91 Beyer figure in the Tremont S. June 11 at Belmont Park. The Hall of Fame trainer has never won the Sanford.

Others of note include Market Street (Street Sense), trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who broke his maiden in front-running fashion over the slop by 3 3/4 lengths June 29 at Ellis Park. He will be joined by Triple Trea (Bolt d'Oro). The dark bay colt debuted a winner for Barbara Minshall with a late move in early June on Woodbine's Tapeta.

“He's really nice,” Minshall said. “He's very rideable and it looks like there's a lot of speed in the race. Hopefully, he makes his big run and can get the job done. There's some really nice horses in there–the Asmussen horse [Gold Sweep] looks really tough–but he's coming into it in good order.”

GIII Quick Call S. (Sunday)

No Nay Hudson | Coady Photography

The final graded stakes of the weekend on Sunday afternoon pits 3-year-old turf sprinters against one another. Wesley Ward has two entered in this spot with No Nay Hudson (Ire) (No Nay Never), winner last out of the May 13 William Walker S. at Churchill Downs, and Eye Witness (City of Light), a $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase who won the Paradise Creek S. at Belmont Park May 20.

“He's [No Nay Hudson] one we're just trying to get to settle. My main exercise rider, Julio Garcia, has got the horse to relax,” Ward said. “We're doing some nice, easy slow works and he's got a couple races in him now. Fitness isn't an issue. It's just trying to get his mind to where we can get him to settle. He's at Saratoga now and ready to go.”

Facing this pair is Gaslight Dancer (City of Light). The Mike Maker trainee should not be overlooked after winning the Palisades S. at Keeneland in April and the bay colt did finish third behind No Nay Hudson in the William Walker.

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“He got the job done today,” said winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. “Luis [Saez] was riding, and I was riding, and coming to the wire, he got his head in front. In the Breeders' Cup Mile (GI), he stumbled at the break, but I kept asking, and he kept trying. And he was facing some very good horses. It's nice to see him back and in great condition. Hopefully, he'll have another great year.”

Out of GSW/MGISP My Miss Sophia, Annapolis has a 2-year-old full-brother, Eisenhower, and a newborn half-sister by Gun Runner. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

OPENING VERSE S., $297,500, Churchill Downs, 5-4, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:35.73, fm.
1–ANNAPOLIS, 124, c, 4, War Front–My Miss Sophia (GSW &
MGISP, $605,040), by Unbridled's Song. 'TDN Rising Star'.
O/B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$175,270. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-6-2-0, $1,341,370. *Full to
Nevisian Sunrise, SP, $196,180.
2–Churchtown, 120, g, 4, Air Force Blue–Complicated, by
Blame. ($65,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $40,000 RNA Ylg '20
KEESEP). O/B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY);
T-Roger L. Attfield. $56,700.
3–Set Piece (GB), 120, g, 7, Dansili (GB)–Portodora, by
Kingmambo. O/B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Brad H.
Cox. $25,850.
Margins: HD, 2, HD. Odds: 0.83, 7.88, 3.70.
Also Ran: English Bee, Stitched, Get Smokin, Kentucky Ghost, Time to Party, Gray's Fable, Camp Hope, Native Thunder. Scratched: Sky and Sand.

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“I told Juan to go in a minute and change and out [seven-eighths] in 1:26, and that's what he did,” trainer John Sadler said. “Juan's a great work rider. It was not about going fast today, just getting around there happy today.”

Flightline arrived at Keeneland Sunday from his Santa Anita home base.

“He's had a good week and gotten settled in, and the track is a little similar to Del Mar,” Sadler said, noting that Flightline's schedule for next week will include returning to the track to jog Monday, gallop Tuesday through Friday and not go to the track the morning of the Classic.

Life Is Good Tops Pletcher Workers

Classic contender and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 on his own at Keeneland Saturday with fractions of :12, :24.60, :49, 1:00.60 then out six furlongs in 1:13.20, seven-eighths in 1:25.80 and the mile in 1:39.80.

“He is a superior work horse,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Today was typical of what we have seen his whole career.”

Pletcher is confident his charge will get the 10-furlong distance this time after a failed effort in the G1 Dubai World Cup.

“He is hard to pull up at the end [of his workouts],” the conditioner said. “We are eager to run on a real track not like in Dubai, which was really deep that night. I think that played against him.”

Pletcher's other Classic pre-entrant Happy Saver (Super Saver) had what the trainer called a “spirited gallop” in lieu of a timed breeze.

“We let him two-minute clip the whole way around,” Pletcher said. “We are going to do similar to what we did before the [GI Met Mile]: just one breeze two weeks out. He tends to run better when he is fresh. He'll have a few more strong gallops. He won't breeze again.”

Also working this morning on the main track for Pletcher were GI Breeders' Cup Distaff runners Nest (Curlin) and Malathaat (Curlin). In company with recent maiden winner Inventing (Union Rags), Nest worked a half-mile in :50.40. Malathaat worked a half-mile in :49.60 with the 3-year-old maiden Old Point (Curlin).

Working on the grass together were GI Shadwell Mile winner Annapolis GI (Mile) and GII Pilgrim S. victor Major Dude (GI Juvenile Turf), who were timed in :50.40 for a half-mile.

Charlie Puts in Final Classic Prep

Gutsy GII Lukas Classic winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) also had his final breeze ahead of the BC Classic Saturday in Lexington, going six panels in company in 1:12.80.

“He looked good and I got him in 1:12 4/5,” trainer Doug O'Neill said.

Other O'Neill BC workers included Awake At Midnyte (Nyquist) (5f, 1:01.20, Distaff), Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) (5f, 1:00.40, GI Dirt Mile), Vegas Magic (Good Magic) (5f, 1:02.20, GI Juvenile Fillies) and Sharp Aza Tack (Sharp Azteca) (5f, 1:01 on the training track, GI Juvenile Turf Sprint).

Brown Breezes BC Contingent

Jack Christopher | Coady

Trainer Chad Brown sent out a dozen of his Breeders' Cup pre-entrants, with seven working on the dirt and five on the turf at Keeneland Saturday.

Working a half-mile on the dirt were MGISW Jack Christopher (Munnings) (:48.60, GI Sprint or Dirt Mile), Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (:47.80, GI Filly and Mare Sprint), Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) (:47.20, GI Juvenile) and working in company I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing) and Oxymore (Astern {Aus}) (:49.60 Juvenile Turf).

Working five furlongs on the dirt were Search Results (Flatter) (1:01.20, Distaff) and Pipeline (Speightstown) (1:01, Dirt Mile).

On the turf, which was rated as good, were Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) (4f, :49.80, Mile) in company with Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) (4f, :49.80, GI Filly and Mare Turf), In Italian (GB) (4f, :50.80, Filly and Mare Turf) and Virginia Joy (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) (5f, 1:02.60, Filly and Mare Turf) in company with Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) (5f, 1:02.60, Mile).

“We did great,” a beaming Brown said following the works.

Other Keeneland BC Workers Saturday

On the main track were Kimari (Munnings) (5f, 1:01.40, Sprint or Filly and Mare Sprint) and Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) (5f, 1:01.80, Filly and Mare Sprint) in company for Wesley Ward; Willy Boi (Uncaptured) (4f, :49.20, Sprint) for trainer Jorge Delgado and Simplification (Not This Time) (5f, 1:00.40, Dirt Mile) for Antonio Sano.

Working on the turf course were Reckoning Force (Air Force Blue) (4f, :50.40, Juvenile Turf) and Cazadero (Street Sense) (4f, :50.40, Turf Sprint) for Brendan Walsh; Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) (5f, 1:03.60, Turf Sprint) and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) (5f, 1:03.80, Turf Sprint) for Wesley Ward; Private Creed (Jimmy Creed) (3f, :39, Juvenile Turf Sprint) for Steve Asmussen; Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) (3f, :38.20, Juvenile Turf Sprint) for Tim Martin and Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (4f, :51, Turf Sprint) for Brad Cox.

BC Workers at Churchill Downs

MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner) put in his final work for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs Saturday, covering five furlongs in :59 flat. With regular rider Florent Geroux in the saddle, Cyberknife started his work about two lengths behind stablemate Forza Di Oro (Speightstown) and finished even at the completion of his work.

“With a week out from the Breeders' Cup it was the right move we wanted to see,” trainer Brad Cox said. “Both of these horses are really good work horses and I think matching up Cyberknife with him he'd get a lot out of his work. We ended up choosing to run in the Dirt Mile instead of the [GI Breeders' Cup] Classic because we thought it would be the most likely race he could win. The Classic came up a very deep field and even though Cyberknife is going to cut back in distance we feel he can handle the two-turn mile at Keeneland.”

Cox also worked GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint contender Lady Rocket (Tale of the Cat). She went five furlongs in 1:00.60 outside 3-year-old filly Girl With a Dream (Practial Joke). Cyberknife and Lady Rocket, along with Cox juveniles Chop Chop (City of Light) and Verifying (Justify), are scheduled to ship to Keeneland Monday.

Also on the Churchill worktab Saturday was GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint runner Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), who went a half-mile in :47.80 outside of a stablemate.

Taiba Has Final Classic Work at Santa Anita

GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba (Gun Runner) had his final major workout for the Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday, going six furlongs at Santa Anita this morning in 1:13 flat under Juan Ochoa in company with Messier (Empire Maker), who was also clocked in 1:13.

“He went well,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He's not a great work horse, so he went with Messier. I was happy with it. He'll ship tonight for Kentucky].”

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