The event will be called the California Crown and the premier race on the afternoon will be a revamped GI Awesome Again S. It was previously reported that the Awesome Again will be restricted to 3-year-olds, which will not be the case. It will remain a race for 3-year-olds and older.

1/ST Racing President Aidan Butler said that the company is looking to include the GII Eddie D. S., run at 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course, and the GII John Henry Turf Championship S., run at a mile-and-a-quarter on the turf, as part of the California Crown series. Other races traditionally run that weekend at Santa Anita include the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., the GII City of Hope Mile S., the GII Zenyatta S., the GIII Tokyo City Cup and the $100,000 Unzip Me S.

The key detail that has yet to be announced is what will the purses for the races be. When announcing Saturday on NBC the formation of the California Crown, 1/ST CEO Belinda Stronach said it would be the richest non-Breeders' Cup Day of racing in the history of Southern California racing. The purse of the 2023 Awesome Again was just $300,000, one tenth the amount given away in the Pegasus.

With so much uncertainty in California racing right now, including how simulcasting revenue in the state will be divided up once Golden Gate Fields closes in June, Butler said it's too early to announce purses.

“We still have a lot of work out there to figure out what the purses will be,” he said. “There are a lot of decisions that have to be made.  We are hoping we can get everything sorted out soon. But we don't want to jump the gun and announce purses when we don't know exactly what is going to happen with the CHRB, with the Northern circuit and with the Southern circuit. There are a lot of things we still have to work on.”

As is the case with the Pegasus, the California Crown will be about more than racing. 1/ST has turned Pegasus Day into a party that attracts a younger crowd and many people who are not regular racing fans.

“The intent is to create a great experience for anyone who is currently a racing fan and for potential new customers,” Butler said.  “There will be entertainment, things to elevate the customer experience. Los Angeles is such a huge market to draw from. People are used to a level of experience at sporting events with lots of entertainment and that's what we will try to replicate. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the Pegasus. It was a really cracking day and people had a lot of fun. We want to do the same at Santa Anita. The good thing about Santa Anita is that it is such a big venue you can create an even bigger day. At Gulfstream, we struggle with how many people we can get in the building. We won't have that issue at Santa Anita.”

The post New Details Emerge on California Crown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Sept. 23 GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, the Sept. 2 GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar and the Sept. 30 GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita are all on the table. While Geaux Rocket Ride would be facing just 3-year-olds at Parx, he would face older horses in both California options.

“I'll think about all of those races and about running against older horses,” Mandella said.

Mandella has ruled out another trip east for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. at Saratoga.

“I think it's too much to think about, taking him to Saratoga,” Mandella said. “He's young and he's not raced very much and we've pushed him along to get to this point. I don't like the idea of bringing him to Monmouth, bringing him back to California, and then coming back for the Travers. We pushed him to this point and we don't want to keep pushing. The Travers doesn't seem like the right thing to do.”

A debut winner at Santa Anita in January, Geaux Rocket Ride was second in the Mar. 4 GII San Felipe S., but was knocked off the Triple Crown trail when a fever caused him to miss the GI Santa Anita Derby. He returned with a win in the June 4 Affirmed S. and was earning his first graded score in the Haskell.

Asked if having the Breeders' Cup at his home track of Santa Anita would give Geaux Rocket Ride an advantage in November, Mandella said, “It does if you're fast enough. We think he's fast enough and so far he's passed every test. But that's another step up to get to the Classic and it's against older horses so we'll just have to wait and see if he leads us there.”

Geaux Rocket Ride and the Bob Baffert-trained Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), the third-place Haskell finisher, were scheduled to ship back to Southern California Tuesday.

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Grade I winner Defunded, who skipped a shot at the Breeders' Cup, kept it rolling with a popular score in the GIII Native Diver S. Sunday at Del Mar.

A second-out graduate last March at Santa Anita, the gelding was fourth in both the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and GIII Pat Day Mile S. before running second in the GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby. Scoring a pair of blowout allowance/optional claiming victories, he was a hard-fought runner-up in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. May 30, but finished off the board in the GII San Diego H. and GII Pat O'Brien S. here this summer.

Going wire to wire to capture the GI Awesome Again S. last out Oct. 1 in Arcadia, the chestnut was knocked down to odds-on in this spot and broke awkwardly. Soon rushing up to press the pace three wide, Defunded moved into second past a :23.62 quarter and drew alongside the longshot pacesetter through a sharp half in :46.41. Poking his head in front five-sixteenths out, the favorite kicked clear into the lane and bounded away to score as much the best, well ahead of stablemate Azul Coast.

“He came away from there a little bit slow, but I wasn't concerned. This horse doesn't need to be in front,” said winning rider Edwin Maldonado. “He's won from off the pace before. I rode him with confidence all the way. On the [far] turn he wanted to lean on the horse inside us, but I got him going straight and it all worked out from there.”

“Edwin said Defunded was kind of wanting to sit back and when that happens and they sit back when the gate opens, then you're going the wrong way,” added Jimmy Barnes, assistant to winning trainer Bob Baffert. “Luckily they were going slow enough he was able to recover and get back in a good position. He's always had talent. It's just that he's been a little aggressive in the paddock on us at times. But he went through the paddock good, he went to the gate good so maybe we've got him straightened out.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of 22 stakes winners, eight graded stakes winners and three Grade I winners for Darby Dan's Dialed In, Defunded is the third black-type performer out of her four-time stakes-placed dam, a daughter of a SW Wind Tunnel. That mare is a half to GSW Reunited (Dixie Union), who produced MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}). Bought by the winner's breeder for $37,000 at Keeneland November in 2016, Wind Caper has an unraced 3-year-old Maclean's Music filly, an unraced juvenile Lookin At Lucky filly named Capital Lights and a yearling full-sister to the winner named Ringy Dingy who sold to Oracle Bloodstock for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton October.

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Runner-up in both the GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby last term, the chestnut was transferred to Sean McCarthy for his first two tries of 2022–a dominant optional claiming tally going a local mile and a runner-up finish in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup over 10 panels May 30. He hadn't shown much in two recent tries back in the Baffert barn at Del Mar, however, as he finished seventh behind several of these in the July 30 GII San Diego H. and sixth cutting back for the Aug. 27 GII Pat O'Brien S.

With the absence of divisional dominator Flightline (Tapit) providing the others with a chance to make the lead and maybe even win, Defunded was given the most aggressive ride early under speed specialist Edwin Maldonado. He posted an opening quarter of :22.67 with headstrong Slow Down Andy in nearest pursuit, but was able to slow it down from there somewhat to post a half in :46.70 and six panels in 1:10.89. Slow Down Andy took a big run at the pacesetter and looked like a winner as they pointed for home, but Defunded punched back and kept on from there to win with room to spare. Country Grammer, the G1 Dubai World Cup winner who was 19 1/4 lengths behind Flightline when second best in the Sept. 3 GI TVG Pacific Classic S., grinded his way into second.

“It was a very nice trip,” said the winning pilot. “Bob told me I had a great shot in this race so put him on the lead. And when Bob says you have a shot, you have a shot. I just want to thank Bob and all the connections for the opportunity, I'm grateful to be here. At the point of my career right now, I was due for a big race. It came through. What better time than the second day in Santa Anita? A good time.”

Baffert said, “I'm proud. Defunded ran so well here before and when we got to Del Mar, he just had a meltdown in the paddock and didn't behave himself. Today he was perfect. They all loaded in the gate perfect, and I give Edwin a lot of the credit he is such a great speed rider. I told him I'd throw him a nice horse when we got up here and he rode a perfect race.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.38, ft.
1–DEFUNDED, 122, g, 4, by Dialed In
                1st Dam: Wind Caper (MSP, $194,286), by Touch Gold
                2nd Dam: Wind Tunnel, by Summer Squall
                3rd Dam: Tivli, by Mt. Livermore
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN,
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E.
Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Edwin A. Maldonado. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 12-4-3-1, $518,100. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Country Grammer, 124, h, 5, Tonalist–Arabian Song, by
Forestry. ($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR;
$110,000 4yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Commonwealth Thoroughbreds,
LLC, Winstar Farm LLC & Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Scott &
Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Slow Down Andy, 120, c, 3, Nyquist–Edwina E, by
Square Eddie. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC
(CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $36,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 4HF. Odds: 5.00, 1.10, 14.50.
Also Ran: Express Train, Tripoli, Royal Ship (Brz), High Connection, Azul Coast.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

With 22 black-type winners to his name, Dialed In has quietly amassed eight graded winners and ranks among the top 30 active North American sires of 2022. Winner of the 2011 GI Florida Derby himself, he's now sired the winners of the GI Arkansas Derby and the GI American Pharoah S., in addition to the Awesome Again, and has had runners place in the G1 Dubai World Cup, two Breeders' Cups, the G1 Travers S., and several more Grade I events while spending his tenure at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington.

Defunded also adds to Touch Gold's tally as a broodmare sire, giving that pensioner 68 stakes winners out of his daughters. Inbred 4×4 to 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) through her Classic-winning sons A.P. Indy on top and Summer Squall on bottom, Defunded has a yearling full-sister, as well as a 2-year-old half-sister named Capital Lights (Lookin At Lucky) that sold for $40,000 to  PT Syndicate #1 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Yearling sale. Defunded's third dam Tivli produced GSW Reunited (Dixie Union), best known as the dam of MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), a new stallion at Lane's End who is expecting his first foals in 2023.

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Tripoli disappointed finishing fourth of eight by 6 ¼ lengths behind runaway front-running five-length winner Medina Spirit in the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

“He had his first work Monday in preparation for the $6 million Breeders' Cup in 47 and four (47.40) and he's going to work five furlongs on Sunday,” the trainer said of Tripoli.

“He just didn't get the trip he needed (in the Awesome Again),” continued Sadler, who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2018 with Accelerate. “He got hung out wide all the way, so it's more about the trip for him, but he appears to have come out of it good, so it's on to the Breeders' Cup.

“The Classic is a great race, and it should be. That's the big race and you've got a top 3-year-old (Medina Spirit) and Knicks Go; it's a really good race.”

Medina Spirit worked five furlongs Friday morning in 59.60 seconds for Bob Baffert, who also breezed champion filly Gamine six furlongs in 1:12 flat.

Meanwhile, Sadler has multiple graded stakes winner Flagstaff set for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He just worked (four furlongs) this morning in 47 and three (:47.60),” Sadler said of the 7-year-old Speightstown gelding, a gem of consistency with a 7-6-4 record from 21 starts with earnings of $1,035,585.

The post Sadler: Tripoli Needs The Right ‘Trip’ For A Shot In Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Idol is coming off a 16-length defeat by front-running Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 3, a race in which he had a wide trip, while Ginobili drew away last out to win the G2 Pat O'Brien by nearly two lengths on Aug. 28.

Baltas is staunchly on record as saying Idol was in need of the Awesome Again Stakes, his first start in seven months, and that the 4-year-old Curlin colt is ideally suited for a mile and a quarter, the distance of both the Big 'Cap and the BC Classic.

“Idol came out of the race really good,” said Baltas, a 60-year-old native of Gary, Indiana. “I think the pace (in the Awesome Again) was kind of slow but he looks good, he's been galloping at Santa Anita and I'll probably breeze him before we ship to Del Mar.

“Ginobili is going in the Dirt Mile. He breezed (six furlongs) in 1:11 and three at San Luis Rey yesterday like nothing. We're pretty happy with him.”

The post Richard Baltas Not Sitting On ‘Idol’ Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stilleto Boy, at 50-1 the longest shot in the field of eight, finished second, followed by Express Train in third, Tripoli (5-2 second choice) in fourth and Tizamagician in fifth.

Medina Spirit and Stilleto Boy were the only two 3-year-olds in the race taking on older horses. Medina Spirit paid $4.60 for the win and combined with Stilleto Boy to pay $83.30 on a $1 exacta.

Medina Spirit covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.67 after recording sectional times of :23.39, :47.72, 1:11.76 and 1:37.05.

The Awesome Again is a Win and You're In Challenge Series race for the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be contested at Del Mar on Nov. 6. The winner gets an automatic fees-paid berth in the Classic, but Medina Spirit's participation is uncertain because trainer Bob Baffert's participation in the Breeders' Cup World Championship is being reviewed by the organization's board of directors in the wake of five medication violations over a one-year period, culminating with a failed drug test by Medina Spirit after his first-place finish in the G1 Kentucky Derby on May 1.

Medina Spirit's post-race sample from the Derby tested positive for betamethasone, a corticosteroid that Baffert claims was administered to the horse via an ointment used to treat a rash after the Protonico colt's second-place finish in the G1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3. While the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has yet to conduct a hearing on the matter, Churchill Downs officials have notified Baffert that he is suspended from participating at any of their tracks through the end of the 2023 spring meeting. The New York Racing Association also has scheduled a hearing in an attempt to deny Baffert's participation at its tracks.

Medina Spirit, bred in Florida by Gail Rice, sold for just $1,000 as a yearling at the OBS Winter Mixed Sale, then brought $35,000 at the OBS July 2-year-old sale. The Awesome Again was his fifth career victory from nine starts (though he may be disqualified from his Kentucky Derby win), including the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in January and the listed Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 29. He ran third behind Rombauer in the G1 Preakness.

The Awesome Again was inaugurated in 1982 as the Goodwood Handicap when the Oak Tree Racing Association conducted a fall meet at Santa Anita. It has been won by such older runners as Lord At War (twice), Ferdinand, Silver Charm, Plealsantly Perfect, Lava Man, Game On Dude (twice), Mucho Macho Man, California Chrome and Accelerate. Three-year-old winners include Shared Belief and Tiznow.

The post Velazquez Guides Medina Spirit To Front-Running Victory In Awesome Again appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Having given last Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby a miss, the blue-collar colt was rerouted to Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. and a first try against some accomplished older horses. With a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on the line, the Florida-bred once again displayed the tenacity and raw ability that carried him past the post first in the GI Kentucky Derby, leading every step of the way to cement his status as one of the top choices when they enter the gate around 5:40 Pacific time on the afternoon of Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

As low as 3-5 in the wagering, Medina Spirit eased out to be off at 13-10 and his already-strong chances were amplified when the speedy Tizamagician (Tiznow)–a latest second to Tripoli (Kitten's Joy) in the GI TVG Pacific Classic–failed to break alertly from the inside gate, allowing John Velazquez an uncontested time of things atop Medina Spirit after edging to the front with a circuit of the Santa Anita main track to traverse. He had to do some work through the opening couple of furlongs in :23.34, but Medina Spirit came back nicely to Velazquez and went the next internal quarter-mile in a more manageable :24.38, with Tizamagician having gained ground to be second.

He was able to get some more air into his lungs with the next two furlongs timed in :24.02 and Medina Spirit traveled ears-pricked into the final three-eighths of a mile. Tizamagician and Tripoli, who was three and four wide the trip, tried to make a race of it in upper stretch, but Medina Spirit had plenty left and kicked home a decisive winner. Iowa Derby winner Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), third to Medina Spirit last time in the Aug. 29 Shared Belief S., ran a blinder to be second at 54-1, two lengths better than Express Train (Union Rags) in third.

“I'm happy for Zedan and what we have had to deal with,” said trainer Bob Baffert, winning the Awesome Again/Goodwood for a record-extending seventh time. “We stayed focused on the horses. The fans came out to see this horse and they are rooting for him. I could tell by the crowd noise. They are all pulling for him.  It's an emotional win for us. Johnny V. can do whatever with the horse. He can wait, stalk, whatever. This horse keeps getting better and better.”

Medina Spirit was the refuse-to-lose winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30, an effort that was sandwiched between runner-up efforts to 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GIII Sham S. and GII San Felipe S. before disappointing fractionally when second to Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3. Those who kept the faith got odds of 12-1 for the GI Kentucky Derby, where his fighting qualities were on display yet again, clawing his way to a half-length defeat of 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Hot Rod Charlie), with future Pennsylvania Derby hero Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) third and champion 'Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) fourth. Allowed to participate conditionally in the May 15 GI Preakness S. in the immediate aftermath of the betamethasone positive that remains a cloud over the Derby five months later, Medina Spirit was no better than third behind Rombauer (Twirling Candy). After skipping the summer's major 3-year-old events, he was not among the original nominees to the Shared Belief, but was supplemented at entry time and reversed form with Rock Your World in that Aug. 29 event.

Pedigree Notes:

Medina Spirit is one of seven winners from two crops to race by the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico, a four-time graded winner and twice placed at Grade I level, each time behind the Baffert-trained Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday). He is the only foal to date for Mongolian Changa, who was covered this year by Giant's Causeway's son Not This Time. Medina Spirit's third dam Holy Niner was a half-sister to GISW High Yield (Storm Cat).

Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 10-2, 3yo/up,
1 1/8m, 1:49.67, ft.
1–MEDINA SPIRIT, 122, c, 3, by Protonico
                1st Dam: Mongolian Changa, by Brilliant Speed
                2nd Dam: Bridled, by Unbridled
                3rd Dam: Holy Niner, by Holy Bull
($1,000 Ylg '19 OBSWIN; $35,000 2yo '20 OBSOPN). O-Zedan
Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R.
Velazquez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-3-1, $2,525,200.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: B.
2–Stilleto Boy, 118, g, 3, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John Kerber & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $60,000.
3–Express Train, 124, c, 4, Union Rags–I'm a Flake, by
Mineshaft. ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC;
B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs. $36,000.\Margins: 5, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 54.80, 6.70.
Also Ran: Tripoli, Tizamagician, Idol, Azul Coast, Midcourt.
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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It was far from an auspicious debut, however, as Tripoli finished 12th and last at 13-1 in the 5 ½ furlong turf sprint. He did a complete turnaround in his next race, winning by a nose over the same venue at odds of 46-1.

Tripoli captured one more turf victory in nine subsequent grass starts, this one going a mile at Santa Anita on May 1. After that, trainer John Sadler and owners Hronis Racing LLC sought greener pastures in the form of three straight runs on the main track, capping them with a victory in the Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic at a mile and a quarter on Aug. 21.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, so next up is Saturday's Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Santa Anita's main track, one of five graded events that day, three of them Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races giving the winner a fees-paid berth to their respective Breeders' Cup races on Nov. 5 and 6 at Del Mar.

“Tripoli won a nice race (on dirt) at Santa Anita in the spring,” Sadler said, referring to an overnight route on June 19. “We took him to Del Mar and he continued his improvement with a second (by a half-length) in the Grade II San Diego Handicap (July 17).

“Then he came back and won the Pacific Classic. He's a horse that just loves the dirt right now. He's honest and consistently runs well. He was unlucky a few times on the turf but he should run well on Saturday.

“It looks like a good spot.”

A son of the Irish-bred stallion El Prado, Kitten's Joy stands for $60,000 at Hill 'n' Dale farms in Paris, Ky.

Sadler reports that Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, who was nominated to the Awesome Again, will instead be pointed to the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf closing day, Oct. 31.

The Awesome Again, race 10 of 11 with an early 12:30 p.m. first post time: Tizamagician, Flavien Prat, 4-1; Midcourt, Edwin Maldonado, 12-1; Express Train, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; Stilleto Boy, Kent Desormeaux, 20-1; Medina Spirit, John Velazquez, 5-2; Azul Coast, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Tripoli, Tiago Pereira, 3-1; and Idol, Joe Bravo, 5-1.

The post ‘Honest’ Tripoli Has Found A New Home On The Main Track appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Two of WinStar Farm’s new recruits for 2021, Improbable (City Zip) and Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), showed brilliance early on in their careers as flashy debut winners before each went on to become stakes winners at three and four.

We spoke with WinStar’s David Hanley on the pair of Grade I-winning additions.

Improbable (City Zip), $40,000

“The thing that was so impressive about this horse was his soundness,” Hanley said of four-time Grade I winner and Eclipse candidate Improbable. “From when he went to Bob Baffert as a 2-year-old, he never missed a day, never had an issue. He was so consistent. Every week you asked how he worked and Bob’s response was, ‘awesome.'”

In his 15 career starts over three years, Improbable ran in the money in all but four.

“I think that soundness is really important for his future as a sire because in the world we live in today, soundness is such a factor,” Hanley said. “This horse with his mechanics, the way he moved and how sound he was, if he passes that on to his progeny, it gives him a great shot to have a lot of runners.”

A $200,000 Keeneland September purchase, Improbable was a debut winner for the same owner-trainer connections that campaigned another speedy chestnut in Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy). He followed up with a 7 1/4-length victory in the Street Sense S. on the 2018 Breeders’ Cup undercard while earning a ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod.

He wrapped up his 2-year-old season with a win in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity, defeating eventual Grade I-winning stablemate Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) by five lengths.

“He ran that race in the fastest time of the previous 10 years,” Hanley noted. “He really was a top-class 2-year-old and always showed that. From when we broke him in the spring, he just had it together.”

From there, Improbable ran second in the GII Rebel S. and again in the GI Arkansas Derby behind Omaha Beach (War Front).

He finished fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby, and although he registered a victory in the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar’s summer meet, the chestnut couldn’t land a graded stakes win in the later half of his 3-year-old year.

“I think after going through the Derby, he got a little bit frazzled and kind of lost his way a bit through the rest of his 3-year-old season,” Hanley admitted. “He got very fired up in the gate and was running his races very hard on the bridle and not settling. But then as a 4-year-old when he got back to Bob in the spring, suddenly he was working a bit more relaxed. He was working unbelievably and showed it on the racetrack when he won three straight Grade I races with 105, 106 and 108 Beyers.”

Hanley notes Improbable’s 4 1/2-length win over barnmate and champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the GI Awesome Again S. as his strongest race of the Grade I trio.

“When Drayden Van Dyke took hold of him and he got on the bridle and let him run, he just exploded. I think that was a really super impressive performance.”

Equally as memorable was his two-length victory in last summer’s GI Whitney S.

“He was always in control of that race,” Hanley said. “He traveled easily just off the pace and when Irad [Ortiz] took the lead, he just drove off from there.”

While Improbable ran second behind Authentic (Into Mischief) in his final career start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, he earned a 108 Beyer and a 2 Ragozin, the fastest of the race, while traveling over six lengths farther than the winner.

Improbable retired with earnings of over $2.7 million as the leading earner for his sire City Zip, who passed away when Improbable was a yearling.

“City Zip was a wonderful sire,” Hanley said. “He sired 72 stakes winners, six champions, and was a wonderful racehorse himself. So I think that’s a sire line that’s going to produce some good stallions.”

Improbable is a son of the winning A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, whose stakes-winning dam Our Rite of Spring (Stavinsky) is a half-sister to Grade I winner and sire Hard Spun (Danzig).

“City Zip was by Carson City, who was out of a Blushing Groom mare. Interestingly, Our Rite of Spring is by Stravinsky, who is also out of a Blushing Groom mare. So I think that’s huge sire-making pedigree potential,” Hanley said.

With other top sires in Awesome Again, Giant’s Causeway and Candy Ride (Arg) hailing from the Blushing Groom line on their damside, Hanley said he believes with Blushing Groom on both Improbable’s top and bottom side, his pedigree shows a unqiue potential.

“He’s also out of a really deep Darby Dan family,” he added. “He comes from one of their great foundation mares Banquet Bell, who herself was the dam of a Kentucky Derby and Belmont S. winner and a champion.”

Already booked to 160 mares for this season, Improbable has been popular with the breeders.

“He is what I would consider a medium-sized horse,” Hanley said. “He’s tremendously well made. He’s got great length from his hip to his hock and great leverage behind. He really hits the ground, as Drayden Van Dyke said, ‘like a cloud.'”

From the beginning, Hanley says, Improbable’s most noticeable quality was his exceptional movement–an asset that has proven to be useful in attracting a strong book of mares for his initial season at stud.

“From the first few times we worked him on the farm as a

2-year-old, he would breeze a quarter and then just gallop around the track like there was no end to him,” Hanley said. “He had great motion and everything came easy to him. As Bob Baffert said, he’s one of the prettiest-moving horses you could ever see and I think that’s something that’s going to stand him in good stead if he can produce that in his foals.”

Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), $10,000

“I think his trademark was how genuine he was,” Hanley said of five-time graded stakes winner Promises Fulfilled. “He would go as fast as he could and when the other horses would come to him, he would bear down and give everything he had. He would drop down and stick his head out and give his all every time.”

Recruited and trained by Dale Romans for Robert Baron, Promises Fulfilled was a four-length debut winner at two before taking an allowance at Keeneland and running third in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. to wrap up his juvenile season.

He continued on the Derby trail at three with a victory in the GII Fountain of Youth S., breaking first and never giving up the lead to defeat Strike Power (Speightstown) and champion Good Magic (Curlin) by 2 1/4 lengths.

The speedy chestnut broke on top in his next two starts, clocking a :45.77 half mile going head-to-head with Justify (Scat Daddy) in the GI Kentucky Derby, but failed to stay on to finish in the money.

He realized his full potential after turning back in distance in the later half of his 3-year-old season with consecutive wins in the GIII Amsterdam S., GI H. Allen Jerkens S. and GII Phoenix S.

“It was quite an amazing performance to go through what he did in the spring trying to stretch out and then come back and be as competitive as he was,” Hanley said. “That was the period of time when we started to think he was a really serious horse.”

A win the following summer in the GII John Nerud S. with a career-high 108 Beyer sealed the deal, and WinStar bought in on the millionaire earner soon after.

“He was very fast out of the gates, always on pace and really let himself down in his races to finish up strong,” Hanley said. “He ran six sub-:44.4 times in graded races.”

After a layoff following his 4-year-old season, an issue days before his next start kept Promises Fulfilled from racing on at five in 2020.

“It was kind of unfortunate because he was a year from running when he went to stud, so people are quick to forget just how good of a 3-year-old he was,” Hanley said. “But we’re really excited about him because we think he was a horse with a lot of speed and ability.”

Promises Fulfilled retired with earnings of nearly $1.5 million and ran in the money in 10 of his 17 career starts.

“One thing that I think marks this horse’s character is that fact that he was able to go through the Kentucky Derby preps, run in the Kentucky Derby and then come back and win a Grade I going seven furlongs. It speaks to the character and quality of horse that he was.”

Hanley noted that breeders have been surprised that the sprinter’s physical reflects more of a two-turn type mold.

“He’s quite a big horse, with a lot of leg under him and a lot of stretch to him,” he said. “So it’s interesting that he was as fast as he was. We’re really excited to see what kind of foals he’ll produce because with his pedigree, speed and physique, he’s capable of getting two-turn horses that have some speed.”

The son of Shackleford is out of the Marquetry mare Marquee Delivery, who herself is Grade III placed but is also the dam of three additional black-type horses. Promises Fulfilled’s half-sister Marquee Miss (Cowboy Cal) was a five-time stakes winner.

“Shackleford was by Forestry (Storm Cat), so it’s a speed sire line,” Hanley said. “Shackleford himself was out of the mare Oatsee, who is by Unbridled. So you can see where Shackleford got his leg and size, and where Promises Fulfilled got it as well.”

He continued, “I think he’ll put a bit of size and stretch into his mares. He could fit anything. He was such a fast horse, and he did win going a mile and a sixteenth and looks like a two-turn horse, so anything is possible.”

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