Saturday Insights: Half-Brother to Classic Winner Gets Started

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, post time: 3:50 p.m. ET
Joseph Murphy's WOLFE COUNTY (Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest foal to the races for the stakes-placed Dawn Raid (Vindication) making him a half-brother to 2016 GI Preakness S. and GI Haskell Invitational S. hero and WinStar sire Exaggerator  (Curlin). Dawn Raid is herself a half-sister to MGSW and Sovereign Award winner Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song). He squares off with fellow debutant Monologue (Runhappy), a half-brother to SW & GISP Endless Chatter (First Samurai) and to SW & G1SP Whitecliffsofdover (War Front). The colt's dam Orate (A.P. Indy) is a full-sister to the late MGSW/GISP Pulpit, while the deeper female family includes champion Minardi (Boundary) and his half-brother Tale of the Cat (Storm Cat). TJCIS PPs

RanJan-Bred Firster Goes Out For Walsh Barn…
6th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:18 p.m. ET
MEAN JAKEY (Violence) cost owner Mike McCarty $340,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, making him the third-priciest of his successful sire's 66 yearlings (88 ring) reported as sold last year. Bred by Jan Vandebos's RanJan Racing Inc. and trained by Steve Asmussen, the February foal is a half-brother to La La Chrysaor (Speightstown), who has two victories and five minor placings from nine starts to date on the competitive Japan Racing Association circuit. TJCIS PPs

'Rising Star' Returns to Action…
11th-CD, $127K, Allowance, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 5:58 p.m. ET
CARILLO (Union Rags) overcame a rough start and a wide passage on the turn going Aqueduct's one-turn mile Jan. 8 and ran on strongly to become a 'TDN Rising Star' just days before being offered as part of the Paul Pompa Jr. dispersal at Keeneland January. Purchased by Lauren Carlisle on behalf of Greg Tramontin, Joel Politi and Brittlyn Farm for $875,000, Carillo was a distant 10th when last seen in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 13. The colt's dam Proper Mad (Bernardini), whose half-sister Private Mission (Into Mischief) won this year's GIII Torrey Pines S., was hammered down for $260,000 at the January sale, while her full-sister Gift List is responsible for GISW Dunbar Road (Quality Road). TJCIS PPs

Brant Debuter Looks To Keep Sire Perfect in U.S….
6th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7fT, post time: 3:36 p.m. ET
Bidding on behalf of owner Peter Brant, bloodstock agent Demi O'Byrne went to 300,000gns ($411,561) for LONGRIDGE FELL (IRE) (Ribchester {Ire}) at last year's Tattersalls October Sale. The May foal is a half-sister to the current stakes winner Parchemin (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and is out of a half-sister to SW & MGSP Pelerin (Ire) (Shamardal) and SP Masarah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Ribchester's lone U.S. starter to date, Stonestreet's 350,000gns TATOCT purchase Ruthin (Ire), became a 'TDN Rising Star' on Keeneland debut last April. Among the competition is the debuting Magic Light (Curlin), a homebred half-sister to the late 'Rising Star' Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) and to MSW/MGSP Moretti (Medaglia d'Oro). TJCIS PPs

Pricey Into Mischief Colt Debuts at Gulfstream…
7th-GP, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 3:58 p.m. ET
SO DETERMINED (Into Mischief) fetched $875,000 from bloodstock agent Jacob West, bidding for Repole Stable and St Elias Stable, at KEESEP last fall, the joint fourth-highest price among 80 (110 ring) of this phenomenal sire's offspring to sell last year. The Florida-bred is out of the unraced Mimi's Tiz (Tiznow), who was purchased by Loren Nichols for $47,000 in foal to Will Take Charge at KEENOV in 2017. Mimi's Tiz is a daughter of Mimi's Bling (Bernstein), also the dam of SW Summer House (Tiznow). TJCIS PPs

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My Sister Nat To Defend Her Title In Sunday’s Fasig-Tipton Waya

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out defending champ My Sister Nat along with Orglandes in Sunday's Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya, an 11-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares, at Belmont Park.

The Fasig-Tipton Waya, slated as Race 8, is part of a lucrative 10-race card that includes the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette [Race 9], a one-turn mile for 2-year-old fillies offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim [Race 4], a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juveniles. First post on Sunday is 1 p.m. Eastern.

Brown will seek his fifth career Waya win and third straight following scores with Goldy Espony [2015], Guapaza [2016], Fools Gold [2019] and My Sister Nat, who captured the 2020 renewal traveling 12-furlongs on the inner turf last August at Saratoga to secure her first win in North America.

A Group 3 winner at Longchamp in her native France, the Peter Brant-owned 6-year-old Acclamation bay joined Brown in 2019 and made her first three starts against optional claiming company before finishing a late-closing second beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Long Island at Aqueduct.

Following her Waya score, My Sister Nat closed to finish second last year in both the Grade 2 Glens Falls at the Spa and the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont, finishing a head short of Civil Union.

My Sister Nat enters from a closing third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on September 4 at Saratoga where she encountered traffic trouble behind stablemate American Bridge while rallying from last-of-6 to finish 2 1/4-lengths back of War Like Goddess.

Brown said the talented bay, who has hit the board in 3-of-4 starts this year, is training well towards her title defense.

“I certainly love the way she's training and I don't think she got a good trip last time. I felt this filly could have been a lot closer at the finish,” Brown said. “She kind of ran into the other horse we ran [American Bridge], who was sort of in her way when she wanted to make her move on the inside and it really cost her a couple lengths of momentum. At least she could have been closer and made it a little bit more of a race at the end.”

Although My Sister Nat has yet to win on the Belmont turf [6-0-2-3], Brown said he expects a good showing.

“She really runs good here. She's had a couple unlucky trips,” Brown said. “She got beat a head in the Flower Bowl, arguably one of her best races. I love her on Belmont's course.”

Brown said a good effort Sunday could propel My Sister Nat to a start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

“If she can go over there and really put in a strong performance and her number comes back legitimate and it looks like she has a shot in there, I'd love to make her final start in the Breeders' Cup, if we can,” Brown said.

Bred in France by Ecurie de Monceaux, My Sister Nat is out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, who produced 2018 Champion Turf Mare Sistercharlie as well as 2019 Group 1 French Derby winner Sottsass.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Orglandes, a 5-year-old Le Havre bay, will make her third start of the campaign following sixth-place finishes in both the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay in May at Belmont and the Grade 2 Glens Falls in August at the Spa.

Last year, the French-bred mare won 2-of-3 starts, including a score in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap in November at Del Mar.

Brown said Orglandes has demonstrated a return to form recently in her morning training.

“Orglandes is a horse that really didn't come back into form this year. I've been disappointed with her,” Brown said. “She's come back this last month and is rounding back into form in her works after I thought maybe we had lost the year with her. I gave her a little breather and I really like the way she's turned it around in her works.”

Brown said a good effort Sunday could see Orglandes target the Grade 3, $400,000 Long Island, a 12-furlong turf test on November 27 at the Big A.

“She got to contend with a layoff now and going that far, but I'm just looking for a positive effort with her, something I can use to the end of the year to get me into the Long Island,” Brown said.

Jose Ortiz will pilot My Sister Nat from the outermost post 7, while Orglandes will emerge from post 4 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Christophe Clement will saddle a pair of formidable contenders in R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love and Moyglare Stud Farm's Beautiful Lover.

Call Me Love, a 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Sea the Stars, won the Group 3 Premio Verziere Memorial Aldo Cirla at San Siro and the Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio at Capannelle in 2019 in Italy.

Transferred to Clement for her 4-year-old season, Call Me Love hit the board in both the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont and the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga last year, before securing her first North American stakes triumph in the 12-furlong River Memories on July 11 at Belmont.

Call Me Love enters from a distant seventh in the Grade 3 Glens Falls.

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Beautiful Lover, a 5-year-old Arch bay, captured the 2019 Boiling Springs at 1 1/16-miles on the Monmouth turf in the care for former conditioner Chad Brown. Transferred to Clement for her current campaign, the multiple graded-stakes placed dark bay finished fifth in the Distaff Turf in March at Tampa Bay Downs ahead of a neck win last out over next-out winner Miss Teheran in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event June 27 on the Belmont turf.

Out of the Quiet American mare American Skipper, Beautiful Lover is a half-sister to New York-bred graded-stakes winning millionaire Zivo.

Manny Franco will pilot Call Me Love from post 5, while Joel Rosario will guide Beautiful Lover from post 6.

Repole Stable homebred Always Shopping, a 5-year-old Awesome Again mare trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, is a graded-stakes winner on dirt and turf.

The versatile bay captured the nine-furlong Grade 2 Gazelle in 2019 on the Big A main track and added a victory in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Orchid in March on the Gulfstream Park turf.

Always Shopping will stretch out from a two-month layoff out of a fifth-place finish in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 17 at Monmouth Park.

“We shortened her up in distance where she's not at her best and we're bringing her back at a mile and three eighths. Hopefully, she can regain her best form,” Pletcher said.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. has the call from post 2.

Rounding out the field are Lovely Lucky [post 1, Dylan Davis] and Sister Otoole [post 3, Luis Saez].

The Waya is named in honor of Peter Brant and George Strawbridge Jr.'s champion turf mare, who was a four-time Grade 1 winner in the United States. Waya was a multiple stakes winner in her native France before moving to the United States, where she won six of her nine starts, including against males in the Grade 1 Man o' War in 1978, and was named Champion Older Mare the following year.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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High-Class Annapolis Steps Into Stakes Company In Pilgrim

After passing his maiden test with aplomb, regally-bred Annapolis will take on his first stakes endeavor for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in Saturday's 43rd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf at Belmont Park.

The Pilgrim, which is named after Joseph Widener's winner of the 1919 Remsen, has seen three of its last five winners go on to capture the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, including Oscar Performance [2016], Structor [2019] and Fire At Will [2020].

Owned and bred by Bass Stables, Annapolis was a stylish winner on debut going 1 1/16 miles over the Saratoga inner turf on September 4. The bay son of prolific sire War Front, and first offspring out of graded stakes winner My Miss Sophia, was eighth down the backstretch and inched his way into contention approaching the far turn, drawing away in deep stretch to a 4 ½-length win. The first-out victory registered a 76 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He trained like he was going to run well in his debut, but it's hard sometimes to win going a mile and a sixteenth first out,” Pletcher said. “He did everything right, settled in well, put in a good run and kicked on. He moved up on a nice field of horses and I couldn't have asked for more on debut.”

Pletcher trained My Miss Sophia during her sophomore campaign, winning the Grade 2 Gazelle by open lengths before running second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Oaks in 2014. After being purchased for $2.15 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, My Miss Sophia was transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for a 4-year-old campaign, where she was twice graded stakes placed on grass.

“We never ran her on the turf, but she was a filly that always trained exceptionally well before her debut and seemed to get better and better,” Pletcher recalled. “She ran a great race in the Kentucky Oaks. She was a good mare and it appears that she's gone on to be a good producer.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will return to the irons from post 3.

Pletcher also entered Repole Stable's Midnight Worker, who makes his turf debut following a stakes-placing.

The son of Outwork, a second-crop sire, was a narrow but game winner on debut in July going six furlongs at Saratoga. He stretched out to two turns for his following effort, garnering black type with a third-place finish in the one-mile Sapling on September 5 at Monmouth Park.

Midnight Worker has acclimated to the Belmont turf with a pair of breezes, including a half-mile on Sunday in 48.44 seconds – the fourth fastest of 20 recorded works at the distance.

Luis Saez will ride from post 2.

Chad Brown will seek his fourth Pilgrim triumph when saddling Portfolio Company, who seeks to build on a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 With Anticipation last out at Saratoga.

Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables', Portfolio Company was a debut winner on July 17 over a good inner turf at Saratoga en route to the With Anticipation, where he garnered a field best 82 Beyer. Breaking from post 4 under Ortiz, Jr., Portfolio Company was rank heading into the first turn and was placed along the rail down the backstretch before being turned back when confronting pacesetter Coinage.

Brown said the Kitten's Joy colt has been training with a new bit in advance of the Grade 2 Pilgrim.

“We've been working with the horse,” Brown said. “After that debut, he got a little keen with us and Irad had some trouble with him in that race, especially after he didn't break that well and he was trying to catch up. It just was a big mess. We're doing our best to get him to settle and changed some equipment on him. The horse seems to be doing pretty well.”

Joel Rosario will pick up the mount aboard Portfolio Company from post 1.

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Limited Liability, third in the With Anticipation, will attempt to give owner Stuart Janney III and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey their second collaborative Pilgrim victory after teaming up with Air Support in 2010.

The son of Kitten's Joy was a late rallying 2 ¾-length winner of his July 31 debut over the Mellon turf at Saratoga, before coming off a slow pace and finishing a closing third in the With Anticipation.

Limited Liability added blinkers for a half-mile work in 50.24 over the Belmont inner turf Sunday and will wear them for Sunday's race.

“He wasn't keen with them. I'm just hoping he'll engage a little earlier depending on the pace,” McGaughey said. “Last time, they went three quarters in 15 and we were four lengths off the pace, it's hard to catch up.”

Limited Liability is out of the Blame mare Hold Harmless, whose prolific third dam Meghan's Joy produced Grade 1-winning turf millionaire Ironicus, graded stakes-winning turf millionaire On Leave, dual graded turf stakes winner Quiet Harbor, and Norumbega, a graded stakes winner on dirt.

Jose Ortiz will ride from post 4.

Completing the field are Doctor Jeff [post 5, Jose Lezcano], who makes his turf debut for trainer Rudy Rodriguez; and maiden City At Night [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche], who will attempt to give his jockey, owner Three Diamonds Farm and trainer Mike Maker their collaborative second straight Pilgrim triumph following Fire At Will.

The Pilgrim is slated as Race 4 on Sunday's 10-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

Sunday's program also includes the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a one-mile “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies; and the Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares travelling 1 3/8 miles over the turf.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Top Indiana-Bred Piedi Bianchi To Face Males In Belmont Turf Sprint

Jay Oringer, Jack Bick, Al Bianchi Racing, Adam Bayroff and Mike Maturo's multiple graded-stakes placed Piedi Bianchi will look to continue her recent good run of grass form when facing males for the first time in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at six furlongs on the inner turf for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

A pair of Grade 1, $500,000 stakes highlight Saturday's card at Belmont with the Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles on Big Sandy; and the Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race, affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational along with the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juvenile fillies.

Trained by Carlos Martin, Piedi Bianchi was named the 2020 Indiana Horse of the Year for a campaign that included a runner-up effort in the Merrillville and a second career score in the Frances Slocum at Indiana Grand. The versatile mare also posted a win in the six-furlong Correction last March on the Big A main track.

The now 6-year-old Indiana-bred daughter of Overanalyze, who is multiple Grade 1-placed on dirt, has re-focused on turf racing in her current campaign, posting a game second to Change of Control in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Intercontinental in June at Belmont.

The talented grey, a four-time winner on the main track, finished second in the off-the-turf Perfect Sting at one-mile on a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track in July ahead of a 2 1/2-length score over multiple stakes winner Lead Guitar and graded-stakes placed Robin Sparkles last out in the 5 1/2-furlong Smart N Fancy over yielding turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Martin credited Oringer with the change of direction for Piedi Bianchi.

“She's really stepped up her game and Jay had emphasized to me her numbers on the turf and the way she gets into a race, it seems like she does it so easily,” Martin said. “She's so tactical. She doesn't have to be too far away. She breaks out of there and gets a good spot and places herself accordingly. She has a good kick, which you need in these turf sprints. She really finishes off her races.”

Piedi Bianchi was sent to post as the third choice in a compact field of four in the Smart N Fancy, tracking the early speed of Robin Sparkles from second position before taking control inside the eighth-pole en route to a 2 1/4-length score.

“She did it quite convincingly. We had got some rain on the turf course and it seems like she handles any type of turf, so it's a big advantage to have,” Martin said. “She's one of those Rodney Dangerfield types. I think she just doesn't get the respect she's due. But she showed it on the racetrack and won easy. She beat a nice field of mares and did it on the biggest stage at Saratoga on Alabama Day. I was very proud of her.”

Martin said Piedi Bianchi will be cross-entered in the $150,000 Cardinal, a 1 1/16-mile main track event for Indiana-bred fillies and mares slated for October 6 at Indiana Grand. The connections will examine both options before making a final decision where to run.

“She's doing great. She's come out of her last race really well,” Martin said. “Jay has been great helping me manage the filly and she's ready to go either way.

“She's really been flourishing on the turf,” Martin added. “I think she deserves a chance to run against the best, so if she stays here I'm fine with that.”

Charles Roberts is named to ride from the inside post.

Lael Stables' Arrest Me Red won the 5 1/2-furlong Mahony last out by a neck over firm Saratoga turf while making her debut for trainer Wesley Ward. The 3-year-old Pioneerof the Nile bay won the six-furlong Atlantic Beach in November on the Big A turf for former conditioner Arnaud Delacour.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Arrest Me Red from post 3.

Christophe Clement saddled the winner of three of the previous five runnings of the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational, scoring with Pure Sensation [2016] and Disco Partner [2017-18].

He will be represented Saturday by Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist, a stakes winner at state-bred and open company, who was scratched out of Friday's off-the-turf Ashley T. Cole.

The 6-year-old Freud chestnut, bred in the Empire State by Oak Bluff Stable and Clement, will be in search of his first win since the Artie Schiller in November 2020 at Aqueduct. The ultra-consistent gelding, who boasts a record of 26-9-3-6, has won at least one stakes race every year since his 2-year-old season in 2017.

Therapist enters from a game runner-up effort in the restricted West Point, rallying to finish a nose back of stablemate City Man in the 1 1/16-mile turf test on August 27 at Saratoga.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call from post 5.

Gatsas Stables' Backtohisroots stumbled at the start of last year's Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational, unseating Jose Lezcano. The 5-year-old Mark Valeski gelding returned to action off nearly a one-year layoff last out with a runner-up effort to returning rival Pulsate in the 5 1/2-furlong Lucky Coin on September 3 at the Spa.

Luis Saez retains the mount from post 2.

Rounding out the field are Lucky Coin-winner Pulsate [post 7, Manny Franco]; 2019 Awad victor Buy Land and See [post 4, Jose Ortiz]; Guildsman [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], winner of last year's Grade 3 Franklin Simpson at Kentucky Downs; Grade 1 Jaipur runner-up Chewing Gum [post 9, Eric Cancel], and Belgrano [post 8, Junior Alvarado], last-out winner of the Rainbow Heir at Monmouth.

The Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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