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Sparkle Blue Claims First Graded-Stakes Victory in Keeneland’s Valley View

Sparkle Blue proved she was aptly named when she kicked home from the nine post to brilliantly take the GIII Rubicon Valley View S. in her first career graded victory ahead of a blanket charge for the minors.

After capping her 2021 season a distant 10th in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Nov. 27 at Del Mar, her connections gave her some time away and brought their filly back July 2 in Delaware's Christiana S. sporting first-time blinkers. Gamely overcoming contact in the stretch, she held on to win by a half-length at 15-1 over a field which included dominating next-out winner Gizala (Ire) (Invincible Spirit). Resurfacing last out Sept. 6 in Colonial's Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks with first-time Lasix, she again fought through contact in the stretch to pick up second over familiar face Lady Puchi (Into Mischief) and SP Omixochitl (More Than Ready) at 30-1 odds.

Tracking from third on the fence after the jump here without the diuretic, Sparkle Blue pursued a clearing leader into the upper stretch after :23.02 and :47.77 splits to launch her winning bid outside of that rival at the furlong marker. Sustaining her kick and inching clear to a 2 1/2-length margin, she was comfortably clear of a hard-charging California Angel and Turnerloose, who chased her in to close out the trifecta.

“[Trainer] Graham [Motion] told me to let her be happy, let her be comfortable. She showed a little bit of speed going into the first turn and she was really happy there. She did great and we had a good trip,” said Joel Rosario after the race. “It looked like to the inside there the horse in front was coming in a little bit. I was trying to work it out to get her clear outside, and she did, and after that she just went on. It was perfect.”

Pedigree Note:

Sparkle Blue hails from the sought-after line of Silk n' Sapphire, making her a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf heroine Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), who would later accomplish the rare feat of producing a Breeders' Cup winner herself when daughter Sharing (Speightstown) planted her flag in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2020. She would later travel to Royal Ascot in the second start of her 3-year-old season, and finish a game second in the G1 Coronation S.

In addition to the mother-daughter pair, Sparkle Blue also claims GSW & MGSP Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap). The mare has had a bit more hard luck than their famous shared sister with only two of her first four foals being registered. Of those two, the winning Demimondaine (Tapit) sold for $900,000 at KEENOV in 2020 to Claiborne Farm. Her yearling colt by Speightstown brought $450,000 last month at KEESEP from White Birch Farm and Whitehorse Stables.

Half-sister Secret Jewel (Bernardini)–a $1.2 million KEESEP purchase by Besilu Stables–also flies the female line's flag as the dam of GIII Beaumont S. winner Twenty Carat (Into Mischief) and her four-time winning, older full-sibling Mystic Night. Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore), his dam's lone graded stakes-placed male, found the enclosure on four occasions and ran second in the GIII Risen Star S. Sparkle Blue is the last registered foal for Silk n' Sapphire.

Friday, Keeneland
RUBICON VALLEY VIEW S.-GIII, $298,594, Keeneland, 10-28, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.42, gd.
1–SPARKLE BLUE, 118, f, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Silk n' Sapphire, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Tiy, by Nalees Man
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Catherine Parke and Augustin Stable; B-Catherine Parke (KY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Joel Rosario. $174,375. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $357,075. *1/2 to Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore), GSP, $153,388; 1/2 to Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), GISW, $1,649,427; 1/2 to Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap), GSW-Can, SW & MGSP-USA, $312,463. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–California Angel, 118, f, 3, California Chrome–Sea Mona, by Tiz Wonderful. ($5,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $5,500 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Chris Walsh; B-Irish National Stud (KY); T-George Leonard, III. $56,250.
3–Turnerloose, 118, f, 3, Nyquist–Goaltending, by A.P. Indy. ($32,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ike and Dawn Thrash; B-William Humphries & Altair Farms LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $28,125.
Margins: 2HF, NK, HD. Odds: 4.51, 3.39, 6.64.
Also Ran: Bubble Rock, Majestic Glory (GB), Lady Puchi, Bicameral, My Philly Twirl, Sunroof, Heavenly Hellos. Scratched: Diamond Wow, Dolce Zel (Fr), Frippet, Oakhurst.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Freshman Sire Combatant Dies from Colic in Chile

First year stallion and 2020 G1 Santa Anita H. winner Combatant (Scat Daddy-Border Dispute, by Boundary) has died suddenly from colic in Chile. He had just begun Southern Hemisphere stud duties at Haras Porta Pia. Combatant stood his first year at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, NY.

Earner of over a million in his racing career, one which saw him annex the Big Cap and pick up minor honors in six other graded contests, Combatant was a $320,000 yearling purchase by Winchell Thoroughbreds at KEESEP in 2016. He placed in the GIII Southwest S. and GII Rebel S. before running fourth in the GI Arkansas Derby and 18th in that year's GI Kentucky Derby. He would go on to a third place effort in the GII Mathis Brothers Mile S. at Santa Anita before dropping back into allowance ranks and eventually selling after his final victory in November in the Asmussen barn.

Exchanging hands for $220,000 at KEENOV in 2019, going the way of David Ingordo as agent for Hronis Racing, he won the GI Santa Anita H. in just his second start for John Sadler, holding on gamely to turn away a late challenger. It would prove to be the last victory of his career before the stallion was retired to stud after six successive losses.

A Scat Daddy half to producer, GSW Long Lashes (Rock Hard Ten); GSP producer Mythical Border (Johannesburg); and stakes-placed Bordini (Bernardini), he was the most accomplished runner for his dam. He hailed from the extended female family of MGSW Conserve (Boundary), two-time Canadian Horse of the Year L'Enjoleur (Buckpasser), three-time Canadian champion racemare La Voyageuse (Tentam), MGSW Time Bandit (Time for a Change), and French Hwt. 2-year-old colt Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) (Danehill).

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Mendelssohn’s Classical Cat Springs The Upset At Del Mar

5th-Del Mar, $81,500, Msw, 8-20, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.95, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.
CLASSICAL CAT (c, 2, Mendelssohn–Conquest Strate Up {SW, $192,984}, by Not Bourbon), away as the second choice at odds of 5-1 for his career bow, broke a bit to his right from the widest post before settling in to stalk the pace while racing five wide up the backstretch. Tucked in to save ground along the rail as they raced around the turn, he inched up on the dueling leaders and was tipped out three deep to launch his challenge passing the quarter pole. He gained an advantage in upper stretch, darted clear into the final eighth and was kept under a drive to the line to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Hejazi (Bernardini), the $3.55 million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic topper, was off a half-step slowly, led briefly and was eased back to race behind the leaders to the turn. Eased out in upper stretch, the New York-bred chased gamely but was forced to settle for second as the 2-5 favorite. Classical Cat, the ninth winner for his freshman sire (by Scat Daddy), hails from the extended female family of dual horse of the year and leading sire Curlin (Smart Strike). His dam is also responsible for the 3-year-old filly Freedom Isnt Free (Practical Joke) a yearling filly by Hard Spun and a weanling colt by Tiz the Law. She was bred back to Tiz the Law for the 2023 season. Classical Cat's owner Michael House is also a partner on Saturday's GI Alabama S. romper Nest (Curlin). Sales History: $65,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Michael House; B-Pippa's Hurricane LLC (KY); T-Philip D'Amato.

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Nyquist Firster Strolls Home to Big Margin at Ellis Park

6th-Ellis, $60,000, Msw, 8-12, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.30, ft, 7 3/4 lengths.
STUD LOVIN (c, 2, Nyquist–Livin Lovin {GSW-USA, GSP-Can, $162,153}, by Birdstone) never gave his backers and connections a moment's doubt here, debuting with a stylish 7 3/4-length victory as the 5-2 second choice. Leading from the two path right from the jump, Stud Lovin came into the stretch off the back of a :46.09 half and cruised home from there. Meraj (Army Mule) out kicked a rival home for second. Last Cookie (Bernardini), Frosted's half-brother and 'Insights' runner, was slow into stride from the blocks, trailed early and came home seventh after floating six wide into the stretch. A $220,000 OBS June (:10 1/5) purchase this summer after selling for $160,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale, Stud Lovin is the most recent winner for his graded-stakes winning dam. Livin Lovin has a 2022 McKinzie filly and was bred to Game Winner for 2023. Sales history: $160,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $220,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O-Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Angelo Carlesimo, Below The Rim Stables LLC and Gata Racing Stable LLC; B-David Soblick (KY); T-Michael J. Maker.

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