Good Samaritan Colt Pulls off Bourbon Shocker

Longshot Can Group rallied from last to first at 27-1 in Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland to narrowly stamp his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Last-out Sapling S. scorer Noted came out on the wrong end of a tight photo, while Pepsi Juvenile Sprint S. winner Vote No rounded out the lucrative trifecta.

Sandwiched at the start and back to last as the full field scrambled for position into the first bend, Can Group was still patiently handled by Francisco Arrieta as they straightened. He was able to sneak through a seam in midstretch, kicked it into high gear from there and zoomed down the center of the course to nip Noted at the line.

Official fractions and a final time were never posted. TimeformUS's Craig Milkowski later tweeted an estimated final time of 1:43.73.

“He was [last going into the final turn],” noted Arrieta, who was celebrating his first Keeneland stakes win. “When I moved and he saw the leaders, he just took off and, wow, it was amazing. I felt like I crossed the wire in front. He was rolling. I won with him at Kentucky Downs and he came from off the pace very nice, slow, so today I planned the same. Relax, give him time and make one move, and he showed up.”

The winner was third in a pair of dirt sprints at Ellis to kick off his career before breaking through in visually impressive fashion going seven panels on the Kentucky Downs sod Sept. 2.

Sunday, Keeneland
CASTLE & KEY BOURBON S.-GII, $350,000, Keeneland, 10-8, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, fm.
1–CAN GROUP, 118, c, 2, by Good Samaritan
                1st Dam: Blue Gallina, by Street Sense
                2nd Dam: Miss Del Gallo, by Hennessy
                3rd Dam: Ligurian, by Ogygian
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($100,000
Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-D. J. Stable LLC and Cash is King LLC;
B-Wynnstay Inc. & H. Allen Poindexter (KY); T-Mark E. Casse;
J-Francisco Arrieta. $198,013. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-2,
$307,013. *1/2 to Flat Out Speed (Flat Out), GSW, $364,916.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Noted, 120, c, 2, Cairo Prince–Sea View Millie, by Proud
Citizen. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-Repole Stable; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$63,875.
3–Vote No, 118, g, 2, Divisidero–Sistas Ready, by More Than
Ready. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($7,500 Ylg '22 KEEJAN;
$11,000 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $50,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Joseph
Morey, Jr.; B-A. John Price (KY); T-William E. Morey.

$31,938.
Margins: NO, 1, HF. Odds: 27.17, 3.18, 18.15.
Also Ran: First World War, Tok Tok, Depiction, Palm Tree, Double Your Money, Coin Miner, Gorilla Trek, Fortune Seller, Nomos. Scratched: Good Bali, Tireless, Tough Little Nut. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

Pedigree Notes:

Can Group builds on a strong month-plus in Kentucky for his young sire (by Harlan's Holiday), who was also represented by the $1-million GIII Big Ass Fans Music City S. winner–his first at the graded level–and $1-million Dueling Grounds Oaks runner-up on the same weekend Can Group earned his diploma. He is one of 32 stakes winners and 13 group/graded winners worldwide out of Street Sense mares.

The winner's unraced dam has now been responsible for a trio of juvenile stakes winners, including 2019 Prairie Gold Lassie and Iowa Sorority S. winner Flat Out Speed, who stretched out effectively to take the GIII Iowa Oaks at three. Starlight Racing purchased Blue Gallina's yearling filly by Authentic for $310,000 at Fasig Saratoga. She failed to produce a foal for 2023, but was bred back to Jack Christopher for 2024.

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‘TDN Rising Star’ Agate Road Earns BC Berth In Pilgrim

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's AGATE ROAD (c, 2, Quality Road–Yellow Agate, by Gemologist) saved his best for last, as he found his best stride inside the final furlong and edged away to take Wednesday's GII Pilgrim S., earning an all-expenses-paid trip to Santa Anita for the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in the process. Favored at 2-1 off a Saratoga 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy maiden victory that really had to be seen to be believed, the $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was content to sit one from the tail as the outposted Spirit Prince (Cairo Prince)–a latest third in the GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 31–crossed and cleared all the inside traffic to lead through an opening quarter in :23.51. Quietly ridden down the back by Irad Ortiz, Jr., Agate Road was asked for some acceleration as the field hit the turn, but was consigned to an overland run and lost some ground. Spun wide into the stretch, Agate Road began to zero in on the front-runners with less than a furlong to travel and did his best work through the wire. The final time for the 8 1/2 furlongs was 1:42.83. Fulmineo (Bolt d'Oro) knifed through late for second ahead of the dead-heating Liam's Journey (Liam's Map) and Spirit Prince. Sales history: $650,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. O-Repole Stable & St Elias Stable; B-CHC Inc (KY); T-Todd Pletcher.

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New Stallions Keepmeinmind and Fire At Will Settle in at Sequel

Keepmeinmind (Laoban–Inclination, by Victory Gallop), whose prowess on the track first brought sire Laoban to the national forefront, and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner and Eclipse finalist Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) join Honest Mischief, Freud and Mission Impazible at Sequel New York's stallion roster, bringing diverse and interesting options for Thoroughbred breeders in the Empire State.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables, the physically impressive Keepmeinmind broke his maiden in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. in November of his 2-year-old season. Prior to that, he was runner-up to future two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. He finished third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.

“Keepmeinmind had a great 2-year-old campaign,” said Carlos Manresa, director of operations at Sequel New York. “He was really the first of the Laobans to make national notoriety, along with, of course, Simply Ravishing.”

At age three, Keepmeinmind was a respectable sixth in the GI Kentucky Derby and fourth in the GI Preakness S. He finished just a half-length behind Essential Quality in the 2021 GII Jim Dandy S. Keepmeinmind was originally trained by Robertino Diodoro, and at age four he was transferred to Todd Pletcher for whom he won a Saratoga allowance. He was then third to Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the 2022 GI Woodward S.

Pletcher told the TDN, “Keepmeinmind is a specimen with a terrific disposition. He competed with and beat the best of the best. A big boost for the New York breeding roster.”

“He's a more elegant, refined version of Laoban,” said Manresa of Keepmeinmind. “He's got the big, big hip, but he's also a leggy, stretchy horse that you would expect from the Uncle Mo line.”

Keepmeinmind will stand in 2023 for $6,500.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will retired with a record of 6-3-0-1 and earnings of $675,932. Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin and raced by Three Diamonds Farm, Fire At Will broke his maiden at two in his second start in Saratoga's With Anticipation S. He then took the GII Pilgrim S. on the turf at Belmont. He punctuated the year with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He was an Eclipse Award finalist for the 2-year-old champion male, eventually won by Essential Quality.

“It's definitely an interesting time to bring a horse that has been successful on multiple surfaces to stud in New York,” said Manresa. “New York is in a shift towards all alternative racing surfaces, specifically at Belmont. There's been a lot of discussion over having a synthetic course as well as the dirt and grass surfaces.”

Fire At Will brings an impressive performance on the grass as well as proven turf pedigree to New York. Fire at Will is the first foal from the Kitten's Joy mare Flirt. His sire Declaration of War won the G1 Juddmonte International S. in 2013.

“[Fire At Will] is absolutely the fastest 2-year-old I have ever trained on the turf,” conditioner Mike Maker told the TDN.

“Fire At Will is standing at Sequel New York in partnership with Three Diamonds Farm, which is owned and managed by Kirk and Deborah Wyckoff,” said Manresa. “They're tremendous supporters of the New York-bred program, and it just seemed like the perfect fit for this Breeders' Cup champion to come to stud in New York.”

His fee for the upcoming season will be $6,000.

“We try to make a habit out of selecting the perfect stallions for us,” said Manresa. “And this year, we got lucky and were able to attract two phenomenal stallions that had exceptional racing careers at two years old, both being Breeders' Cup participants, both being placed in the Breeders' Cup, and one of them being a Breeders' Cup champion.”

 

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GISW Fire At Will to Sequel New York for 2023

Breeders' Cup winner and recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sales stallion prospect Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) has officially been retired and will stand at Sequel New York near Hudson for the 2023 season.

The Three Diamonds Farm runner broke his maiden at second asking in Saratoga's With Anticipation S. at two while on the main track and quickly made it three in a row, taking the GII Pilgrim S. on Belmont's lawn prior to his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He won the latter by three lengths, propelling him to the Eclipse Awards as a finalist for the 2-year-old champion male, eventually won by Essential Quality (Tapit).

“[Fire At Will] is absolutely the fastest 2-year-old I have ever trained on the turf,” said conditioner Mike Maker.

Fire At Will switched to the dirt again for his first start at three, finishing off the board in the GII Fountain of Youth S., then quickly rebounded to a third-place finish in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. on the grass. Fire At Will retires with a record of 6-3-0-1 and earnings of $675,932.

Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin, Fire At Will was purchased as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September sale by Three Diamonds Farm for $97,000. His dam is a half-sister to GISW Decorated Invader (Declaration of War) and they hail from the same family as successful sire Stormy Atlantic. Bidding for Fire At Will's digital sale closed Jan. 11.

“Recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sale graduate Fire At Will presents a great opportunity to breeders in New York,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “He was a brilliant Breeders' Cup winner at two and has an outstanding pedigree. Becky Thomas and her team at Sequel have added another really exciting stallion prospect for the 2023 breeding season.”

Fire At Will will be available for inspection at Sequel, along with fellow Sequel stallions Keepmeinmind, Honest Mischief, Freud, and Mission Impazible, this coming Saturday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. His fee for the upcoming season will be $6,000.

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