First Stakes Win for Life’s an Audible in Sweetest Chant

Her Todd Pletcher-trained sire was fond of Gulfstream, getting the two biggest wins of his career in the GI Florida Derby and the GII Holy Bull S. at the Hallandale oval, and now LIFE'S AN AUDIBLE (f, 3, Audible–Catkins, by Data Link) is following suit, also for Pletcher. Showing a flair for drama, Life's an Audible waited until late and made it close in victory over last-out maiden winner Style Points (Oscar Performance) in the GIII Sweetest Chant S. at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was third.

The chestnut Life's an Audible lingered second from last behind :23.59 and :47.06 early fractions while Macanga (American Pharoah) showed the way up front. Macanga didn't run out of steam until the top of the stretch, when a stalking Style Points found room on the rail. At the same time, on the turn from the back, Irad Ortiz, Jr. had woken up Life's an Audible and swung the filly to the far outside for her rally, meeting Style Points for the closing strides. Despite the latter getting the first jump, Life's an Audible at 9-5 and still several paths out wore her down to prevail by about a neck after a brief battle.

“The filly broke a little slow today,” said Ortiz. “After that, we went to Plan B and let her be her and let her relax. She did well. The mile and a sixteenth helped her today because she wasn't that close early. Last time she was finishing. Today, she got time to get there.”

Pletcher added: “I thought it was great… It seems like she's kind of found her groove just wanting to settle and make a late run. She really delivered a good turn of foot.”

With an off-the-board finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf sandwiched between a runner-up placing in the Oct. 4 GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont at the Big A and a second last out in Gulfstream's Jan. 6 Ginger Brew S., Life's an Audible was winning her first black-type event in the Sweetest Chant. She was a $200,000 OBS March 2-year-old purchase last year by West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable, after working in :10 1/5. Ortiz has been up for all six of her lifetime starts.

The same connections–with the addition of Town and Country Racing as part of the ownership team–also took the Sweetest Chant last year with Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince).

Pedigree Notes:

Life's an Audible is the first graded winner for WinStar Farm's Audible, a son of Into Mischief, who also has three black-type winners and five additional stakes performers from his first crop to race. In addition to breaking new ground for her sire, Life's an Audible is also the first stakes winner as a broodmare sire for Data Link, a Grade I-winning son of War Front who was pensioned at Claiborne after siring five crops.

Breeder Susan Moulton bought Catkins, dam of Life's an Audible, for $100,000 at the OBS Spring 2-year-old sale in 2017, campaigned her to one win at Churchill Downs, and bred her to Audible for her first foal. The mare has since produced juvenile colt Catman Tomkins (Tom's d'Etat) and a yearling filly by Liam's Map who brought $130,000 as a Keeneland November weanling to the bid of Solano Bloodstock. She was bred to Nashville for 2024.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
SWEETEST CHANT S.-GIII, $175,000, Gulfstream, 2-3, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.36, fm.
1–LIFE'S AN AUDIBLE, 118, f, 3, by Audible
               1st Dam: Catkins, by Data Link
               2nd Dam: Galileo's Star, by Lil E. Tee
               3rd Dam: June Gale, by Run For Nurse
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($25,000
Wlg '21 KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '23
OBSMAR). O-Repole Stable; B-Susan Moulton (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $105,245. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0,
$243,045. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style
pedigree.
2–Style Points, 118, f, 3, Oscar Performance–Mystical Star, by
Ghostzapper. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O-Cheyenne Stable LLC; B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY);
T-Christophe Clement. $33,950.
3–Dynamic Pricing (Ire), 118, f, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–
Shemda (Ire), by Dutch Art (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST
GRADED BLACK TYPE. (170,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT).
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Chad
Brown. $16,975.
Margins: NK, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 12.30, 5.60.
Also Ran: Madame Mischief, Macanga, Pharoah's Wine, Golden Ghost (GB), Milliat (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Papilio Scales Heights in Appalachian

Papilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was her own worst enemy when snatching defeat from jaws of victory in the GIII Herecomesthebride S. in her U.S. debut Mar. 4, and she was anything but entirely focused in the dying strides of Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. But she overcame wayward ways to prevail over Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince) in a driving finish in Lexington.

Allowed to find her feet near the back of the field as Heavenly Sunday (Candy Ride {Arg}) outfooted Well Into (Into Mischief) and made play up front, Papilio hugged the fence while a fraction keen turning up the backstretch. Steered into the two path while tugging against Javier Castellano from second last into the second turn, Papilio split rivals approaching the quarter pole and was switched out and around 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) entering the final furlong. Refusing to chart a straight course and weaving in and out with time ticking away, she wanted to have a good look at the grandstand while trying to win the race inside the sixteenth pole and came in on the comebacking Pleasant Passage (More Than Ready), causing that already beaten rival to check sharply. But Castellano managed to get his mount straightened out in the nick of time for a breakthrough win at the graded level.

The Appalachian was a measure of redemption for the Mark Casse barn, who was shut out on opening day, including an off-the-board effort in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. from champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief).

“She has an amazing turn of foot,” Casse said of the winner. “If she ever learns to run a straight line, who knows how good she is? She isn't really a tricky filly. She's actually a sweetie. She just runs in different directions. I think once she 'gets it' around here she's going to be very tough.”

Papilio defeated the boys in two of her first three starts and was runner-up in the Listed Churchill S. at Tipperary last August for trainer 'Fozzy' Stack and Mrs. M.V. Magnier, Mrs. Paul Shanahan and Tom Magnier. She was a midfield sixth behind the exciting Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) and future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and had the Herecomesthebride all but sewn up, only to hand the race to Danse Macabre (Army Mule).

Pedigree Notes:

The 28th worldwide black-type winner and 18th graded/group winner for her sire (by Choisir {Aus}), Papilio was a €60,000 purchase by Shawn Dugan at the 2021 Arqana August Sale and is out of an unraced half-sister to Balius (Ire) (Mujahid), a Group 2 winner in Dubai, a five-time listed winner in France, victorious at stakes level in Turkey and Group 1-placed in Hong Kong and Singapore. Glafyra is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Feet of Fear (GB) (Ten Sovereigns) and a yearling colt by Cable Bay (Ire).

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $338,600, Keeneland, 4-8, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.32, gd.
1–PAPILIO (IRE), 118, f, 3, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
               1st Dam: Glafyra (Fr), by High Chaparral (Ire)
               2nd Dam: Akhla, by Nashwan
               3rd Dam: Beautiful River, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€60,000
Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Medallion Racing, Barry
Fowler, and Parkland Thoroughbreds; B-SCEA Marmion &
Mr A. Jathiere (IRE); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Javier Castellano.
$176,700. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $258,700.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cairo Consort, 118, f, 3, Cairo Prince–Absolutely
Awesome, by Street Cry (Ire). ($37,000 RNA Wlg '20
FTKNOV; $95,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $875,000 2yo '22
FTKNOV). O-Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing,
LLC; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$76,000.
3–Heavenly Sunday, 118, f, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Alien Giant,
by Giant's Causeway. ($170,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Miacomet Farm (William Harrigan); B-Randal Family Trust
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $38,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 1. Odds: 5.99, 3.01, 4.12.
Also Ran: Well Into, Pleasant Passage, Sabalenka, Be Your Best (Ire), Alpha Bella, Beautifulnavigator (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Jockey Club Of Canada Announces 2022 Sovereign Awards Finalists

The Jockey Club of Canada has announced the finalists for the 2022 Sovereign Awards recognizing Canada's outstanding achievements in Canadian Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding. The winner of each category, along with Canada's Horse of the Year for 2022, will be announced during the 48th Annual Sovereign Award ceremony held Thursday, April 13 at Universal Eventspace in Vaughan, Ontario.

The finalists in each of the following categories are listed in alphabetical order.

Champion Two-Year-Old Female: Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince), Last Call (English Channel), Renegade Rebel (Nyquist).

Champion Two-Year-Old Male: Philip My Dear (Silent Name {Jpn}), Poulin in O T (Reload), Velocitor (Mor Spirit).

Champion Three-Year-Old Female: Moira (Ghostzapper), Sister Seagull (Hard Spun), Souper Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo).

Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid), Ironstone (Mr Speaker), Sir for Sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}).

Champion Older Main Track Female: Infinite Patience (Sungold), Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper).

Champion Older Main Track Male: Soy Tapatio (Not This Time), War Bomber (Ire) (War Front), Who's the Star (Tonalist).

Champion Female Turf Horse: Fev Rover (Ire (Gutaifan {Ire})), Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), Moira (Ghostzapper).

Champion Male Turf Horse: Filo di Arianna (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), Philip My Dear (Silent Name {Jpn}), Ready for the Lady (More Than Ready), Sir for Sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}).

Champion Female Sprinter: Hazelbrook (Bayern), Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper).

Champion Male Sprinter: Arzak (Not This Time), Filo di Arianna (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), Lucky Score (Lookin At Lucky).

The full list of categories and finalists can be viewed here.

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Cairo Consort Overcomes Adversity In Sweetest Chant

Things looked downright bleak for Town and Country Racing and Repole Stable's Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince) at outset of Saturday's GIII Sweetest Chant S. at Gulfstream Park, as she went in the air as the gates flew, spotting her rivals several lengths. But the gray filly was given a supremely patient ride by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and whistled past stablemate Alpha Bella (Justify) in the final sixteenth of a mile to register a breakthrough graded success.

Favored at 11-5, Cairo Consort was forced to take her medicine from the back of the pack, as Sweetlou'sgotaces (Constitution) led from Malleymoo (English Channel) into the backstretch. Still out of the picture and with it all to do past the half in :47.11, Cairo Consort was held together while full of run and had well and truly caught up to her rivals as they turned for the money. Hitting another gear three away from the inside with better than a furlong to race, she was shifted out into the clear and leveled off beautifully to–somehow–score by a comfortable margin.

“When she missed the break, I just let her relax,” said Ortiz, Jr. winning for the 10th time in two days. “She was happy back there, relaxing. At the same time, she was in contact with the field. She wasn't that far back. By the turn, she wanted to go. I didn't want to go too wide, so we cut the corner. She was there and gave me a good turn of foot.”

Winner of the Aug. 20 Catch a Glimpse S. at Woodbine, Cairo Consort was second in that track's GI Natalma S. and a sound third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf for Maple Lane Farm and trainer Nathan Squires before hammering to these connections for $875,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale about 48 hours later. In her only previous appearance for her new ownership, Cairo Consort was the popular winner of the Jan. 7 Ginger Brew S.

There is a previous connection between the Courtelis family's Town and Country Racing and Mike Repole. In 2014, after she was led out unsold on a bid of $3.15 million at Fasig-Tipton November, Repole's multiple Grade I winner Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) was acquired privately by Town and Country and continued her career with Todd Pletcher, which included a 7-1 upset in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland.

Pedigree Notes:

Cairo Consort is the seventh graded winner for her sire and was one of three winners Saturday out of mares by the late Street Cry, who was being represented by his 63rd graded winner as a broodmare sire.

Cairo Consort is out of an unraced half-sister to Awesome Maria (Maria's Mon), who also called the Pletcher barn home and posted her best career effort in the 2011 GI Ogden Phipps H. Her GI Alabama S.-winning third dam includes fellow Robsham luminaries Discreet Cat (Forestry), GISW Discreetly Mine (Mineshaft) and MSW/GISP Pretty Wild (Wild Again).

Absolutely Awesome is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Accomplished (Tonalist).

Saturday, Gulfstream
SWEETEST CHANT S.-GIII, $175,000, Gulfstream, 2-4, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.95, gd.
1–CAIRO CONSORT, 122, f, 3, by Cairo Prince
1st Dam: Absolutely Awesome, by Street Cry (Ire)
 2nd Dam: Discreetly Awesome, by Awesome Again
 3rd Dam: Pretty Discreet, by Private Account
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($37,000 RNA Wlg '20 FTKNOV;
$95,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $875,000 2yo '22 FTKNOV). O-Repole
Stable & Town and Country Racing, LLC; B-Frankfort Park Farm
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $104,160. Lifetime
Record: MGISP, 8-4-1-2, $430,449. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alpha Bella, 118, f, 3, Justify–Andina (Ire), by Singspiel (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Don Alberto
Corporation (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $33,600.
3–Heavenly Sunday, 120, f, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Alien Giant,
by Giant's Causeway. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($170,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Miacomet Farm
(William Harrigan); B-Randal Family Trust (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$16,800.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.20, 16.30, 2.50.
Also Ran: Metaphysical, Bulsara, Malleymoo, Stephanie's Charm, Padma, Sweetlou'sgotaces.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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