The yearling market was especially strong Tuesday with youngsters accounting for half of the top 10, led by a $260,000 colt by City of Light. That yearling was the only offspring in the catalogue for his sire, who was very popular last year, topping Keeneland September with a $1.7-million colt.

Last term's champion freshman sire Gun Runner continued to be in demand on the back of a stellar first season and strong weekend at Aqueduct, where he had two new stakes winners. He sired the second-highest-priced yearling Tuesday, a $225,000 filly and a pair of mares in foal to the Horse of the Year summoned $150,000 and $135,000.

“Yearlings were stronger this year than last year for one simple reason… we had better yearlings,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “It has become a very viable market. We saw a healthy demand for weanlings/short yearlings during November and January. We appreciate sellers for bringing high-quality short yearlings and they were very well rewarded.”

A total of 198 horses changed hands Tuesday for a gross of $6,598,800. The average was $33,327 and the median was $14,500. There were 38 horses led from the ring unsold for a buy-back rate of 16%.

During the equivalent session in 2021, 207 Thoroughbreds brought $3,956,330 with an average of $19,113 and a median of $8,000. Fifty-seven horses failed to meet their reserve that day for an RNA rate of 21.6%.

“Last year's first session was overshadowed by the second session, probably due to the supplements,” said Browning. “I don't know if the difference will be as dramatic this year as it was last year, but there are a lot of good horses tomorrow as well. Clearly, we are trending in a very favorable direction. The numbers are great, but even better is the level of interest and level or activity. Consignors were having horses blowing past their reserves. We are seeing a legitimate marketplace for all types of horses. The most encouraging thing is there a vibrancy even at the $50,000 level.”

The breeding stock market was exceptionally high during the November sales and numbers remained strong at last month's Keeneland January Sale. Sellers and buyers alike saw that trend continue at the February sale.

“It seems pretty solid,” said Archie St. George, who sold the day's top horse Bodhicitta. “It seems like the January Sale and before [in November]. If you have the right product, everyone wants it. There seems to be a buzz around the grounds and the market appears solid.”

Bodhicitta Headed to Japan

Grade II winner and MGISP Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) (Hip 177) sparked some midday fireworks at Fasig Tuesday, hammering for $450,000 to Japan's K I Farm, which did its bidding on the internet.

“I think that is a fair price for her,” said Archie St. George, who consigned the racing/broodmare prospect. “I think everyone is happy. She is going to go to Japan. I'd like to thank the owners and Richard Baltas the trainer. We wish the new owners the best of luck with her. She is a beautiful filly and she deserved to bring money with her race record and physical. She is an exciting prospect for her new owners down the road.”

Owner Calvin Nguyen bought Bodhicitta for 60,000gns at the 2019 TATMAY sale and brought her to California. She was still a maiden of seven starts with several in-the-money finishes. She captured four races during her first year in California, including the 2020 GII Yellow Ribbon H. She placed in consecutive renewals of the GI Gamely S. and RNA'd for $775,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The chestnut made two starts this term, finishing second in the GIII Robert J. Frankel S. on New Year's Day and fourth in the Jan. 29 GIII Megahertz S. The 6-year-old mare's record currently stands at 23-4-5-3 with $370,808 in earnings.

“I had a great run with her,” Nguyen said. “She won a lot of races for us and to be able to sell her at this price was very exciting. My trainer [Richard Baltas] advised me that it is probably best to take some money off the table. We set a pretty good reserve on her. We wanted to test the market since all of the sales had been so strong. She is sound and still can do a lot of things going forward, but we wanted to capitalize on the market.”

Bodhicitta's second dam is stakes winner Klarifi (GB) (Habitat), who is the dam of MGSW & G1SP Fracas (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}).

City of Light Stays Hot at Fasig February

Offspring by City of Light were flying off the shelves at the yearling sales last year. He even produced the $1.7 million Keeneland September topper, which was the first time a first-crop sire had achieved that feat in at least a decade. With first 2-year-olds this year, the Lane's End resident's yearlings remained popular at Fasig February with a City of Light colt (Hip 42) bringing $260,000 from Peter Pugh, agent for Cherry Knoll Farm.

When asked what he liked about the colt, Pugh said simply, “A lot!” He added, “He is just a gorgeous horse.”

Buyers will get another chance at this colt as Pugh plans to send him back through the auction ring later this year. Pugh enjoyed pinhooking success with a young sire last year, selling a Practical Joke filly he purchased for just $90,000 at KEENOV for $520,000 at KEESEP.

Out of Spoken Not Broken (Broken Vow), the dark bay colt is a half to SP Eloquent Speaker (Flatter), who was supplemented to this sale as Hip 536. This is also the family of SW & GSP Bridgehampton (Bernardini) and stakes winners Stormy Novel (Bernardini) and Amundson (Curlin).

Consigned by Taylor Made, Hip 42 was bred in New York by Fred Hertrich and John Fielding, who had a sensational 2021. The duo bred last term's NY-bred GI Cigar Mile winner Americanrevolution (Constitution), GI Gamely S. heroine Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) and GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S. winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy). They teamed up with Rob Tribbett to breed GI Hollywood Derby winner Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy) and Hertrich also bred 2021 Grade I winners Hit the Road (More Than Ready) and Juju's Map (Liam's Map).

Hertrich, Fielding and Tribbett also bred Hip 180, a $180,000 yearling filly by Speightstown.

Goff Fights for Cocktail Party

Dash Goff refused to be denied for the 7-year-old mare Cocktail Party (Mizzen Mast), determinedly fighting off a stubborn internet bidder to take home the gray for $240,000. Consigned by James Keogh, Hip 218 sold in foal to Liam's Map.

“I'm looking to buy three or four really nice mares and build up my broodmare band,” Goff said. “I bought two in November and three in January.”

The Arkansas businessman continued, “Some will go to Arkansas and some will stay here. This one will stay in Kentucky with the Welkers. The Welkers and I have done business for 35 to 40 years. I did business with his dad. We had a great night last night. We had two nice foals last night, a Mitole and an American Pharoah. So, I'm having a great day.”

Bred by the Herbener family, Cocktail Party won two of 10 starts for Michael Foster and was purchased by Fords Run Farm for $28,000 at the 2019 KEENOV sale. She has one previous foal, a 2021 colt by Connect. Cocktail Party is a full to MSW & GSP Barrier Reef and a half to stakes-placed Arctic Party (Eskimo) and Kissin Party (Kissin Kris).

“I liked everything about her,” Goff said. “Her former owner Jim Herbener was a good friend of mine. She may be the nicest mare on the grounds. I am real pleased with her.”

Goff struck earlier in the session for a pair of mares, securing Sweet Magic (Quality Road) for $14,000 (Hip 63) and A Change of Heart (Unbridled's Song) for $120,000 (Hip 124).

Gun Runner Filly Proves Popular

On the back of a stellar freshman season and two new stakes winners over the weekend, a filly (Hip 38) by champion freshman sire and Horse of the Year Gun Runner was in high demand during Tuesday's opening session, bringing $225,000 from Pick View's Joe Pickerell, who signed the ticket as Stock Thoroughbred LLC.

“She was probably the best filly in the sale,” Pickerell said. “For what we are looking for, she is the right kind. She is by the hottest young sire in the world. The kind that look like her and move like her are hard to buy.”

As for future plans for the filly, Pickerell said, “She will be a pinhook. We are not sure where yet. We will let her develop and make a plan for her.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Christian Black's Forgotten Land Investment Inc., Hip 38 is the second foal out of the Discreetly Mine mare Sororitysweetheart, who is a full-sister to GSW Classy Class and GSP Full House. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales.

“Anytime you sell a short yearling for $225,000, you have to be happy,” Black said. “She has been straight forward from the beginning. We are very happy she ended up in good hands with Joe Pickerell. We are looking forward to seeing her in another sale in the future.”

Black experienced success with Gun Runner in the past, selling a colt by that stallion to Lael Stables for $550,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in one of the final consignments of his good friend, the late Mike Recio's South Point Sales. Black also sold Secret Quality (Elusive Quality) (Hip 7) in foal to Gun Runner for $135,000 to Hunter Valley Farm Tuesday.

Gun Runner topped the freshman sire list last year with 30 winners and six black-type winners, two of which were Grade I winners, including soon-to-be champion Echo Zulu. The dual Eclipse winner had another incredible weekend prior to this auction with his son Early Voting capturing Saturday's GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct and his daughter Shotgun Hottie taking that venue's Ruthless S. Sunday. The latter was catalogued to this sale as Hip 18, but was scratched following her breakout score.

“We were trying to take advantage of the fact that Gun Runner is a once in a generation stallion,” Black said. “You only see a sire like him maybe once every 50 years. She fit the bill. We are very happy with what we got. She was brought here to sell and showcase the mare a little bit too.”

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Also working over the Santa Anita turf Sunday in preparation for an engagement on the World Cup card in Hallandale,  Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) went four furlongs in :47.00 (1/1). The 6-year-old mare trained by Richard Baltas for owner Calvin Nguyen, is expected to start next in the GIII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational. Winner of the 2020 GII Yellow Ribbon H., Bodhicitta was second in the 2020 GI Gamely S. and third in that race in 2021. She was most recently second in the Jan. 1 GIII Robert J. Frankel S.

Working for the Pegasus Turf in Florida Sunday, Joseph Allen's Doswell (Giant's Causeway) went seven furlongs over the Palm Meadows turf in 1:22.95 (1/2). The Barclay Tagg trainee is coming off a front-running victory in the Dec. 18 GII Ft. Lauderdale S.

Three Diamond Farm's Atone (Into Mischief) and Calumet Farm's English Bee (English Channel), Pegasus Turf reserve invitees who finished second and third, respectively, in the Ft. Lauderdale, also breezed Sunday.

The Mike Maker-trained Atone breezed five furlongs in 1:01.14 (16/34) on dirt at Gulfstream, where Maker-trained Pegasus Turf invitee Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) also breezed five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.91 (14/34). The Graham Motion-trained English Bee breezed six furlongs in 1:12.05 (1/2) on turf at Palm Meadows.

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Ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Bob and Jackie, in his first ever try on dirt, was off at 5-1 and paid $12.00 and $4.20 with no show wagering.  Contested at 1 1/8 miles, Bob and Jackie got the distance in 1:53.51.

“We were the speed of the race,” said Valdivia. “He broke well, but I had to use him quite a bit to make him take the lead. Once he did take the lead, he settled beautifully. His ears came up and he was just waiting for company. When I asked him, he was there for me. We worked our way up and then held on.

“He was kind of waiting around a little bit, but when the horses came to him, he dug in and tried to fight some more. But hat's off to Ritchie (trainer Baltas) and Calvin (co-owner Nguyen) for just taking a shot. It was already a short field and it was going to be even shorter so why not.”

Trained by Richard Baltas for owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Bob and Jackie, a 5-year-old horse by Twirling Candy out of the Eskendereya mare Fateer, picked up his fourth stakes win. Depending upon how the American Stakes Committee rules in the coming days, he could also have notched his first graded stakes win in a race that was originally designated at Grade 2 on grass but will be reviewed by the committee after it was moved to the main track following rain on Saturday.

With an overall mark of 16-5-5-1, Bob and Jackie picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $484,631.

“Now I have to decide if I keep him on the dirt,” said Baltas. “He's been a grass horse the whole time.  With the key scratches, we thought we would give it a try and see if things would go our way. We will see how he comes back and we'll go from there in deciding if we keep him on the dirt or go back to the turf.”

Off at 3-5 with Jose Ortiz, Friar's Road, who was last in a compact field of four early, rallied, but came up just short, while paying $2.40 to place.

Fractions on the race were 23.75, 49.29, 1:13.82 and 1:40.05.

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GUN RUNNER FILLIES DEBUT AT CHURCHILL

7th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:57 p.m.
Freshman sire Gun Runner is represented by a pair of debuting fillies in this six-furlong affair. Richard Baltas saddles PEACE PEDDLER (GUN RUNNER), a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, for Calvin Nguyen. The bay filly is a daughter of Canadian champion Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song). Steve Asmussen sends out Stonestreet homebred Ari Oakley (Gun Runner), a daughter of Belle of Perintown (Dehere) and half-sister to graded winner Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song) and graded placed Tomlin (Distorted Humor) and Beau Liam (Liam's Map). TJCIS PPs

PRICEY ARROGATE COLT OPENS CAREER AT DEL MAR

4th-DMR, $70k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 4:31 p.m.
GOT THUNDER (ARROGATE), who sold for $750,000 following a :10 flat work at the OBS April sale, debuts for West Point Thoroughbreds and Mike Talla and trainer John Sadler. The colt is a half-brother to multiple Grade I winner Heart to Heart (English Channel) and to multiple graded placed Lady Traveler (Quality Road). Sadler also saddles firster Moment of Peace (Tapit) for M Racing Group. The $230,000 KEEJAN yearling is a full-brother to graded winner Subconscious. Bob Baffert sends out the debuting Newgrange (Violence), a $125,000 KEESEP yearling, for the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership. TJCIS PPs

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Trainer Richard Baltas still has the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6 as a long-range goal for the 4-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.

With his victory in Santa Anita's marquee race for older horses on March 6, Idol was in line for a $1,870,000 bonanza offered in the inaugural $1 Million Wild West Bonus.

The Gold Cup is leg two and the Big 'Cap was the first leg of the unique event formed by Santa Anita and Del Mar, which will present the third and final version with the running of the TVG Pacific Classic on Aug. 21.

Each race is run at the North American classic distance of a mile and a quarter, and including the $1 million bonus, any horse winning all three races would earn a total of $1,870,000.

“I wanted to train him up to the Gold Cup, but that's off,” Baltas said of Idol, owned by Calvin Nguyen. “I wasn't in a hurry with him because our ultimate goal is the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

Despite a slow start to Santa Anita's meet, Baltas currently is fifth in the race for training honors with 23 victories, and third in purse earnings with $1,865,400.

“We're doing fine,” Baltas said. “Forgetting all about wins, it's about making money and bringing the right horses in. I've got a lot of nice horses coming up for the fall, five or six coming off layoffs that are very talented horses.”

Among them are 2020 San Vicente Stakes runner-up Ginobili and last year's winner of the Grade II Las Virgenes Stakes, Venetian Harbor.

“I'm looking forward to running them again,” Baltas said.

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Even traditionalists, of course, must accept that the world moves on. Or, at least, that the world changes. The two mares who stand opposite each other in the family tree of Marion Ravenwood, the dam of Idol, would possibly no longer be registered with names that have obtained a somewhat different resonance over the couple of generations since. To breeders, however, Gay Hostess and Gay Missile are just two of the timeless brands pegging down a pedigree that preserves pretty seamlessly the kind of quality you used to be able to lock in, simply because books were so small that only eligible mares could reach top-class stallions.

Gay Hostess is Marion Ravenwood's fourth dam; while Gay Missile, of course, is third dam of her sire A.P. Indy. Apart from the random connection of :gaiety,” their real bond is that each consolidated in the American breed a concentration of Classic influences from the Old World, notably by duplicating one apiece of the most important European mares of the interwar era.

In the case of Gay Missile, it was Lavendula (Fr), whose pedigree combined virtually all the foundation mares assembled by the 17th Earl of Derby in creating arguably the most important stud in the breed's history. Two of Lavendula's daughters had produced Turn-To (Ire) and My Babu (Fr) to become grandsire and damsire, respectively, of Gay Missile.

Gay Hostess, for her part, replicated Mumtaz Mahal (GB)–whose daughters had produced dual Classic winner Sun Princess (GB) and the breed-shaper Mahmoud (Fr). The former became the dam of Royal Charger (GB), sire of Gay Hostess; while the latter sired her granddam. Gay Hostess was out of Your Hostess (Alibhai {GB}), a sister to Kelso's sire, Your Host, and half-sister to the dam of Flower Bowl (who was herself by Alibhai, and gave us both Graustark and His Majesty). And Gay Hostess herself became a Classic icon: dam of Hall of Famer Majestic Prince (Raise A Native); second dam of French Derby winner Caracolero (himself by Graustark, and so highly inbred); and third dam of Epsom Derby winner Secreto (Northern Dancer).

I know, I know. So far as Idol himself is concerned, for many people these are just parchments of scroll. But blue-hens like Gay Hostess and Gay Missile don't just fall out of the sky. And, because of his family's exemplary stewardship since its arrival in America, Idol is now extending the legacy of Gay Hostess exactly a century since the foaling of Mumtaz Mahal in 1921.

Marion Ravenwood's third dam Meadow Blue was a full sister to Majestic Prince, i.e. by Raise A Native out of Gay Hostess. Though unraced, like Gay Hostess herself, she produced some significant daughters from just half a dozen named foals. Two were only modest winners on the track but proved a sound conduit of her genetic quality: Mangala (Sharpen Up {GB}) produced G2 Queen Anne S. winner Allied Forces (Miswaki); and Really Blue (Believe It) became the dam of none other than Real Quiet (Quiet American), who matched Majestic Prince as a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. (Really Blue is also the second dam of Grade II winner/GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Real Cozzy (Cozzene).)

Two other daughters of Meadow Blue, meanwhile, were group-placed on the track: one went on to produce a Listed winner at Newmarket (over two miles); the other was Nureyev's Best (Nureyev), who won a listed race and finished third in a Group 3 in France.

Nureyev's Best had not achieved a great deal in her second career, however, by the time Narvick International bought her at Keeneland November as a 12-year-old for $170,000. Unfortunately, the obvious mating, with Real Quiet's sire Quiet American, produced a filly that brought her Tuscany-based breeders no more than €32,000 as a Deauville yearling.

As Andujar, she showed only glimpses of ability for Carlos Laffon-Parias as a 3-year-old but then, astutely imported to California by Paul Reddam and Mark Schlesinger, progressed extremely rapidly for Doug O'Neill: she quickly broke her maiden, followed up in an allowance, and then won the GII Milady H. by seven lengths before finishing off with two Grade I podiums. Offered at Fasig-Tipton the following November, she made no less than $2.5 million from My Meadowview Farm.

Marion Ravenwood is Andujar's first foal. She showed a fair level of ability for Graham Motion, racing as a homebred in the My Meadowview silks, winning four of 10 starts, including a stakes over a mile on dirt at Aqueduct. But while she was given every opportunity, in her coverings, Andujar only really came up with one, fleeting excitement in third foal Abstraction (Pulpit), who won the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico but disappeared after then running third in the GIII Matt Winn S.

Overall, it seems, the family was not quite doing enough to prevent Marion Ravenwood being culled, with a Pioneerof the Nile cover, to Ashview Farm for $400,000 at Keeneland November in 2017.

She left behind a weanling colt by Curlin, who was sold through Denali in the same ring the following September, for $375,000 to John S. Holmes–and this, of course, has turned out to be Idol. His blossoming since, for Calvin Nguyen and trainer Richard Baltas, duly makes the Lyster family's purchase of the mare look very smart business.

They had already been drawn to the pedigree, buying Marion Ravenwood's half-sister Judy Legend (Medaglia d'Oro) out of the same ring two years previously for $180,000 as a 4-year-old maiden. (She had been unable to break her maiden in seven starts, but we've seen the depth of the family tree.) Gray Lyster of Ashview Farm remembers asking Joe Miller and Lincoln Collins, representing Len Riggio of My Meadowview, about Marion Ravenwood's Curlin weanling.

“I'm good friends with Joe and Lincoln and they were very high in their reports,” Lyster says. “You know, sometimes the market really can slaughter those mares that are getting traded when they've had two or three foals without something obvious on the page. But they were very positive on the Curlin, so we were kind of lucky. We knew already that her half-sister was really nice-looking, and it turned out that this was just a gorgeous A.P. Indy mare.”

Ashview got a first dividend on their investment when selling the Pioneerof the Nile colt, acquired in utero and co-bred with Colts Neck Stables, for $250,000 as a weanling. And they were wise enough, too, to send Marion Ravenwood back to Curlin: last September the resulting filly made $350,000 from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Repole Stable, just days after Idol had run a promising second on debut.

“I was trying to tell people looking at her about the full-brother that had just run second on debut,” Lyster says. “But I know how people will roll their eyes and say: 'A fall 3-year-old, second? Okay, great, sell your magic beans somewhere else.' To the point that with people you didn't know, you didn't even tell them, because they don't want those B.S. updates! But I had watched the race and thought: 'Oh my gosh, this horse came flying.' That was only six furlongs, remember.”

Marion Ravenwood has a yearling colt by Violence and has been covered by Quality Road this time around. “The Violence is beautiful and will likely be pointing towards Keeneland September,” Lyster says. “The mare was empty on one try to City Of Light, very late last year, so we got her a good early cover this time. Judy Legend, who has a Runhappy yearling on the farm, was the same: took last year off on a very late cover, and is in foal early to Frosted now.”

Turning up a Grade I mare at this farm comes as no surprise, Ashview being widely respected as one of the very best operations of its size. (Graduates include champions Runhappy (Super Saver) and Johannesburg (Hennessy). And you have to like the mates chosen for her, too: Violence brings in three extra strands of Somethingroyal (plus one extra to her sire Princequillo); and Quality Road has two apiece of Somethingroyal and Princequillo.

This drills down into a genetic seam that means Marion Ravenwood doesn't depend solely on that aristocratic bottom line. Her sire A.P. Indy continues posthumously to develop his reputation as a top-class broodmare sire, and that has always seemed, to me, to be rooted in the 2×4 replication of Somethingroyal behind his dam Weekend Surprise: as dam of both Weekend Surprise's sire Secretariat and of Gay Missile's sire Sir Gaylord. (Basically anything to do with Somethingroyal translates into distaff gold.)

And Somethingroyal's sire is also drawn in twice by Marion Westwood's damsire Quiet American. The fact that both Quiet American himself and his sire Fappiano are out of daughters of Dr. Fager is so exotic that it tends to distract from the fact that both these Dr. Fager mares are out of daughters of the matriarch Cequillo–who was, of course, by Princequillo.

Quiet American's grandsire Mr. Prospector also doubles up Raise A Native who, as noted already, sired Marion Ravenwood's third dam. And the mating that produced Idol himself obviously gives us another line of Mr. Prospector, Curlin being by Smart Strike.

Smart Strike has been a significant contributor to the diversification of the Mr. Prospector legacy. Not just through Curlin, but also through Lookin At Lucky and English Channel, his influence has been branded by tough two-turn horses that thrive with maturity. (Tom's d'Etat certainly enhanced that reputation on the track, and will hopefully now do the same at WinStar).

In that context, you would have to think that Idol is only just getting started. For a horse with this kind of pedigree to be winning a Grade I barely five months after breaking his maiden must be auspicious; moreover the Big 'Cap looked much worthier of its heritage than has sometimes been the case since being squeezed by gaudy new prizes elsewhere. Runner-up Express Train (Union Rags) appears to be repaying a typically artful grounding by his trainer, while this was a first defeat for the next home, hot favorite Maxfield (Street Sense).

Exciting times, then, at Ashview. The farm is also co-breeder of the 3-year-old Untreated (Nyquist), who recently broke his maiden by 8 3/4 lengths at Tampa Bay on the local Derby undercard. “He was really impressive,” Lyster said. “We've been hearing good things about him for a while and I believe Todd Pletcher and Team Valor have some pretty high hopes.”

And it does feel as though Idol, though a year older, is himself only just getting going. “After his first couple of races, I began to think that this was going to become a serious older horse,” Lyster says. “I don't know whether it was the rider change [to Joel Rosario in the Big 'Cap] or just learning more about the horse. But he looks like a big horse that takes a little while to get going, and when he hit that eighth pole, he laid his head down like he hasn't done before. He was really motoring. And there are a couple of big races in California this year, at that distance, so we'll see–fingers crossed!”

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GII San Pasqual S., the bay was kept off the inside and unhurried as he sat second last. Last year's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby hero King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) provided plenty of pace through splits of :22.82, :47.12 and 1:12.26. Joel Rosario began to shake the reins at Idol heading towards the three-eighths pole, as Express Train and Maxfield mounted their own bids. Express Train stuck the front leaving the home bend, and Maxfield needed to find more as both Independence Hall (Constitution) and Tizamagician (Tiznow) got in the mix. Idol, meanwhile, continued to plug away down the center, found his best stride in midstretch and bounded to the front with good-looking strides to notch a breakthrough victory.

“My horse loves this distance,” Rosario said. “I just wanted to keep him away from the rail and he handled it easily. He responded when it came time to run and he had some kick. I appreciate the opportunity Richard Baltas gave me for this ride.  I had never been on him. I watched all his races and I could see he tries hard every time. What a strong finish today!  He ran really big.”

Second in his six-furlong unveiling at Churchill Sept. 5, Idol graduated over an additional eighth three weeks later, good for a solid 94 Beyer Speed Figure. He dominated a 1 3/16-mile allowance under the Twin Spires Nov. 8, and finished up his late-starting sophomore campaign with a close second to re-opposing Kiss Today Goodbye (Cairo Prince) in the local

8 1/2-panel GII San Antonio S. Dec. 26. Tizamagician finished between Express Train and Idol in the San Pasqual after setting the pace.

“I know he was running really hard around the turn, he was wide, he was far back but Joel said he didn't want any of the kick back in his face, so we took the wide route,” said conditioner Richard Baltas. “He's got a big lovely long stride so that's why we were thinking a mile and a quarter for sure. We needed all of Joel Rosario's power in the stretch to get him home. It was a great win, it's a race you dream about winning.

“It's unbelievable, I've been coming here since I was 13 years old. Before I even got to be a horse trainer, I saw all the greats run here in the Big 'Cap and  you never think that you're gonna be here but you keep working hard and God blessed you.

“[Owner] Calvin [Nguyen] came and claimed a horse with me named Freedom Crest, it was our first horse. I've had several different jobs back and forth, Calvin's always been a loyal guy and he wanted to come back. This was a blessing for both of us. Loyalty means a lot.”

Freedom Crest, claimed as a maiden for $32,000 in 1999, would go on to take the GII San Pasqual H. and GII Goodwood Breeders' Cup H. in 2001. He was 10th in the following year's Big 'Cap.

“It's been a wild ride,” said Nguyen. “Richie's put together a great team and I'm just very fortunate to be a part of it. He's just a great guy, I've known him for so long. He works hard, he's a horse lover, he's here every day… You can't dream about this, we are just very fortunate and you enjoy it while you can.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA H.-GI, $401,500, Santa Anita, 3-6, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.46, ft.
1–IDOL, 119, c, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Marion Ravenwood (SW, $112,598), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Andujar, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Nureyev's Best, by Nureyev
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. ($375,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Calvin Nguyen; B-My
Meadowview LLC (KY); T-Richard Baltas; J-Joel Rosario.
$240,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1, $416,464. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*.
2–Express Train, 123, 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. $80,000.
3–Maxfield, 124, c, 4, Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $48,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, HF. Odds: 5.40, 5.00, 1.10.
Also Ran: Independence Hall, Tizamagician, Kiss Today Goodbye, Coastal Defense, King Guillermo. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:

The lightly raced Idol became the 75th stakes winner for Curlin, who made the transition from two-time Horse of the Year to one of the country's leading sires. Standing at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Curlin has 37 graded winners, including additional 2021 GSW Clairiere, one of the early favorites for the GI Kentucky Oaks. The cross of Curlin over A.P. Indy is turning into a classic, with seven black-type winners bred on the identical cross as Idol, including GISW Global Campaign and GSW Malathaat. Super broodmare sire A.P. Indy also added to his ever-growing total of stakes winners out of his daughters, ending Saturday at 231 with Idol's initial Grade I score and Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile)'s GIII Gotham S. Idol's dam, a listed winner, sold for $400,000 at Keeneland November when Idol was a weanling. Her 2019 filly, who hammered for $350,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, is a full-sister to Idol. Marion Ravenwood also has a 2020 colt by Violence and was bred to City of Light for this term. Her fifth dam, Your Hostess, a full-sister to Kelso's sire Your Host, was granddam of 1969 Derby/Preakness winner Majestic Prince (Raise a Native) and great-great-granddam of 1998 Derby/Preakness winner Real Quiet (Quiet American).

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Owned by Calvin Nguyen, the son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin had won two overnight races at Churchill Downs by daylight margins as a 3-year-old before tackling older in the San Antonio on Dec. 26.

Out of stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Marion Ravenwood, Idol commanded a final bid of $375,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The late-developing colt did not debut until Sept. 5 of his sophomore season, then broke his maiden and won an allowance, both at Churchill Downs, by a combined 8 1/4 lengths. Idol's second-place finish in the San Antonio came in just his fourth career start.

Through 12 racing days, Baltas has run 42 horses to rank third behind perennial category leader Doug O'Neill (55) and Peter Miller (44).

Meanwhile, Venetian Harbor is “almost ready to come in” from Kentucky after a three-month freshening following her race in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 6, in which she finished far back after attending the pace early in the seven-furlong event.

“We gave her 90 days off at the farm and she's coming back into training,” Baltas said of the daughter of Munnings, winner of two Grade 2 stakes last year, the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita and the Raven Run at Keeneland.

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Bob and Jackie, who was supplemented to the November Sale, was consigned by St George Sales, agent. Out of the Eskendereya mare Fateer, he has won four of eight starts, including the Wickerr, Let It Ride and Eddie Logan, and earned $209,551.

With the lone purchase, Price/Recio Bloodstock was the session's leading buyer.

On Monday, Keeneland sold 256 horses for $3,797,300, for an average of $14,833 and a median of $8,000.

Cumulatively through eight sessions, 1,768 horses have sold for $144,012,000, for an average of $81,455 and a median of $32,000.

Also supplemented to the sale and consigned by St George Sales, agent, was Alex Joon, a 3-year-old Flatter colt who sold to Donald K. Strickland for $120,000. Second in a Churchill Downs allowance race on Oct. 29, Alex Joon scored his first win at Churchill in December 2019.

Convinced, a 5-year-old daughter of Tiznow whose dam, Tap of the Day, by Pulpit, is a full sister to leading sire Tapit, sold to Four Star Sales for $85,000. Vinery Sales, agent, consigned the mare, who is in foal to Maclean's Music. Her family includes champion Rubiano as well as Grade 2 winners Madefromlucky and Dubleo. 

McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, agent, paid $77,000 for Well Hello, a 5-year-old daughter of Quality Road carrying her first foal by Outwork. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, she is out of the winning Not For Love mare Just Say Goodbye and from the family of Grade 2 winner Wicapi and such as stakes winners as Water Cannon and Jet Run.

The next two top-priced horses were weanlings from the first crops of their respective sires: a filly by Free Drop Billy for $72,000 and a filly by City of Light for $70,000.

Spendthrift Farm purchased the daughter of Free Drop Billy, who was consigned by Vinery Sales, agent. Out of the winning Stormy Atlantic mare Help the Children, she is from the family of multiple Grade 3 winner Humble Clerk.

VIP Farm acquired the filly by City of Light, who is out of winner Union Prayer, by Dixie Union. Consigned by Vinery Sales, agent for Spendthrift Farm, she is from the family of Grade 1 winner Malibu Prayer and Grade 2 winners Tap Dance, Valid and Silverside.

The session's leading consignor was Lane's End, agent, which sold 31 horses for $425,200.

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The British-bred daughter of Showcasing packed 120 pounds and got a picture-perfect ride from Flavien Prat and caught DRJ Racing, Kenney or Strauss' Tonahutu just in the shadow of the wire. Finishing third was Agave Racing Stable's Harmless.

Race favorite Beau Recall put in only a mild late bid and finished fifth beaten just under two lengths in the seven-horse lineup.

The tally was the eighth stakes score in just 12 racing days for rider Prat, who now has 21 firsts at the session, second best among all riders to Umberto Rispoli, who won four races on the afternoon to forge to the top with 22 scores.

“I had a good post (#2) today, so I was able to get right on the fence and save ground,” said Prat. “I knew they were going slow, but my filly has a good turn of foot and we got it done.”

The 4-year-old Bodhicitta paid $11.20, $5.40 and $4.00 across the board and earned a winner's share of $90,000 from the Yellow Ribbon purse of $151,000. She now has amassed $265,808 in winnings with her fourth stateside score and initial stakes victory.

This was the 68th edition of the Yellow Ribbon for fillies and mares, aged 3 and up, and the winner covered the mile and one-sixteenth distance on the Del Mar turf course in 1:42.83.

“The race went about like I thought it would, I didn't see much speed in the race,” said Baltas. “She has more tactical speed than some of the horses, like Beau Recall and others who come from the back. He (Flavien Prat) saved a lot of ground and we needed all of it. When he won with her awhile back, he said 'This is my next (multiple-stakes winner) Vasilika'.  It means a lot because he's ridden a lot of good horses. We may go here in the Mabee ($150,000, Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes, September 5).”

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