Shadwell Stable went to $1.6 million to acquire SAHLABIYA (Medaglia d'Oro) at Keeneland September and she debuts in this spot for trainer Chad Brown. The bay is a half-sister to GSW Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy), himself a $1.1-million KEESEP buy. Brown also unveils Bobby Flay homebred Contemporary Art (Dubawi {Ire}). She is out of GSW Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who is a daughter of MG1SW Misty For Me (Ire) (Falileo {Ire}). That Coolmore blue hen is also the dam of European Highweight and MG1SW U S Navy Flag (War Front) and MG1SW Roly Poly (War Front). Misty For Me is a full-sister to Group 1 winner Ballydoyle (Ire) and SW & MGSP Twirl (Ire). TJCIS PPs
Klaravich Stables' Early Voting (Gun Runner) is possible to make his next start in the May 21 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico, although trainer Chad Brown may opt to enter the GIII Withers S. winner Monday in the GI Kentucky Derby if there is a strategic defection. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer will be represented by Keeneland's GI Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart) at Churchill Downs for the Derby.
“Right now the horse is still in New York preparing for the Preakness,” Brown said of Early Voting. “If the complexion of the Derby field changes a certain way before the race, it's not out of the question that I go ahead and ship him over to Churchill and enter him in the Derby. But right now we're planning on running in the Preakness.”
He continued, “We have the points [to get in the Derby]. The horse is doing well. We have the flexibility to keep it as an option. No one is forcing us to make a decision earlier than we want. I don't want to make a 'final' decision and then change your mind. That's worse than delaying. Things happen. Horses drop out, the pace scenario could change, things like that. Seth [Klarman] and I want to handle it intelligently. We want the flexibility. But if everything stays the way it is right now with the field, I plan on running the horse in the Preakness.”
Early Voting has raced only three times: winning a one-mile maiden race at Aqueduct Dec. 18, followed by a 4 1/2-length victory over Un Ojo (Laoban) in the Withers Feb. 5 before finishing second to Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) in the GII Wood Memorial Apr.9. Un Ojo subsequently won the GII Rebel S. at odds of 75-1 at Oaklawn Feb. 26.
“With only three starts under his belt, putting him in a 20-horse field not even knowing what post you're going to draw and bringing him all the way over here [to Churchill], I didn't feel was a good gamble for the future of the horse. Seth feels the same way. However, if the field changes in such a way where it looks like he's moving up to be one of the main contenders and maybe one of the only pace horses in the race, then I would change my mind.”
Early Voting's path to the Preakness is similar to that of former Brown charge, Cloud Computing, who captured the Classic in 2017. Also owned by Klaravich, Cloud Computing also ran three times, winning his debut at Aqueduct in February, finishing second in the GIII Gotham S. before coming home third in the Wood. He also skipped the Derby before winning the Preakness.
“We've won the Preakness before, obviously,” Brown said. “With Seth being a Baltimore native, it's a very important race to him and he'd be honored to win it a second time, he tells me. So it's not a disappointing goal to shoot for. We hold the race in high regard, and we want to do the right thing for the horse for the future, too, beyond the Derby and the Preakness.”
He added, “This horse has a big career ahead of him. Right now he's a beautiful, sound, improving horse. We want to continue to develop him.”
Klaravich Stables' Consumer Spending (f, 3, More Than Ready-Siempre Mia, by Scat Daddy) defeated returning GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca to win the Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct Sunday to cap a spring meet where her connections won both leading trainer and owner titles.
Pizza Bianca, the 4-5 favorite, settled off a mild pace and Consumer Spending, at 7-1, sat just off the Breeders' Cup winner. Consumer Spending tracked as the favorite rolled up three wide on the far turn and engaged her rival while four wide into the stretch. The two fillies went toe to toe before Consumer Spending put Pizza Bianca away late and inched clear to a 3/4-length victory. Consumer Spending, a maiden winner over the Saratoga lawn last Sept. 6, punched her ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a win in the Oct. 2 Selima S. at Laurel. She was a close-up sixth behind Pizza Bianca at Del Mar last November in a blanket finish.
“This filly has really done well over the winter…Trainers will say it, but she really did do what you want to see from two-to-three, both physically and mentally, almost to the point I was almost surprised how much she improved,” said Chad Brown post-race. “I wasn't sure off the Breeders' Cup if she was the type to train on. I was torn between if she was a juvenile that got there early, or is she going to show some good quality down the road. It was pretty apparent from February that this filly was really going the right way and doing everything you need to do to have a nice career ahead of her. She certainly proved it today.”
Her dam's second foal, Consumer Spending has a winning older half-brother named Behavin Myself (Malibu Moon) and a 2-year-old half-brother by Empire Maker named Baba Voss as well as a yearling full-sister. The mare is expecting a 2022 foal by American Pharoah this season. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
MEMORIES OF SILVER S., $100,000, Aqueduct, 4-24, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.59, fm.
1–CONSUMER SPENDING, 122, f, 3, by More Than Ready 1st Dam: Siempre Mia, by Scat Daddy 2nd Dam: Shaconage, by El Prado (Ire) 3rd Dam: Carita Tostada (Chi), by Gallantsky
($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Forging Oaks Farm LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Manuel Franco. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $240,000.
2–Pizza Bianca, 122, f, 3, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–White Hot (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Bobby Flay; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $20,000.
3–Sail By, 122, f, 3, Astern (Aus)–Fly By, by Johar. O-Treadway Racing Stable; B-Jeff Treadway (KY); T-Leah Gyarmati. $12,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.45, 0.90, 15.50.
Also Ran: Miss You Ella, Alittleloveandluck, On Alert. Scratched: Waters of Merom.
With two weeks remaining until the first weekend of May, several chief protagonists for the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks turned in some key breezes in Kentucky and California.
Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart), who cemented his spot in the Derby field with an eye-catching victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 9, has remained in Lexington to train up to the big race and went a half-mile in :48.60 (see below). The $170,000 Keeneland September graduate covered his opening furlong in :12.80, then gradually picked up speed through subsequent splits of :25.20 and :37 flat, with trainer Chad Brown and big-race rider Flavien Prat observing from the grandstand. Zandon galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80, three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.80 and was up seven panels in 1:27.80.
“He was moving super; just what we wanted to see,” Brown said. “We just wanted to maintain where he is. He does not have to get any fitter. I was impressed with how he galloped out.”
Zandon is scheduled to ship to Churchill Sunday morning and will have his final Derby drill next Saturday.
WATCH: Zandon breezes a half-mile at Keeneland
Among those working beneath the Twin Spires Saturday was Blue Grass runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star'Smile Happy (Runhappy), who worked five furlongs in the company of his GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks-winning stable companion Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb). Smile Happy, whose docket includes a second-out victory in Churchill's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., began the work about one length ahead of Brian Hernandez, Jr. and Tiz the Bomb (1:00.20), who moved to the outside of Smile Happy (1:00.40) and finished on even terms.
“We were just looking for an easy move today and we got that,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “We'll probably do the same thing again next week.”
A day after stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) sizzled six furlongs in 1:12.40, Gold Square's GI Arkansas Derby hero Cyberknife (Gun Runner) followed suit Saturday morning. Working at 5:15 a.m. with Florent Geroux at the controls, the Gold Square colorbearer went the same distance a tick quicker, then galloped out an extra furlong in :12.40, according to noted Churchill clocker John Nichols. Geroux also breezed Zozos on Friday, but retains the call on Cyberknife for the Derby.
“It was a really strong move and he's a really good work horse,” Geroux said. “He continues to improve as time goes on and he showed that winning the Arkansas Derby. Even going back to his allowance win before the Arkansas Derby he showed a new level of class.”
WATCH: Brad Cox discusses Cyberknife's work with Jennie Rees
The one-eyed Un Ojo (Laoban) was also out for a serious move Saturday morning at Churchill, working five furlongs in :59.40 for trainer Ricky Courville in splits of :11.60, :23, :35 and :47.60 before galloping out six panels in 1:12.20.
“It's amazing being here at Churchill Downs,” said Courville's son Clay. “I've been here before but nothing like this. [Un Ojo] is getting over the track really well.”
At Santa Anita Saturday morning, 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) went five furlongs in :59.80 for trainer Tim Yakteen, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 and change, per a tweet from the ownership group's Tom Ryan. The Ontario-bred works again next Friday before shipping to Kentucky.
Expected to work Sunday are the Steve Asmussen duo of GII Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter (Not This Time) and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), each among the favorites for the Derby and Oaks, respectively.
Winngate Stables' Kathleen O. (Upstart), undefeated winner of the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and also among the top fancies for the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, prepped for that engagement Saturday at Keeneland, breezing a measured half-mile in :48.80 (see below) for her Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey.
“She picked it up and galloped out strong,” said assistant trainer Anthony Hamilton. “We are in good shape. She's a happy horse–that's what you look for.”
Kathleen O. ships across to Churchill Monday or Tuesday, according to Hamilton.
Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}), upset winner of the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park Apr. 2, went four furlongs in :49.20 (video) with Rafael Bejarano in the irons.
“This was her last work here,” said Bejarano, who rode Candy Raid for the first time in the victory at Turfway. “She's feeling good. I got her out five-eighths in 1:02 and change.”
Candy Raid is scheduled to ship to Churchill on Thursday and have her final pre-Oaks work there.
Oaks workers at Churchill included GIII Pocahontas S. winner Hidden Connection (Connect, 5f in 1:00.60); GIII Gazelle S. victress Nostalgic (Medaglia d'Oro, 4f, :48.80); and Busher S. romper and Gazelle runner-up Venti Valentine (Firing Line, 4f, :47.40).
WATCH: Kathleen O. breezes towards the Oaks at Keeneland
cruised 59.8 with 