Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Must Be the Money Runs To His Odds After Poor Beginning For Paul McGee

Hopes were high when Must Be the Money (Paynter) made his first start Wednesday for trainer Paul McGee. The betting public agreed, pushing the bay colt down into the 3-2 favorite's slot as the field loaded into the gate at Churchill Downs. But, when the latches sprung open and the field came away, Must Be the Money was caught flat-footed and quickly found himself in chase mode at the back of the pack. Able to weave his way through the field to be an outside fifth at the top of the stretch, he rallied widest of all and, despite trying to lug in down the lane, powered past the leading pair in the final sixteenth for the clear victory.

Speaking to Paul Lo Duca after the race, winning trainer Paul McGee admitted, “Oh certainly [I was nervous] (referencing the break). He's been breezing from the gate exceptionally well so it really threw me for a loop when he got away like that. It was a horrible start but he sure did make up for it late in the race.”

A bay son of GI TVG.com Haskell S. winner Paynter, Must Be the Money races for owner Silverton Hill LLC and is the first winner and second foal out of the Congrats mare Spider Walkin, herself a half-sister to GSP Bizwhacks (Fed Biz). Just a $50,000 KEESEP yearling last year, he's now more than earned back his purchase price in just his first start.

“Being by Paynter, he should stretch out,” McGee continued. “And we're hoping for good things to come.”

In a message to the TDN, McGee confirmed Must Be the Money's next step.

“Likely an allowance race at Keeneland or the Churchill November meet. [We'll] stretch him out.”

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Echo Zulu Returns To Winning Ways in Dogwood

Reigning champion 2-year-old filly and 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu made it five stakes wins on Saturday for her sire Gun Runner with a dominant performance in the GIII Dogwood S. under the lights at Churchill Downs. Last seen tasting defeat for the first time when a tiring fourth behind Secret Oath (Arrogate) in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks over this track, the $300,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was off at 51 cents on the dollar to return to winning ways and did just that. Away quickest of all from the inside barrier, the Steve Asmussen trainee showed the way through moderate fractions as you could have thrown a blanket across the five of them at the half-mile. They were all stacked up behind the champ, ready to pounce if the favorite faltered, but Echo Zulu went through her gears in the final furlong and a half and crossed the wire 5 1/4 lengths to the good of Tarabi.

Echo Zulu, who was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her debut win at Saratoga last July, won the GI Spinaway S. and GI Frizette S. before capping her championship season with a 5 1/4-length victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies S. She opened her sophomore campaign with a gritty win in the Mar. 26 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, but weakened to fourth when suffering her first loss in the May 6 GI Kentucky Oaks. The champ was scratched behind the gate of the June 11 GI Acorn S.

Pedigree Notes:

Adding to Gun Runner's Grade I sweep Saturday afternoon at Parx with Taiba and Society were 11-1 Sixtythreecaliber in the Seneca Overnight S. and Gunite in the Fort Harrod S. prior to Echo Zulu's tour-de-force.

Echo Zulu, a daughter of 2005 GII Forward Gal S. winner Legomyecho, has an unraced 2-year-old half-sister by American Pharoah named Doing Justice who sold for $1.4 million at the 2021 Keeneland September sale.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
DOGWOOD S.-GIII, $274,000, Churchill Downs, 9-24, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.43, ft.
1–ECHO ZULU, 122, f, 3, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Letgomyecho (GSW, $136,200), by Menifee
                2nd Dam: Echo Echo Echo, by Eastern Echo
                3rd Dam: Kashie West, by Sir Ivor
'TDN Rising Star'. ($300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-L & N Racing
LLC & Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Betz/J.
Betz/Burns/CHNNHK/Magers/CoCo Equine/Ramsby (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $169,500.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old filly, MGISW, 7-6-0-0,
$1,946,375. *1/2 to Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song), GSP,
$253,478; J Boys Echo (Mineshaft), GSW, $377,543; Echo
Town (Speightstown), GISW, $410,020.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Tarabi, 120, f, 3, First Samurai–Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie.
($240,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-LBD Stable LLC, Manganaro
Bloodstock & David Ingordo; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Cherie
DeVaux. $55,000.
3–Colorful Mischief, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Color Me Flying, by
Distorted Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($300,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-St. Elias Stable; B-Clearsky Farms
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $27,500.
Margins: 5 1/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 0.51, 2.75, 11.86.
Also Ran: Last Leaf, Gunning. Scratched: Chasing Fireflies, Wicked Halo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Protege Keeps The Momentum Rolling for Good Magic

6th-Churchill Downs, $123,375, Msw, 9-21, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.93, ft, 1 3/4 lengths.
PROTEGE (c, 2, Good Magic–Taboo, by Forestry) became the 11th winner for his in-form first-crop sire (by Curlin) with a good-looking victory beneath the Twin Spires Wednesday. The $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer (see below) was sent off at odds of 10.55-1 and jumped about midfield before working his way forward to sit third, just off dueling pacesetters. Warming up to the task three wide approaching the stretch, the Apr. 25 foal claimed pace-pressing Lugan Knight (Goldencents) with a furlong and a half to race and edged away to post a 1 3/4-length victory. John Moores and Charles Noell's Merriebelle Stable acquired Taboo–a daughter of GISW Dream of Summer (Siberian Summer) and therefore a half-sister to GISWs Creative Cause (Giant's Causeway) and Vexatious (Giant's Causeway); MGSW & GISP Destin (Giant's Causeway); and Summer Promise (Uncle Mo), recent runner-up in the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga–for $125,000 in foal to Orb at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale. The in-utero foal would become the filly Der Lu (Orb), GSP, $165,800, herself a $900,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida juvenile purchase who was a debut winner at Del Mar in 2016 (83 Beyer) and missed by a nose in the GIII La Canada S. the following season. Taboo is the dam of an Audible filly that was knocked down to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $300,000 during the opening session at Keeneland September, a filly foal by McKinzie and was most recently covered by Tiz the Law. Among Good Magic's winners are GII Sorrento S. victress Vegas Magic, GIII Iroquois S. upsetter Curly Jack and 'TDN Rising Star' Blazing Sevens, runner-up in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. Sales history: $140,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Harry T Rosenblum; B-Merriebelle Stable LLC (KY); T-Ron Moquett.

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Godolphin Into Mischief Homebred Rolls to Rising Star Honors

Sent off at odds of 2-1 despite a difficult draw in gate 12, Godolphin's Pretty Mischievous (f, 2, Into Mischief–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) did it toughest of all, but was there for Tyler Gaffalione when push came to shove and went on to prevail by 2 1/4 deceptively easy lengths to become the 33rd 'TDN Rising Star' for her boom sire.

Away without incident from the wide outside, the homebred raced four wide in the breeze just off a trio of pacesetters up ahead of her. Cruising along in hand as they raced around the turn, Pretty Mischievous breezed up to her rivals to make a line of four at the head of the stretch, showed some agility to open up when asked approaching the final furlong and was not fully extended to take it by a comfortable margin.

Pretty Mischievous is the second foal to the races from her dam, who shared the spoils with her sire's daughter Sweet Loretta in the 2016 GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga. Pretty City Dancer is a half-sister to Lear's Princess (Lear Fan), who defeated GI Belmont S. heroine Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) in the 2007 GI Gazelle S., and was acquired by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock on behalf of Godolphin for $3.5 million in foal to Medaglia d'Oro at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The cross of Into Mischief over Tapit mares has resulted in 13 winners, including SW Travieza.

Barren to Uncle Mo for 2021, Pretty City Dancer produced a filly by Medaglia d'Oro this season and was bred back to Street Sense.

7th-Churchill Downs, $123,375, Msw, 9-18, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.17, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS, f, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Pretty City Dancer (GISW, $286,344), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Pretty City, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Pretty Special, by Riverman
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Godolphin LLC (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh.

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