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Twirling Candy Filly Walks All Over Regret Rivals

Walkathon got the jump on odds-on McKulick and kept finding in the lane to make the grade and stay unbeaten on gras while becoming jockey Julien Leparoux's 1000th winner at Churchill Downs.

Having finished second and fourth in her second and third starts, respectively, sprinting on the main track, Walkathon was runner-up in a rained-onto-Tapeta Gulfstream route Feb. 13. She resurfaced to graduate over the Keeneland turf Apr. 22, and was flattered when the next two finishers came back to earn their own diplomas. The Whitham homebred was coming off a first-level allowance tally going a sixteenth shorter here May 14.

Away on top from the rail, Walkathon was eventually reined in by Leparoux to sit second behind keyed-up longshot Lola Flo (Get Stormy). They crawled down the backside single file through a half in :48.46 and six furlongs in 1:12.91, and as the pacesetter dropped anchor midway around the home bend Walkathon quickly seized command. She was three or four lengths clear at the head of the stretch, and was not for catching from there.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
REGRET S.-GIII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 6-4, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.26, fm.
1–WALKATHON, 118, f, 3, by Twirling Candy
                1st Dam: Walkabout (GSW, $242,563), by Stroll
                2nd Dam: Arlucea, by Broad Brush
                3rd Dam: Bayakoa (Arg), by Consultant's Bid
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes; J-Julien R. Leparoux. $122,760. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $290,341. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–McKulick (GB), 118, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Astrelle (Ire), by Makfi (GB). (180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $39,600.
3–Beside Herself, 118, f, 3, Uncle Mo–Excited, by Giant's Causeway. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Michael B. Tabor; B-Chelston (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $19,800.
Margins: 1 1/4, 6 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 2.60, 0.80, 4.40.
Also Ran: Kneesnhips, Candy Raid, Lola Flo. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Walkathon becomes the 15th graded stakes winner for her sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}), and the third out of a mare by Stroll, who also sired the dam of talented GISW Ollie's Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}). She traces her lineage back to Janis and Frank Whitham's most noteworthy of many standout runners, with Hall of Famer Bayako (Arg) as her third dam. Fort Larned (E Dubai), these connections' 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner, is a half to Walkathon's dam, herself a winner of the GIII Matron S. over this main track in 2017. After producing Walkathon in her first mating, Walkabout lost a Mendelssohn foal and was unsuccessfully bred to Omaha Beach thereafter. She produced a colt by Nyquist Apr. 25.

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Saturday Insights: The Urban Sea Influence on American Shores

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
5th-GP, $50,000, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 3:13 p.m. ET
A day after her half-brothers Galileo (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire) accounted for the two Group 1 winners on Cazoo Oaks day at Epsom, Live Oak's Grade I winner My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) is represented by the debuting TYPHOON'S LEGACY (Kitten's Joy). Charlotte Weber's operation paid a sales-topping (more than three times the price of the next most expensive offering) 1.8 million gns ($2,942,730) for My Typhoon when offered by the Irish National Stud at the 2002 Tattersalls December Foal Sale and she earned back $1.3 million at the races, including a victory in the 2007 GI Diana S. at Saratoga. In addition to Galileo, whose daughter Tuesday (Ire) won Friday's main event at Epsom, and Sea The Stars, whose son Hukum (GB) was imperious in taking out the G1 Coronation Cup, My Typhoon is kin to G1SW Black Sam Bellamy (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and SW & G1SP Born to Sea (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), among others. TJCIS PPs

Rising Star's First Foal Set for Debut…
3rd-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, post time: 1:43 p.m. ET
GUNNING (Gun Runner) is the first foal to the races out of former 'TDN Rising Star' Puca (Big Brown), a stakes winner and Grade II-placed before selling to Robert Clay's Grandview Equine with this filly in utero for $475,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Herself a daughter of Boat's Ghost (Silver Ghost), Puca is a half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}). TJCIS PPs

Well-Bred Firsters Step Out at the Jersey Shore…
4th-MTH, $57K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, post time: 1:39 p.m. ET
PASS AND STOW (Medaglia d'Oro), a $100K KEESEP RNA, is a son of Paola Queen (Flatter), 55-1 winner of the 2016 GI Test S. and sold at that year's Keeneland November sale for $1.7 million. She was acquired for that same amount by Don Alberto Corp. at KEENOV in 2017, and the year-younger half-sibling to Pass and Stow, a colt by Into Mischief, topped last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale on a bid of $2.6 million. The latter was on the Saratoga worktab as recently as June 2, breezing three-eighths of a mile in :36.91. Balantyne (Tapit), purchased for $310K at KEESEP in 2020, is out of GSW/GISP Graeme Six (Graeme Hall), making him a half-brother to GSWs Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}) and SW Seymourdini (Bernardini) and a full-brother to GIII Monmouth Oaks heroine Delightful Joy. TJCIS PPs

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Good Magic Represented By First Winner at Churchill

Curly Jack gave his Eclipse-winning young sire Good Magic his first winner with a stylish debut victory at Churchill Downs Thursday afternoon. Given a 4-1 chance, the $180,000 KEESEP acquisition was away without issue from his rail draw and tugged his way up the fence to seize the early advantage, clocking a :22.33 opening quarter. Pressed by Boxster (West Coast) through a :45.62 half-mile, the bay dispatched that foe with ease in the lane, rolling clear to a four-length score.

GISP Connie and Michael is also responsible for the SP 3-year-old filly Fannie and Freddie (Malibu Moon). Her most recent produce is a yearling colt by Gun Runner. Connie and Michael is a half to graded winners High Ridge Road (Quality Road) and Senor Rojo (Out of Place).

Good Magic broke his maiden in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, resulting in an Eclipse Award. The GI Haskell Invitational S. winner stands alongside his sire Curlin at Hill 'n' Dale for $30,000.

2nd-Churchill Downs, $118,095, Msw, 6-2, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.28, ft, 4 lengths.
CURLY JACK (c, 2, Good Magic–Connie and Michael {GISP, $136,860}, by Roman Ruler) Sales history: $180,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,460. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Michael McLoughlin; B-Betz/J.Betz/Burns/Camaquiki/C.Kidder/et al (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss.

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CHRB Charges That Miller Was Actively Training During His Hiatus

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has filed a complaint against trainer Peter Miller, alleging that he was involved in the daily training of horses after they had been turned over to and put under the name of his former assistant Ruben Alvarado.

Alvarado has also been charged in a separate complaint involving the same allegations.

In November, Miller announced that he was taking a “temporary hiatus” from training to spend “more time with my family, focus on overall health and wellness, and pursue other interests.” The announcement created speculation that Miller was stepping away because he had come under scrutiny for having five horses die under his care due to catastrophic injuries in 2021. But Miller insisted that his decision to stop training had nothing to do with any factors other than his feeling that he needed time away from the sport.

Miller made his last start in 2021 on Nov. 28. The majority of his stable was then placed under Alvarado's name and Alvarado made his debut as a head trainer Dec. 3.

The CHRB is now charging that Miller never fully stepped away. According to the complaint, between Dec. 23, 2021 and Mar. 24, 2022 Miller “engaged in behavior consistent with the duties of a trainer at the San Luis Rey Training Center with horses in the barn of Ruben Alvarado.” The CHRB has charged that Miller entered horses, conducted endoscopy exams, gave instructions to riders, examined horses, consulted with veterinarians, controlled and accessed bank accounts belonging to Alvarado Racing Stables, assigned jockeys and created training charts.

In the complaint issued against Alvarado, the CHRB wrote that Alvarado acknowledged that he was aware that Miller had continued to handle many of the training duties regarding the running of stable. It was also noted in the complaint that Alvarado did not set up a stable bank account independent of Miller, which was required per the Stewards's direction.

The complaint was issued May 23. Miller has been notified to appear before the stewards at Los Alamitos June 20. Alvarado's hearing in set for July 18 at Los Alamitos. Should the stewards rule that Alvarado and/or Miller did in fact conspire to allow Miller to train behind the scenes, it is not clear what the penalty might be. However, the complaint acknowledges that the stewards are empowered to impose a number of penalties, including a suspension of that person's license.

Miller did not respond to a text seeking comment Wednesday.

Last week, Miller entered a horse under his own name at Churchill Downs and said he was ready to return to training. The horse, Respect the Code (Honor Code), finished sixth in a May 29 allowance at Churchill. Miller said that Respect the Code was the only horse he had in Kentucky and that his main focus upon his comeback would be the upcoming Los Alamitos and Del Mar meets in California. 1/ST Racing has said little about Miller's status at Santa Anita. Alvarado has horses entered at Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday. Alvarado has compiled a record of 23 for 134 (17%) and won this year's GIII Las Cienegas S.

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