Tag: Conquest Warrior

Fierceness Draws Post 10 for Florida Derby

During Saturday's post-position draw at Gulfstream, Repole Stable's Fierceness (City of Light) was installed the 8-5 favorite on the morning line for next weekend's GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Drawing post 10 in the field off 11, the colt will try to give his trainer Todd Pletcher a record eighth win in the Classic prep. Pletcher won the nine-furlong test with defending 2-year-old champion Forte (Violence) last year.

“Normally I'd be afraid of the outside post, but Forte won from the 11 last year, so you can overcome that,” Pletcher said. “Everybody knows Gulfstream two-turn races are very tricky and I think that's why the start is so important, getting away cleanly. I think what happens in a lot of these two-turn races is the jockeys are so conscious of having to get to the first turn in good position that it can get a little rough leaving the gate sometimes.”

Victorious in last fall's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to a juvenile championship, the colt kicked off his sophomore campaign with a third in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3.

Pletcher will also be represented by Repole's recent maiden winner Bail Us Out (Lookin At Lucky), who drew post three. The former will be ridden by Johnny Velazquez while the latter will be accompanied by Irad Ortiz Jr.

D.J. Stable LLC and Robert Cotran's undefeated Hades (Awesome Slew), a front-running winner in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, drew post 2 and will be accompanied by regular pilot Paco Lopez. He was installed the 7-2 third choice on the morning line.

Courtlandt Farm's Conquest Warrior (City of Light), who is coming off back-to-back wins at Gulfstream including a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance Mar. 1, drew the nine hole for Saturday's race. Given a 3-1 chance on the morning line, the colt is trained by Shug McGaughey, who also saddled Orb for victories in the 2013 GI Florida Derby and GI Kentucky Derby. Jose Ortiz gets the mount.

Also slated to run: Frankie's Empire (Classic Empire) (12-1, Post 1); Grand Mo the First (Uncle Mo) (15-1, Post 4); Real Macho (Mucho Macho Man) (20-1, Post 5); Le Dom Bro (Mucho Macho Man) (15-1, Post 6); Catalytic (Catalina Cruiser) (20-1, Post 7); Seminole Chief (Girvin) (30-1, Post 8); Iris's Dream (Jess's Dream) (30-1, Post 11).

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‘Rising Star’ Conquest Warrior Earns Possible Florida Derby Ticket In GP Allowance Romp

The defection of big-figure maiden winner Speak Easy (Constitution) to Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. made the task at hand for 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time, by Pulpit) that much easier on paper, and the Courtlandt Farms colorbearer made light work of the six rivals that stuck around to likely punch his ticket to the GI Curlin Florida Derby in four weeks' time.

Away only fairly, the 3-5 chalk was handy enough to the early pace of 5-2 second pick Merit (Mastery)–rerouted from the Fountain of Youth–banking around the first turn and was settled nicely in fourth by Jose Ortiz through early sections of :23.79 and :47.62. Traveling a path or two away from the inside down the backstretch as the pacesetter opened just a touch of daylight, Conquest Warrior was ridden along just a bit 3 1/2 furlongs out, and when Raguel (Justify) failed to go on from a three-wide position, he had dead aim on the pacesetter. Claiming that one more or less on his own courage at the three-sixteenths, Conquest Warrior quickly opened up and was under a full-nelson for the final sixteenth of a mile, stopping the clock in a very respectable 1:50.52 for the nine furlongs on a fast strip.

“I thought there was a couple horses in there that might show a little speed. He wanted to be a little keen going into the first [turn] but then he settled perfect for [Ortiz]. I thought it was a perfect race for him,” winning trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He got to settle in behind horses, eat a little dirt, make his run the way you'd want him to and finished up on his own. When those horses came to him galloping out [Ortiz] said he wanted to go with them, so he let him do it. I'm pleased.”

A debut third to giant-figure El Capi (Maclean's Music) going seven furlongs in the Aqueduct mud Dec. 2, Conquest Warrior was pinched at the start of a local mile maiden Jan. 13 and was steadied a couple of more times in transit, but nevertheless managed to overcome all that to graduate by a half-length. The runner-up on that occasion, Centennial Farms' Antiquarian (Preservationist), backed up that effort with a maiden-breaking victory of his own on the Risen Star undercard at the Fair Grounds Feb. 22.

McGaughey was non-committal about the colt's next start n the immediate aftermath of the race.

“We'll see,. The timing's good [to the Florida Derby],” he said. “We can take him there, Kentucky or New York. He's got two wins over this track. We only have to travel and hour and a half [from Payson Park] [unlike] the other places. I'll watch [the Fountain of Youth]. I'm looking forward to it.”

Betz Thoroughbreds acquired the three-time stakes-winning Tea Time for $250,000 in foal to Union Rags at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and that produce, a filly named Soul Play, was purchased by Don Adam's team at Keeneland September in 2021 before signing for her half-brother 12 months later. Tea Time's dam Asian Empress (Empire Maker) is a full-sister to GI Juddmonte Spinster S. winner Acoma and a half to five other winners, including the late Grade I-winning sire Arch, as well as the unraced dam of two-time Eclipse Award and dual Grade I winner Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Japanese MGSW/MG1SP Albiano (Harlan's Holiday). Tea Time is responsible for the 2-year-old colt Brodeur (Nyquist), a $110,000 FTKOCT yearling purchse by D J Stable, and is due to Justify this season.

7th-Gulfstream, $73,420, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.52, ft, 5 lengths.
CONQUEST WARRIOR (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time {MSW, $279,966}, by Pulpit) Sales history: Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $96,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Betz/B & K Canetti/J Betz/CoCo Equine/D J Stables (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.

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Friday Insights: ‘Rising Star’ Conquest Warrior Returns To Action At Gulfstream

7th-GP, $75K, A/OC, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 4:08 p.m.

Courtlandt Farms' CONQUEST WARRIOR (City of Light) impressed in his Gulfstream debut Jan. 13 and earned 'TDN Rising Star' status for trainer Shug McGaughey. The $1,000,000 Keeneland September yearling bumps up into allowance company over the local main track Friday and adds an extra 1/8-mile to boot as he preps for a potential run at an upcoming GI Kentucky Derby prep. Conquest Warrior enters off a bullet five-furlong drill Feb. 24 (1:00 3/5 {1/7}).

While main rival Speak Easy (Constitution) will scratch in favor of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S., Conquest Warrior will have to deal with another impressive maiden runner in Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Merit (Mastery) who broke through on debut at Gulfstream by 10 1/4 lengths late last year and was third when last spotted Feb. 3. TJCIS PPS

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Speak Easy Confirmed for Fountain of Youth

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Speak Easy (Constitution), who had been cross-entered in an optional-claimer Friday, will take his place in the line-up for Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park. The sophomore debuted with an impressive victory going seven furlongs at the Hallandale oval Jan. 27. He drew the rail and will be facing eight other 3-year-olds in the 1 1/16-miles Fountain of Youth.

“We like the post and the way he's been training,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was slated to ride Speak Easy Friday, will have the return mount in the Fountain of Youth.

Speak Easy had been installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds entered in Friday's seventh race, a 1 1/8-mile optional-claiming allowance. Courtlandt Farms' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) is expected to be favored in his absence. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Conquest Warrior was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a gutsy victory in a Jan. 13 maiden special weight race.

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