Tag: Coolmore Turf Mile

Up to the Mark ‘Nose’ Way To the Wire in Coolmore Turf Mile

Defying a four-month absence as well as 6-5 favorite Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Up to the Mark (Not This Time) looked to have it all to do turning for home in Saturday's GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland, but the $450,000 Keeneland September acquisition exploded inside the final sixteenth of a mile and dropped his nose on the wire just ahead of the Godolphin runner for a thrilling victory.

Defending champion 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) won the break and showed the way under the line for the first time, but the U.S.-debuting Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was intent on making the lead and did so entering the clubhouse turn. Up to the Mark, making his first start since winning the GI Manhattan S. over a mile and quarter in early June, was content to linger at the rear, racing just to the outside of Master of the Seas–last-out winner of the GI Woodbine Mile–as the field turned up the backstretch. Last but one into the far turn, Up to the Mark did not appear to be traveling that well and was urgently ridden by Jose Ortiz passing the three-eighths marker, giving his chief market rival a golden opportunity to get the jump on him. Master of the Seas did just that, setting sail for the wire, but Up to the Mark was up to the task, as he delivered a flying finish to take it by a long nose. The final time of 1:34.18 was some 0.48 slower than the GI First Lady S. two races earlier, albeit with slightly different dynamics. Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}), also cutting back to a mile off his victory in the 10-furlong GI Arlington Million Aug. 12, finished off strongly to just touch Annapolis out of third.

A maiden winner from five starts on the dirt to begin his career, Up to the Mark was no better than 12-1 when romping in his turf debut at Gulfstream Jan. 28. Following up with a second-level Hallandale allowance Mar. 4, the bay was ambitiously spotted in this track's GI Maker's Mark Mile during the spring meet and hardly disgraced himself in third, a neck behind champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The fast-finishing winner of the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic over nine panels on the Derby undercard at Churchill May 6, he proved far too strong in the Manhattan when last seen.

“We probably made a mistake that day,” Pletcher said of the Maker's Mark. “Modern Games was a huge favorite, and I think we got caught up tactically in what Modern Games was doing instead of just focusing on how Up to the Mark wanted to run.”

As for Saturday's race, Pletcher added, “He got a great trip today. [Jockey] Jose [Ortiz] made a very smart move in the middle of the turn when he decided to follow [Master of the Seas] and things split.”

Pletcher indicated that Up to the Mark's Breeders' Cup options remain open, with both the Mile and the Turf to be considered.

Pedigree Notes:

Up to the Mark was completing a graded double for Not This Time, adding to the success of Arzak in the GII Woodford S. earlier on the program.

One of five elite-level scorers for his white-hot stallion, Up to the Mark is out of an unraced daughter of the outstanding Capote Belle, who carried the Robert and Lawana Low colors to victory in three graded events, including the 1996 GI Test S. Belle's Finale is a full-sister to Zapper Belle, a stakes winner and third in the GIII Valley View S. on the grass, and a half to Gata Bella (Storm Cat), the dam of Catapult (Kitten's Joy), a two-time graded winner on the turf and placed twice in Grade I company, including a runner-up effort in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Belle's Finale is the dam of a 2-year-old filly by West Coast, a yearling colt by McKinzie that was bought back for $170,000 at Keeneland September and a weanling colt by Maxfield. She most recently returned to Not This Time for her 2024 produce.

Saturday, Keeneland
COOLMORE TURF MILE S.-GI, $1,000,000, Keeneland, 10-7, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.18, fm.
1–UP TO THE MARK, 126, c, 4, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Belle's Finale, by Ghostzapper
                2nd Dam: Capote Belle, by Capote
                3rd Dam: Rythmical, by Fappiano
($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-Ramspring Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $589,000. Lifetime Record: 11-6-0-2, $1,831,050. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Master of The Seas (Ire), 126, g, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Firth of Lorne (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $190,000.
3–Set Piece (GB), 126, g, 7, Dansili (GB)–Portodora, by Kingmambo. O/B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Brad H. Cox. $95,000.
Margins: NO, 3, HF. Odds: 2.29, 1.23, 8.68.
Also Ran: Annapolis, English Bee, Harlan Estate, Stitched, Atone, Indestructible (Ire).

Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Keeneland Fall Tickets on Sale Aug. 15

Tickets for Keeneland's upcoming Fall Meet will go on sale to the public Aug. 15 at 9 a.m. All tickets must be pre-purchased via Keeneland's official online ticket office at tickets.Keeneland.com/racing. The meet will run from Oct. 6-28.

Keeneland will award $9.05 million in purse money–a record for any racing season at the track–for 22 stakes. The meet's richest race is the $1-million GI Coolmore Turf Mile during the track's signature opening Fall Stars Weekend. Eight stakes that weekend are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, with winners earning automatic starting positions and free entry into the 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.

“Keeneland's Fall Meet is an exciting time as we showcase racing stars that are competing for berths in the Breeders' Cup and year-end honors,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “The gorgeous fall landscape, the pageantry of racing and the world-class competition all combine to make the fall an exceptionally memorable experience for our horsemen and fans.”

 

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Keeneland Fall Stakes Worth A Record $9.05M

The stakes schedule for the Keeneland Fall Meeting was released Wednesday, featuring 22 events worth a record $9.05 million in prize money.

The richest event is the $1-million GI Coolmore Turf Mile, while the purse for the GI Darley Alcibiades S. has been increased by $100,000 to $600,000. The Franklin S., raised to Grade II status for this running, will receive a $50,000 boost to $350,000. Of the 22 added-money events, 12 are slated for the turf and 10 on the dirt, with six programs offering multiple stakes. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is contributing $1.3 million to Fall Meet stakes purses, pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

“The strength of the Fall Meet stakes schedule reflects our focus on providing the highest-quality racing for our horsemen and fans,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “With these additional increases, all Grade I stakes are now worth a minimum of $600,000; all Grade II stakes are $350,000; Grade III races are $300,000; and listed stakes are $250,000. We believe these purse levels will attract the best in the sport and make for an exciting fall season of racing.”

The traditional kick-off to the Fall Meet is 'FallStars Weekend' Oct. 6-8, with eight 'Win and You're In' qualifiers for various Breeders' Cup divisions. The opening day Alcibiades is complemented by the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. and the GII Jessamine S., sponsored for the first time by the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, taking place Nov. 7. The Saturday, Oct. 7 card features the Coolmore Turf Mile, the GI Breeders' Futurity–in its 10th year of sponsorship by Claiborne Farm–and the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. as Breeders' Cup qualifiers, while the GI First Lady S. and GII Woodford S. are also set for day two of the meet. All three races on the Sunday program offer Breeders' Cup berths: the GI Juddmonte Spinster S., the GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. and the Listed Indian Summer S.

The 40th running of the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Oct. 14 anchors the second week of racing and will bring together some of the world's top 3-year-old turf fillies over nine furlongs on turf in the race first contested in 1984 to commemorate the Queen's visit to Keeneland and Lexington. The GIII Sycamore S. and  Franklin are set for Oct. 13 and Oct. 15, respectively.

The GII Lexus Raven Run S. and GIII Rood & Riddle Dowager S. feature the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22, while the GIII Valley View S., the GIII Hagyard Fayette S. and GIII Bryan Station S. are slated closing weekend Oct. 27 and 28.

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Annapolis Defeats Elders in Coolmore Turf Mile

Bass Racing LLC's 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) would have been one of the chief protagonists in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, but was forced to miss the race after the injury bug bit. Twelve months on, connections have their collective minds set on making up for that missed opportunity, as the colt secured the gun run beneath an in-form Irad Ortiz, Jr. and outsprinted arguably the deepest turf Grade I field of 2022 to become the first 3-year-old since Aussie Rules (Danehill) in 2006 to defeat his elder rivals in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile, a 'Win and You're In' springboard to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile over the same course and trip Nov. 5.

“[This win is] the pinnacle,” said Perry Bass, who races Annapolis with mother Ramona. “[My mother and I] talk about [the racehorses] daily. We fret daily. The lows are the worst, and the highs…I've never experienced a high like this.”

Venturing out of age-restricted competition for the first time in his career, Annapolis secured a foothold at the fence on the back of this year's GI Maker's Mark Mile runner-up Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who pulled fairly hard against Flavien Prat through quick fractions of :23.58 and an even more testing :46.60 with pressure to his outside from longshot Atone (Into Mischief) and Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown). On hold as he continued to slipstream Masen around the turn and into the stretch, Annapolis was momentarily short of room at about the three-sixteenths as Atone did his best to string him up in some traffic, but he went through his gears once into the clear and prevailed comfortably in the finish. Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}), winner of this two years ago and fourth in 2021, raced behind midfield and in the two-wide line trailing last-out GI Fourstardave H. hero Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) and got home well down the center of the course to just touch 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Mile upsetter Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) out of second. Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) closed stoutly from the tail to round out the super.

Forced to miss early-season stakes in Florida and at this venue, Annapolis made his seasonal reappearance in the GIII Penn Mile S. June 3, fighting on bravely to be second to longshot Wow Whata Summer (Summer Front) over boggy ground that was clearly not to his liking. Back to winning ways from off the speed over a sounder surface in the July 4 Manila S. at Belmont, the homebred was an excellent runner-up to the Breeders' Cup-bound Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the stamina-testing GI Saratoga Derby Invitational over a mile and three-sixteenths Aug. 6, but doled out a soft pace when last seen in the Sept. 3 GIII Saranac S. at the Spa and bolted up by 5 1/2 lengths at skinny odds.

“He is very tactical–he can do anything,” said Ortiz, Jr., who rode 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence) to victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity one race prior. Last time [in the Saranac], there wasn't too much speed in the race so we decided to let him do his thing. It was a slow pace..and he was going relaxed; it was pretty much an easy win. But before, in the race at Belmont, he was right in behind the speed and on the bridle and he responded really well with a good turn of foot coming home.

Pedigree Notes:

A 24th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for his outstanding Claiborne-based sire, Annapolis is the second foal from his talented dam, a $260,000 Keeneland September purchase by Mathis Stable, who won the 2014 GII Gazelle S. and was second to Untapable (Tapit) in that year's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, then was acquired by Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stable for $2.15 million at Fasig-Tipton November in late 2014. Kept in training at four, the filly was third to Hall of Famer Tepin (Bernstein) in the 2015 GI First Lady S. She was unplaced in two starts in 2016 and produced the stakes-placed Nevisian Sunrise (War Front) before selling to the Basses' bloodstock agent Steve Young for $4 million with Annapolis in utero at Keeneland November in 2018, second only to the $4.2-million Lady Eli.

A half-sister to former Grade I-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet Alex) and from the family of Grade I winners Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) and Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), My Miss Sophia is the dam of a yearling full-brother to Annapolis and visited Gun Runner earlier this season.

Saturday, Keeneland
COOLMORE TURF MILE S.-GI, $1,000,000, Keeneland, 10-8, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.29, fm.
1–ANNAPOLIS, 123, c, 3, by War Front
                1st Dam: My Miss Sophia (GSW & MGISP, $605,040),
                                by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
                3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $573,500. Lifetime Record:
7-5-2-0, $1,166,100. *Full to Nevisian Sunrise, SP, $196,180.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ivar (Brz), 126, h, 6, Agnes Gold (Jpn)–May Be Now, by Smart
Strike. O-Bonne Chance Farm, LLC and Stud R D I, LLC.; B-Stud
Rio Dois Irmaos (BRZ); T-Paulo H. Lobo. $185,000.
3–Order of Australia (Ire), 126, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Senta's
Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier,
Michael Tabor & Anne Marie O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading
Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $92,500.
Margins: 1HF, NO, NK. Odds: 6.35, 5.27, 6.01.
Also Ran: Set Piece (GB), Casa Creed, Masen (GB), Classic Causeway, Atone, Santin, Gray's Fable, Somelikeithotbrown. Scratched: Dark Shift (GB), Emaraaty (GB), Greyes Creek, Natural Power (Ire), Smooth Like Strait. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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