Corniche | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rising Star Seeks BC Berth in American Pharoah

'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) looks to stamp his ticket to the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Friday's GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. Topping the OBS April sale at $1.5 million, the Speedway Stable colorbearer wired the field for an effortless 4 1/4-length graduation in his 5 1/2-panel unveiling at Del Mar Sept. 4, earning a gaudy 98 Beyer Speed Figure. His breeding indicates this extension to a route of ground should be no problem and with his rail draw, pilot Mike Smith is likely to weaponize the colt's speed yet again.

Baffert saddles two more members of this seven-horse field in Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) and Flying Drummer (Gun Runner). A $750,000 KEESEP purchase by the group know as the Avengers, Rockefeller led every step of the way in his career bow going six furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 28 and was geared down late, coasting home to a 2 1/4-length win and an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. The red hot Flavien Prat climbs aboard for this two-turn bow and Rockefeller is another colt who should not blink at the added distance.

The maiden Flying Drummer, an $850,000 OBSAPR buy, rounds out the Baffert trio. Missing by a head in his six-panel debut at Del Mar Aug. 7, the gray finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Oviatt Class (Bernardini) last time going a mile at the seaside oval Aug. 27.

Pappacap (Gun Runner) looks to return to winning ways in this event. A front-running winner of his career bow at Gulfstream May 14, the bay was a decisive winner of the Aug. 7 GII Best Pal S. at Del Mar, beating Finneus (Stay Thirsty) by 4 3/4 lengths. He was fourth last out behind the Baffert-trained Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) in the GI Del Mar Futurity S. Sept. 6, in which Finneus was second.

Undefeated Cal-bred Joker Boy (Practical Joke) rounds out the field. Rallying to win at first asking in a state-bred event at Del Mar, the bay wired the Cal-bred I'm Smokin S. last out sprinting in SoCal Sept. 4. He tries open company and two turns for the first time in this leap into the deep end.

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Corniche Indicative Of Depth Of Baffert Juveniles

Smack in the middle of the two Grade 2 races on Saturday's program was a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight sprint for 2-year-olds. And if racing fans were looking for a bridge of interest between the $200,000 John C. Mabee Stakes and the $250,000 Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby they got it.

Corniche, a $1.5 million purchase by Speedway Stables at the Ocala sale in April, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, drew clear shortly after the break from the gate; led by two lengths at the top of the stretch; extended the advantage via what the charts described as “an energetic hand ride” from jockey Mike Smith: and won by 4 ¼ lengths geared down in a time of 1:03.01

Speedway Stables is the nom du course of Peter Fluor of Houston, TX. His horse, Collected, won the 2017 TVG Pacific Classic.

Corniche was one of 33 2-year-olds Baffert nominated to Monday's $300,000 Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity. But Saturday's race represented an impressive debut for the Quality Road colt. And Baffert will have two others who also were impressive debut winners earlier in the meeting as representatives, Pinehurst and Murray, when he seeks a 15th Futurity victory in the penultimate race of the summer meeting.

The nomination deadline for both the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity and today's $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante was June 25 this year. And Baffert, always with an abundance of talented babies, takes a shotgun approach when the paperwork is due.

“We have to do it early, so I nominate a lot of them and see which ones are ready when the time comes,” Baffert said this morning.

Murray, a son of Street Sense who commanded $300,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, debuted with a 10 ¼-length victory at 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.20 on July 25. Pinehurst, a $385,000 purchase at the same sale and for the same ownership group – SF Racing, Starlight Racing and partners – won his career opener by a half-length, covering five furlongs in :58 flat.

Baffert said Corniche came out of his race in fine fettle and future assignments will be determined in a few days.

“I wasn't surprised, I expected it,” Baffert said of the Corniche effort. “He was flying early and he kept flying late. The Futurity was coming up a little too quick for him, but we're excited about him like we are about several others. This is a really good group of 2-year-olds.”

The field for the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Pappacap (Joe Bravo, 3-1); Olympic Legend (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 12-1); Finneus (Tiago Pereira, 12-1); Pinehurst (Mike Smith, 5/2); Murray (Flavien Prat, 2-1), and American Xperiment (Umberto Rispoli, 5/2).

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Quality Road OBS April Topper Lives Up to Hype, Earns ‘Rising Stardom’

Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring, lived up to his lofty reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance for Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday evening.

The 1-2 favorite caught a flyer beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 10. He led them comfortably through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.13, kicked for home in complete control and cruised under the wire after a shake of the reins to a facile 4 1/4-length victory. Apprehend (Arrogate) was second.

The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was a sharp 1:03.01. Corniche becomes the 10th 'Rising Star' for Quality Road.

The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier in Ocala.

Wasted Tears, also responsible for the late stakes-placed Coffee Crush (Medaglia d'Oro), had a filly by Mendelssohn in 2020.

Speedway Stables and Baffert also teamed up for a win with Quality Road's 'Rising Star' Roadster in the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S.

10th-Del Mar, $72,500, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.01, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
CORNICHE, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Wasted Tears (MGSW & GISP, $941,463), by Najran
2nd Dam: Wishes and Roses, by Greinton (GB)
3rd Dam: Anniversary Wish, by Beau's Eagle
Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $1,500,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Bart Evans & Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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Saturday’s Insights: OBS April Topper Must Overcome High Draw

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

10th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 9:07 p.m. ET
CORNICHE (Quality Road) topped this year's OBS April Sale on a bid of $1.5 million from Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stable and has drawn gate 10 as the 9-5 favorite Saturday at Del Mar. The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier. Mike Smith has the riding assignment for Bob Baffert. TJCIS PPs

Songbird's Full-Brother Down to Debut…
7th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, post time: 3:53 p.m. ET
GALT (Medaglia d'Oro), a full-brother to two-time Eclipse Award and nine-time Grade I winner Songbird, carries the silks of Larry Best's OXO Equine as he makes his first visit to the races Saturday afternoon. A $400,000 Keeneland November purchase, the February foal is out of GSW Ivanavinalot (West Acre), a half-sister to MSW Shananie's Beat (Shananie) and to Beaties for Real (Unreal Zeal), whose five winners from six to race include the GSW full-siblings Friel's For Real (Sword Dance {Ire}) and Ryan's For Real and MSW Onepointhreekarats (Medaglia d'Oro), a $1.3-million KEESEP yearling back in 2009. Misbehaved (Into Mischief), a full-brother to MSW & MGSP Into Mystic, was bought back for $600,000 at KEESEP last fall and for $750,000 at Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream before fetching $875,000 from Eclipse and Bob LaPenta's Whitehorse Stable at OBS April after breezing a furlong in :10 flat. TJCIS PPs

My Miss Sophia Colt Kicks Off At the Spa…
6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 3:22 p.m. ET
ANNAPOLIS (War Front) gets his career underway for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner/breeder Bass Racing LLC, on whose behalf bloodstock agent Steve Young went to $4 million for his GSW & MGISP dam My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song) with the colt in utero at KEENOV in 2018. That price was second only to the $4.2-million Lady Eli (Divine Park). The 2014 GII Gazelle S. winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up, a half-sister to GI Florida Derby hero Materiality (Afleet Alex), is already the dam of Annapolis's 3-year-old full-sister Nevisian Sunrise, third in the Wild Applause S. in June. This is also the family of MGSW/GISP Eye of the Tiger (American Chance) and GISWs Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) and Embellish the Lace (Super Saver). Calloway Peak (Arrogate) is a Juddmonte homebred son of the talented turf distaffer Filimbi (Mizzen Mast), a stakes winner in France and GSW/MGISP in this country for the colt's trainer Bill Mott. A maternal grandson of Oaks winner Flute (Seattle Slew), Calloway Peak counts GISW Weep No More (Mineshaft) and GSW Current (Curlin) as members of his female family. TJCIS PPs

Baffert Colt Looks to Make Most of Belated Bow…
1st-DMR, $70K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, post time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Florida-bred SUMO (Not This Time) was a $200,000 purchase by Randy Bradshaw out of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton July Sale, then was knocked down to prominent owner Michael Lund Petersen for $700,000 late in the sale at OBSAPR in 2020 after working an eighth of a mile in :10 flat. The bay is out of a daughter of GSW In Conference (Dayjur), the dam of GSP Settle Up (Kris S.) and granddam of MSW & MGSP Foxy Danseur (Mr. Greeley). Sumo, owned in partnership with Albaugh Family Stable, looks to have trained forwardly for this debut, including a half-mile over this strip in :47 1/5 (4/21) Aug. 31. TJCIS PPs

Well-Related Godolphin Runner Tries the Synth…
9th-WO, C$126k, Msw, 2yo, 1m 70yds (AWT), post time: 5:17p.m. ET
GINA (Maclean's Music), a debut third sprinting over the Colonial main track July 20, stretches out and tries the local all-weather for the first time here. The Godolphin homebred is a daughter of five-time Grade I winner Music Note (A.P. Indy), making her a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' and reigning G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and is more closely related to GIII Penn Mile winner Gershwin (Distorted Humor). There is some turf in the family as well, as Music Note's half-sister Musical Chimes (In Excess {Ire}) won the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in 2003 and the GI John C. Mabee H. in this country. TJCIS PPs

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