Second Chances: ‘It’s All Systems Go to a Two-Turn Spot’ For Pricey Son of Curlin Corporate Power

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

In a race completely dominated on the front end, Corporate Power (c, 3, Curlin–Road to Victory, by Quality Road) stamped himself as one to watch finishing with interest for fourth in an absolutely stacked maiden special weight on the Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27.

Out of the blocks last of 11 at debut odds of 17-1 for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the Courtlandt Farms colorbearer bumped into a rival at the start and was quickly outsprinted while under a ride by Javier Castellano.

Three from the back marker and taking plenty of dirt as the highly regarded firster from the Gustavo Delgado barn Victory Avenue (Arrogate) and the Todd Pletcher-trained newcomer Speak Easy (Constitution) sped through a half mile in :44.61, Corporate Power finally entered the picture advancing along the rail as they approached the top of the stretch.

He continued to make steady progress racing along the fence as Speak Easy kicked clear from the aforementioned 3-2 favorite an eighth of a mile from home.

Corporate Power, sporting a white shadow roll, was steered out by Castellano to avoid a tiring rival close to home and kept his mind on business from there–his gallop out past the winner on the clubhouse turn is worth a view of the replay alone–after splitting horses to cross the line 8 1/4 lengths adrift Speak Easy.

Corporate Power reported home fourth behind Speak Easy in a live maiden special weight on Pegasus World Cup day | Coglianese

Speak Easy, the recipient of a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, defeated Victory Avenue by 1 3/4 lengths at odds of 8-1. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to second-time starter Big City (City of Light), who chased the top two throughout in third. The final time for seven furlongs was a swift 1:21.96.

Corporate Power earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“Those maiden races on those big days are always loaded like that,” Courtland Farm Manager Ernie Retamoza said. “We really had a ton of regard for that colt going into the race and probably even a little more coming out of it. Javier (Castellano) was really complimentary about the way that he split horses and took some kickback and kept on and galloped out. We're super excited about him getting to two turns.”

Corporate Power's dam Road to Victory, a winner of her first three career starts at two, highlighted by a neck victory over subsequent two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GII Golden Rod S., brought $1.45 million from breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in foal to War Front at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Corporate Power's sire the mighty Curlin is responsible for 56 graded/group winners worldwide.

Corporate Power brought $925,000 from Donald Adam's operation on day three of the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Adam purchased 11 yearlings at the auction for a total of $8.235 million.

“When we bought him, the purchase price resembles how many people liked the horse,” Retamoza said. “We had him ready to run last November–he got himself ready pretty quick–but we ended up not running him up there (in New York) and Shug (McGaughey) said, 'Let's just get him down to Florida.' We didn't run him quite as quick as we thought we might, but nonetheless, here we are and we're really happy with him.”

Corporate Power returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :50.60 (28/34) at Payson Park Feb. 11. He'll make his next start in a route, Retamoza said.

“Shug hasn't shared with us when yet, but it's all systems go to a two-turn spot,” Retamoza said. “We're all looking forward to that. It was a great effort to get him started. We're really excited about him.”

Courtlandt Farms and McGaughey also campaign fellow sophomores Change of Command (Into Mischief) ($1.05 million yrl '22 KEESEP), a disappointing 11th in last weekend's GIII Sam F. Davis S. and 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) ($1 million yrl '22 KEESEP), who overcame an impossible trip to graduate impressively at second asking Jan. 13. Working bullets since, the latter will make his next start in either an allowance race Feb. 29 or the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 2, per Retamoza.

The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).

Tipsy Tammy (f, 3, Arrogate), featured in this same space Jan. 26, graduated impressively next out for trainer Phil Bauer at Fair Grounds Feb. 1. Godolphin homebred Cornishman (c, 3, Curlin), the subject of a Second Chances profile Feb. 7, is entered to make his second career start in a maiden special weight on Saturday's GII Risen Star S. program.

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Conquest Warrior Lives Up To His Name In ‘Rising Star’ Graduation

Despite enduring a season's worth of trouble in Saturday's ninth race maiden at Gulfstream, Courtlandt Farm's Conquest Warrior (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time, by Pulpit) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and with it, became yet another 'TDN Rising Star' for his Lane's End-based sire in jaw-dropping fashion.

Pinched back badly and pinballed around in the opening strides, the $1-million Keeneland September graduate was relegated to a detached last early on, but began to improve his position and finally entered the picture as they passed the half-mile marker in :46.84. Committed to an inside run around the turn, the 7-2 chance–a debut third to big-figure El Capi (Maclean's Music) at Aqueduct Dec. 2–was traveling very strongly beneath Jose Ortiz, but found himself in a jackpot while stuck behind horses at the quarter pole and Ortiz was forced to snatch up, with just a furlong and a half ahead of him to try to make up for lost time. Finally pulled out into the clear with a furlong to race, the colt steamed down the middle of the track and grabbed Centennial Farms' Antiquarian (Preservationist)–who raced prominently throughout in a debut that was promising in its own right–for a highly improbable victory.

“I was surprised he broke the way he did. I knew he'd be back and then finish,” McGaughey said. “I was surprised by the effort he put in today with the trip he had for a young horse.”

The conditioner won't be rushing Conquest Warrior into stakes company right away and will seek out a first-level allowance, he said.

Conquest Warrior's dam raced for the partnership of the late Jon and Sarah Kelly and Helen Groves and made 18 starts from ages two to five for trainer Michael Matz, earning her first stakes win at two before following up with a pair of added-money tallies at three. She retired with five wins and four minor placings for earnings of just shy of $280,000.

Acquired by Betz Thoroughbreds for $250,000 in foal to Union Rags at Keeneland November in 2019, Tea Time is out of Asian Empress, a full-sister to GISW Acoma and kin to five other winners, including GISW sire Arch, MSW Alisios and UAE Group 3 winner Festival of Light. This is also the family of multiple champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) and the closely related Japanese MGSW/G1SP Albiano (Harlan's Holiday). Conquest Warrior's fourth dam is champion Althea (Alydar).

Don Adam's operation bought the Union Rags filly that Tea Time was carrying in 2019, Soul Play, for $200,000 at KEESEP in 2021, and the mare is also responsible for the 2-year-old colt Brodeur (Nyquist)–a $110,000 purchase by co-breeder D J Stable. She is due to Justify this season.

Conquest Warrior is the second 'Rising Star' in two weeks for City of Light, whose son Crimson Light turned in an equally unlikely debut success at Aqueduct Jan. 7. Among City of Light's three other 'Rising Stars' is champion-elect and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Fierceness, who also has a second dam by Belmont winner Empire Maker.

9th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-13, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.57, ft, 1/2 length.
CONQUEST WARRIOR, c, 3, by City of Light
1st Dam: Tea Time (MSW, $279,966), by Pulpit
2nd Dam: Asian Empress, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Aurora, by Danzig
Sales history: $1,000,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $52,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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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Into Mischief Colt Takes Command Late Over Gulfstream Allowance Types

7th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 1-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.55, ft, neck.
CHANGE OF COMMAND (c, 3, Into Mischief–Moi, by Medaglia d'Oro) made steady improvement over a trio of maiden attempts during the NYRA meets starting in late August–the last coming with a runner-up result at Aqueduct Nov. 4. Heading to Gulfstream, the bay found his stride to graduate by 6 1/2 lengths Dec. 17. Trying two turns for the first time, the 11-10 choice paced himself into the first turn just off of Cardinale (Speightstown). Shadowing the leader, the 3-year-old was given his cue at the three-eighths marker and took over the top spot. Cardinale proved a stubborn foe and the pair locked in a stretch battle, but it was Change of Command who gained the advantage in the shadow of the wire and won by a neck. “When that horse came back to him, he kind of went on from there,” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. “As you saw around the turn, it looked like he was going to win by himself, and he did that the last time a little bit. He didn't want to finish as well as I'd like. I've got to do some work to figure things out. I hope this moves him forward. He had to kind of belly down and run, so that should help him. We'll take him back to Payson [Park] and find out.” Tied for the 12th highest price during the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the winner is his dam's first to the races. The colt does have a 2-year-old half-sister by Instilled Regard and a yearling half-brother by Instagrand. A $750,000 purchase by OXO Equine at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, Moi is a full-sister to Mrs McDougal (Medgalia d'Oro), the dam of GII Twilight Derby hero Seal Team (GB) (WarFront). Sales History: $570,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV; $1,050,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-1, $113,300. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

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Uncle Mo’s Whocouldaskformo Graduates In Style At Tampa

4th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 12-31, 2yo, f, 1m 40y, 1:42.46, ft, 6 1/2 lengths.

WHOCOULDASKFORMO (f, 2, Uncle Mo–Midnight Belle, by Bernardini), third in her seven-furlong Aqueduct debut Dec. 1, ran to her 1-5 favoritism after shipping south to Tampa and picking up the added distance. Racing behind most of the field through a mild half in :49.17, she began to pick up the bridle with a rally into the far turn and swept to the front past Princess Aleska (Lord Nelson). The class of the field to the wire, Whocouldaskformo opened up a 6 1/2-length winning margin. Out of a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic winner and $3.8m broodmare purchase Unrivaled Belle, herself the dam of dual champion Unique Bella (Tapit), the winner's dam is also a half to the dams of this year's GIII Gotham S. winner Raise Cain (Violence) and GISP Sir Sahib (For Larned). Midnight Belle reported a McKinzie filly this year before visiting Violence for the spring. Sales History: $450,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $29,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

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