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.

#1 SPEAK EASY ($18.60) and #5 Victory Avenue smoked home and @iradortiz gets the son of Constitution up for a Race 2 victory at Gulfstream Park. Congratulations to the @PletcherRacing team and owners @SienaFarmKY and @WinStarFarm. pic.twitter.com/hRjmMUyV46

— TVG (@TVG) January 27, 2024

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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.

This is certainly a 3-year-old to watch going forward! #2 CONQUEST WARRIOR ($9) rated professionally down the backstretch, tipped out on the turn, and absolutely flew down the stretch to nail Antiquarian on the line to graduate in the 9th at Gulfstream.

Conquest Warrior, a $1… pic.twitter.com/hbpqlK7kp5

— TVG (@TVG) January 13, 2024

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#3 CHANGE OF COMMAND ($4.20) holds off a fight from Cardinale to take Race 7 at @GulfstreamPark! This 3YO colt by Into Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) is trained by Shug McGaughey and was ridden by @jose93_ortiz. pic.twitter.com/BvIcBCIVdV

— TVG (@TVG) January 5, 2024

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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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Racing for Gold Square LLC and Tami Bobo will be the grey son of Curlin, Hop Sing, for conditioner Jose D'Angelo. Out of a half-sister to GISW Cupid (Tapit); MGSW Heart Ashley (Lion Heart)–herself dam of MGSW-Jpn Fiano Romano (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and that one's full-sibling Ameristralia (Aus), who produced GII Chandelier winner Ain't Easy (Into Mischief); and GSW Ashley's Kitten (Tale of the Cat), Hop Sing can also claim MGSW Kathleen O. and 'TDN Rising Star' GSW & GISP V V's Dream (Mitole) as relatives. TJCIS PPs

2nd-FG, $52k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 2:15p.m. ET
Breaking next to another 'Insight' runner, Jam's Paper Moon (Oscar Performance) will head to post from the Brendan Walsh barn for owner Jamm Ltd. A half-sister to GISW Duopoly (Animal Kingdom), who joined Japan's venerable breeding program when changing hands to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.6m at FTKNOV in 2021, the filly lays claims to a very busy international family including a twice-placed Kitten's Joy half-brother in England.

To her outside is Ms Sedona (Justify), a $300,000 KEESEP procurement for James F Schurman. Trained by Tom Morley, her only other half-sibling to the races is a winning half-sister, but her sire has been red hot on all surfaces this season, so a mile on the turf figures to be right in her wheelhouse. Ms Sedona hails from a female line with a fleet of accomplished runners including the likes of multiple highweight MGSW & G1SP Usherette (Ire); MGSW & MGISP Expansion; and MG1SW Vespone (Ire). TJCIS PPs

9th-DMR, $61k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 7:25p.m. ET
A half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf victress Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Muri (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) was a 290,000gns TATOCT purchase by Mike Ryan for Cheyenne Stable in 2022. Her dam, Scandinavian champion Matauri Pearl (Ire), is herself a half-sister to GSW & MGISP-US, GSW & G1SP-Fr Wekeela (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran victress Molly Malone (Fr) (Lomitas {GB}) and multiple highweight MGSW Morgan Le Faye (GB) (Shamardal) mark the most recent talented runners in a busy European female line.  TJCIS PPs

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5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 2:14 p.m. ET.
Courtlandt Farms purchased Whocouldaskformo (Uncle Mo) for $450,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. She debuts for Shug McGaughey alongside fellow firster and workmate, Very Practical (Practical Joke).

Whocouldaskformo's dam Midnight Belle (Bernardini) is a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), who went to Whisper Hill Farm at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale for $3.6 million while in foal to Tapit. She produced two-time champion Unique Bella (Tapit). Midnight Belle is also a half-sister the dam of GIII Gotham S. hero Raise Cain (Violence). TJCIS PPS

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“It was a magnificent win,” winning owner Don Adams said. “To win on a day like today is truly special. He's become a nice horse, very special. He's won two in a row now and hopefully we'll see good things down the road. We'll let (trainer) Shug (McGaughey) decide what's next for him.”

General Jim, a two-time winner on the grass as a juvenile, concluded his 2022 campaign with a third-place finish in the Central Park S. over the lawn at the Big A Nov. 26. Switched back to dirt for the first time since finishing a well-beaten third at Saratoga on debut and turned back to one turn, General Jim was a troubled fourth as the favorite in the Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Jan. 1. He recorded a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure with first-time blinkers while capturing the GIII Swale S. last out Feb. 4. He was forced to sit out the Mar. 4 GII Fountain of Youth S. with a cough and was backed at odds of 5-1 first off the bench here.

General Jim found a good spot in the deep field of 13 while racing between rivals in sixth through sharp fractions of :22.41 and :45.00. He set his sights on Fort Bragg–who made a bold move of his own to hit the front on the far turn–while five or six wide at the top of the stretch and the stage was set. Those two locked horns down the stretch, and General Jim just got the better of his rival with a late surge in a race that didn't deserve a loser.

“When he got a good spot at the half-mile pole, we knew we had a chance to win the race,” winning jockey Luis Saez said. “He has plenty of talent. It was an exciting stretch duel and Joel (Rosario) is pretty tough to ride against, but we finally got the jump. We decided to make a change after his last couple of races (and add blinkers) and I don't think he would have won without blinkers. It makes a big difference.”

Longshot Freezing Point (Frosted) went wrong inside the six-furlong marker, was pulled up sharply by Corey Lanerie and vanned off. He was subsequently euthanized, making him the second equine fatality of the afternoon after Chloe's Dream in the day's second race.

Pedigree Notes:

General Jim, an $850,000 KEESEP yearling graduate, is one of 64 graded winners for leading sire Into Mischief, who scored a Grade I double on Friday's program, led by the GI Kentucky Oaks. Broodmare sire Curlin has seven graded winners to his credit.

The stakes-placed Inspired by Grace, a full-sister to GI Mother Goose S. heroine Off the Tracks and a half-sister to MGSW Concord Point (Tapit), had a filly by Authentic in 2022 and was bred back to that same sire.

Inspired by Grace most recently brought $190,000 from Cobble View Stable at the 2015 KEENOV sale.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
PAT DAY MILE S. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES-GII, $500,000,
Churchill Downs, 5-6, 3yo, 1m, 1:34.43, ft.
1–GENERAL JIM, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
          1st Dam: Inspired by Grace (SP, $138,984), by Curlin
          2nd Dam: Harve de Grace, by Boston Harbor
          3rd Dam: Ms. Cuvee Napa, by Relaunch
($850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock & Centerline Breeding (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Luis Saez. $288,300. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-2, $519,833. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fort Bragg, 118, c, 3, Tapit–March X Press, by Shanghai Bobby. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet
Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-SF Bloodstock LLC & Henry Field Bloodstock (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $93,000.
3–Gilmore, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–My Surfer Girl, by Henny Hughes. ($48,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Dividing Ridge Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $46,500.
Margins: NK, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 5.02, 5.52, 14.99.
Also Ran: Frosted Departure, Gun Pilot, Echo Again, Lugan
Knight, Curly Jack, Damon's Mound, Tall Boy, Kangaroo Court,
Bourbon Bash, Freezing Point. Scratched: Midnight Rising.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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7th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 4:29 p.m. ET

Bobby Flay's MEZCAL (Pioneerof the Nile), the first foal out of 2016 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss), makes her debut in the seventh race at Saratoga Sunday. The 3-year-old filly, a $625,000 KEESEP yearling, is trained by Todd Pletcher. Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto Corp. purchased Cathryn Sophia, with this filly in utero, for $2.3 million at the 2017 Keeneland November sale.

Courtlandt Farms' Big City Momma (Quality Road), a $700,000 KEESEP purchase, will look to improve on a third-place effort in her six-furlong debut at Belmont May 6 for trainer Shug McGaughey, while Bill Mott saddles Summer Wind Equine firster More Moonshine (Malibu Moon). Out of Unenchantedevening (Unbridled's Song), the sophomore is a full-sister to Grade I winner Moonshine Memories and a half to stakes winner and graded placed Indian Evening (Indian Charlie). Whisper Hill Farm homebred Perfect Grace (Tapit), a daughter of champion Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), makes her third trip to the post following a pair of runner-up efforts at Gulfstream for trainer Ralph Nicks.

TJCIS PPs

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“I've got a lot of confidence in him,” McGaughey said on Tuesday's NTRA media conference call. “I think with him winning here (at Gulfstream) going a mile and a sixteenth, over a speed favoring racetrack, with a short stretch, that says a lot about him, because I don't think that's what he wants to do.

“A mile and an eighth should suit him a lot better than this mile and a sixteenth with a short pole… Distance is gonna be his friend.”

The Tapit colt took three tries to break his maiden, but hasn't lost a race since. Greatest Honour was impressive winning January's G3 Holy Bull Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths, but was arguably even more impressive last out in the G2 Fountain of Youth. Well behind his rivals early with a slow pace ahead of him, and still 8 1/2 lengths behind the leader with five-sixteenths of a mile to run, Greatest Honour surged late win by 1 1/2 lengths.

“In the Holy Bull everything went right, and in the Fountain of Youth, everything went wrong,” quipped McGaughey. “I thought it was a good learning experience for him, and he was still able to win.”

Even before Greatest Honour broke his maiden, McGaughey had been plotting a Florida path to the Kentucky Derby for the colt. It's the same route the trainer took with Derby winner Orb ahead of the 2013 Run for the Roses.

“I kind of had in my mind that if he's this kind of horse he's gonna need racing, so we got him down here and that's what he's done,” McGaughey said. “My philosophy is unless we think we deserve to be (in the Kentucky Derby), we won't be there.”

McGaughey has been training for Donald and Donna Adams' Courtlandt Stable for just shy of 10 months now, with Kentucky-based Ernie Retamoza managing the stable. The new clients have been easy to work for, McGaughey said, and there are several nice horses he's looking forward to running in 2021.

“I predict that we're gonna have a good, long, meaningful relationship, and it started off pretty good with Greatest Honour,” the trainer summarized.

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