The decision was finalized after the 5-year-old worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 (13/27) Wednesday morning at Santa Anita.

“Newgrange is not going to Dubai,” D'Amato texted. “We will regroup and race him stateside down the road.”

Winner of the GIII Sham S. and GIII Southwest S. for the SF Racing/Starlight/Madaket et. al. partnership while under the care of Bob Baffert in 2022, the dark bay was purchased by  Kim Lloyd's Sweetwater Trading for $250,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Horse of Racing Age Sale on behalf of David A. Bernsen, Rockingham Ranch and Little Red Feather Racing.

Winner of the 2023 GII San Pasqual S., Newgrange was subsequently seventh in the Big 'Cap, but had returned to his best form following a seven-month absence this winter, with an easy score in the GII San Antonio S. and a successful defense of his title in the San Pasqual. Connections had also been considering an appearance in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. the same afternoon, but with an eye on the World Cup and in an effort to minimize travel, elected not to make the trans-continental trip.

Four American-based horses remain in the prospective field of 12, including Newgate, G1 Saudi Cup hero Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), Pegasus World Cup third Crupi (Curlin) and GII Lukas Classic hero Clapton (Brethen).

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“We have a four-month old daughter and I woke her up from her nap with all of the screaming,” admitted Sarah Dooley. “We were so excited. He was the first foal born on the farm, we bred him, it was our first year foaling, we broke him, and we still own a good piece of him. He was in our silks on a Saturday at Oaklawn and he went off as the favorite. It was all surreal. And then he wins. It was unbelievable.”

The Dooleys began leasing the 110-acre farm on Hume Bedford Pike near Paris on Sept. 1 of 2020. Five months later, they partnered with Sarah's father, Tony Holmes, and brother Michael to purchase the mare Allusion (Street Cry {Ire}), carrying the Karakontie colt, for $25,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale.

Out of Alchemist (A.P. Indy), the now 13-year-old mare is a full-sister to multiple Grade I placed And Why Not, who produced multiple graded winner Fearless (Ghostzapper) and multiple graded placed Just Whistle (Pioneerof the Nile). Allusion is also a half-sister to graded winner Far From Over (Blame).

Common Defense's third dam is Grade I winner Aldiza (Storm Cat).

“It's a very good family,” Leo Dooley said of the mare's appeal in 2021. “There is a lot of page. I guess we kind of hoped that somewhere along the line, she would throw a good runner and hopefully this is him.”

Common Defense didn't attract a lot of interest when offered at the 2021 Keeneland November sale and was led out unsold at $9,000.

“He had some X-ray issues that pinhookers and the bigger buyers probably wouldn't have been very appreciative of,” Leo Dooley said of the buy-back. “But it was never, ever going to hurt him as a racehorse.”

Despite their faith in the youngster, the couple admitted they weren't terribly keen on keeping him to race.

“I can honestly say I didn't want to go the racing route,” Leo Dooley said. “We were dragged along, but we are pretty happy about it now.”

Sarah Dooley added, “We have to give all the credit to my dad for that. That was all dad. He wanted to race him. And here we are. We are happy he dragged us along for that ride now.”

Common Defense showed promise in his first racetrack appearance, finishing second in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Oaklawn Dec. 17. That effort earned the colt an additional partner when David Bernsen joined the ownership line.

“[Trainer] Kenny [McPeek] put him in touch with us,” Sarah Dooley said of Bernsen. “He thought we would all be a good fit. And so far, so good.”

Sent off the 8-5 favorite making his second start Saturday, Common Defense bobbled at the break, was jostled into the first turn and mired in traffic on the far turn, but once clear in the stretch produced a powerful late kick to draw away to a 3 1/2-length victory (video).

“We were hopeful,” Leo Dooley said of expectations heading into the colt's second start. “We were definitely hopeful because he ran such a good race first time out. We were really hoping he would improve off of that and he did.”

As for where Common Defense might start next, Leo Dooley said, “It's up to Kenny to decide. We trust whatever Kenny wants to do. We are along for the ride.”

Allusion is still a part of the Norevale broodmare band. The mare's Not This Time colt RNA'd for $260,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November sale two months ago. The Dooleys have high expectations for the colt, who they plan to offer at the Keeneland September sale later this year.

“We are really excited about him,” Leo Dooley said of the short yearling. “He is one of the standouts on the farm.”

Sarah Dooley added, “When we send foals to a foal sale, we are always happy to protect them if we like them enough. We primarily sell yearlings, but if we like the foal, if he's a really good individual, we will go to a foal sale and we are always happy to protect them and bring them home if we need to.”

Allusion is currently in foal to Epicenter.

The Norevale broodmare band currently numbers some 20 head and the operation has expanded beyond its original base.

“We still have that main farm and we lease another place across the street as well,” Sarah Dooley said. “And now we also lease my parents old farm right around the corner on Russell Cave.”

Asked if their success Saturday at Oaklawn makes them want to get more involved in the racing side of the business, Leo Dooley said with a laugh, “Yes. It makes getting up in this cold weather and going to the farm a lot easier. But we are probably never going to get this lucky again for a while.”

For her part, Sarah Dooley said, “There are so many things that were special about it. He was the first foal born on our farm, we are owners/breeders, we are in partnership with my family, he was in our silks. People always say it's the dream. It's why we started this farm, to breed winners, breed good horses, and you read about people saying it and you hear people saying it and it's nice to finally say that ourselves.

“Hopefully he can go on and be a nice horse, but even just the win, in our colors, it's a step in the right direction for sure and we are just going to keep trying to build on that. I don't know if we are going to be in the racehorse game now, but we are happy to take it when it comes.”

The post Common Defense Delivers ‘Unbelievable’ First for Norevale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Sioux Nation Colt Makes The Cut At Gulfstream

Rockingham Ranch, Talla Racing, LLC and David Bernsen's Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) ran like a 1-9 favourite should to give his Coolmore sire his fifth stakes winner and first Stateside in the Cutler Bay S. at Gulfstream on Saturday (video).

Trained by Jack Sisterson, the son of the once-raced Autumn Snow (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was bred by The Brigadier Partnership. An 88,000gns weanling when picked up by Alex Elliott from Barton Stud at the Tattersalls November Foal Sale, the bay made 90,000gns from J B Bloodstock when re-offered by The Castlebridge Consignment as a Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling. Sent through the ring yet again, this time he did not meet his reserve as a €173,228 Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale buyback (breeze video). As noted by colleague Alan Carasso, Behind Enemy Lines is the second stakes winner to emerge from the inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale.

Unplaced for Justin Casse and Joseph O'Brien at the Curragh in August, he put it all together over the Dundalk synthetic to win by 4 3/4 lengths in January. Purchased privately by these connections, the Cutler Bay was his American bow.

The second foal, first runner and first winner out of his dam, Behind Enemy Lines is followed by the colt Looking Bere (Fr) (Le Brivido {Fr}), who is catalogued as lot 247 in the upcoming Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale by Dolmen Bloodstock, and a yearling half-brother by Whitecliffsofdover. Second dam Epic Similie (GB) (Lomitas {GB}) was placed in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, while her Manduro (Ger) half-brother Ultra (Ire) won that race in 2015 before standing under the Darley banner in France. Eclipse champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is also under the third dam.

Although his eldest foals are just 3-year-olds, Sioux Nation has sired 58 winners from 106 runners worldwide (55%). Stateside, he has three runners and Behind Enemy Lines is his first winner (33%) among that trio.

How Sweet The Sound

Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) is no stranger to black-type victories, and, bearing the Moyglare Stud silks, secured a half-length victory in the GIII Orchid S. in Florida on Saturday (video) for trainer Christophe Clement.

Profiled in Emma Berry's Seven Days column earlier this week, the German-bred is starting to pay back her €850,000 Arqana December purchase price. Bred by Dr. Christoph Berglar, she won the G2 Diana Trial in 2021 and the G2 T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis last term. Also Group 1-placed in the G1 Preis von Europa, Amazing Grace is the second foal out of German stakes winner Amabelle (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Her dam foaled her winning full-sister, Ad Astra (Ger), the year after producing the Orchid winner, while her 3-year-old full-brother, Astaire (Ire), has yet to race. Amabelle's juvenile has already been named Alvorada (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and she has a yearling filly by the 2014 G1 Melbourne Cup hero.

From limited crops, Protectionist has sired 33 winners from 64 runners worldwide (51%). His other stakes winner besides Amazing Grace is G3 Bavarian Classic hero Lambo (Ger). In America, he's been represented by two runners total, and Saturday's winner is his only scorer.

An Island Of Breathing Space

The third and final stakes-winning European to prevail at Gulfstream on Saturday was Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and Tango Uniform Racing's Breath Away (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who scooped the Sanibel Island S. by 2 1/2 lengths (video).

Part of the Highgate Stud breeding programme, she caught the eye of Canirola Bloodstock as a 92,000gns foal at Tattersalls November, and blossomed into a 230,000gns yearling at that venue's October Yearling Sale Book 1 when offered by Taroka Stud. Stephen Hillen was the buyer that day. A winner of her Gulfstream debut back in January, she missed by only a nose in an allowance optional claimer a month later for trainer Christophe Clement.

A full-sister to GIII Wilshire S. heroine Simply Breathless (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), Breath Away is a daughter of Darling Grace (GB) (Nayef), who scored her lone victory as a 3-year-old. Her latest foals are fillies by Advertise (GB) and Bated Breath, foaled in 2021 and 2022, respectively. G1 Falmouth S. heroine Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is under the third dam.

From just 29 runners in the U.S., Juddmonte's Bated Breath has 17 checks in the winners' column (58%). He's firing in stakes winners at a rate of 38% (11 from 29 runners), with his leading light the 2016 filly Viadera (GB), heroine of the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar. She is supported by GII Edgewood S. heroine Gift List (GB), the aforementioned Grade III winner Simply Breathless, and Tezzaray (GB), successful in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. and fourth in the GI Del Mar Oaks.

Emperor Of The Mill

Team Valor International's Tuddenham Mill (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) eked out a head victory in a maiden special weight at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday. Third in a pair of starts for Hankers and Maccas and trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy, Tuddenham Mill switched to the ownership of Team Valor for start three and was eventually transferred Stateside. The 3-year-old was bred by the Imperial Crown Syndicate.

A £29,000 Tattersalls Ireland September yearling, Tuddenham Mill was picked up by Troy Steve Bloodstock from The Castlebridge Consignment. His dam, who won as a juvenile and is a full-sister to GI Suburban H. hero and sire Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway), has a 2-year-old filly by Magna Grecia (Ire) still to come.

Coolmore Stud stallion Holy Roman Emperor sports 25 winners from 49 runners in America (51%). Besides his 11 stakes horses in that jurisdiction, six of his progeny have won stakes (12%), led by top-drawer winners Glorious Empire (Ire), Rockemperor (Ire), and Rich Tapestry (Ire).

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The La Brea was the fourth win on the holiday card for jockey John Velazquez, who is wintering in California for the first time this year.

“Bob [Baffert] and I talked about it. We thought there was a lot of speed in the race and we knew she had speed, but I didn't want to be in a duel and not have anything to finish with,” Velazquez said. “I told Bob that if she has more speed, then I'm just going to let her go, let her be in the lead. I wanted to give her a chance the first part of the race and everything was really easy until I got to the three-eighths pole. I kind of got on her a little bit and she bit into the bridle, so I said, 'Alright, we're going good.' At the quarter pole, I pulled her to the clear and from then on, it was pretty easy.”

Kalypso won the GII Santa Ynez S. over the same track and distance of the La Brea in January. She was second in the GIII Las Virgenes S. and third in the GIII Santa Ysabel before going to the sidelines after bleeding and being eased in the Apr. 30 GII Eight Belles S.

“We turned her out after that Churchill Downs race,” Baffert said. “We brought her back and she was fresh. Johnny V. got her  to relax. She has a tendency to go too fast. She was really relaxed today and she was one happy filly. Grade I's are hard to come by.”

The Baffert-trained Private Mission (Into Mischief) never seemed to get untracked while finishing sixth as the 3-5 favorite.

“[Private Mission] didn't run good,” Baffert said. “She was not running at all. That's not her.”

Pedigree Notes:

Kalypso is one of two graded winners to date for Brody's Cause. The Spendthrift stallion has also been represented by last year's GIII Iroquois S. winner Sittin on Go, as well as graded placed Smiley Sobotka and Girther.

Malibu Cove, a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Prospective, has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Hit It a Bomb. She produced a colt by Mor Spirit in 2020 (who sold for $200,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton July sale) and a colt by Jimmy Creed in 2021. She was bred back to Authentic this year.

Sunday, Santa Anita
LA BREA S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.78, ft.
1–KALYPSO, 122, f, 3, by Brody's Cause
1st Dam: Malibu Cove, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Spirited Away, by Awesome Again
3rd Dam: Cape North, by Capote
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($240,000 Ylg '19 FTKJUL). O-David A Bernsen, LLC, Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck), Rockingham Ranch & Chad Littlefield; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R Velazquez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-3-2, $480,600. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Brilliant Cut, 120, f, 3, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Polish a Diamond, by The Factor
2nd Dam: Tap Your Feet, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Exotic Moves, by Miswaki
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($160,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $160,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Boom Racing, ERJ Racing, LLC, Dave Kenney & William J Strauss; B-McCauley Farm & Speightstown Syndicate (KY); T-Doug F O'Neill. $60,000.
3–Livingmybestlife, 120, f, 3, by The Big Beast
1st Dam: Wall Street Lady, by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Epistle, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Chosen Lady, by Secretariat
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Alex & JoAnn Lieblong (FL); T-John W Sadler. $36,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 8.80, 20.80, 5.30.
Also Ran: Eddie's New Dream, Canoodling, Private Mission, Missy P. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Cairo Memories followed up on her 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut with an effortless open-length victory in the Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita Sunday. The gray filly, sent off as the distant second choice, settled just off the early leaders, powered to the front off the turn and glided clear to wire, possibly earning herself a start in the Breeders' Cup. Heavy favorite Helens Well completed the exacta.

Cairo Memories was a 4 1/2-length debut winner going one mile of the Del Mar lawn Sept. 5 for Schroeder Farms. David Bernsen was added to the ownership line for this second start.

“She's been doing everything right,” said winning trainer Bob Hess. “We were encouraged by the way she broke her maiden and she's been moving forward in her training. Hopefully, this sets us up for the Breeders' Cup Dance.”

“She brought some new energy from her first start,” added winning rider Kent Desormeaux. “I think she was excited. I spent more time in the post parade calming her down. I worked her at Del Mar and before I ever rode her I thought she was great. I was with the owners in the paddock and that was the longest wait because I wanted to see how deep the water was, and she's shown [now] that she could really swim.” Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Cairo Prince Rising Star Filly Takes Surfer Girl appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's 6-year-old Jalen Journey completed the distance in :38.17 over Belmont Park's training track, his fourth work since an 8 ½-furlong blowout victory sprinting 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“The key now will be to see if he can repeat that race in the De Francis. That's what we're sort of looking for,” Bernsen said. “Then if he does that, we'll probably look at the Breeders' Cup [Sprint Nov. 6 at Del Mar].”

The six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up headlines four stakes worth $500,000 in purses joined by the $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and up, also at six furlongs and a pair of $100,000 stakes going one mile, the Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up and Twixt for females 3 and older.

All four races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course, the De Francis' illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster, fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo, and Benny the Bull, and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96) honored with his own stakes race in Maryland.

Jalen Journey is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, North America's all-time leader in wins who already has three sprint stakes victories in Maryland this year – the May 15 Grade 3 Chick Lang with Mighty Mischief, July 4 Lite the Fuse with Yaupon, and Aug. 21 Star de Naskra with Jaxon Traveler.

Asmussen won the De Francis and Grade 3 Maryland Sprint in 2018 with Switzerland. The trainer's other local graded sprint stakes wins in recent years have come with Yaupon in the 2020 Chick Lang, Wicked Whisper in the 2020 Grade 3 Miss Preakness, New York Central in the 2019 Maryland Sprint, and Vertical Oak in the 2017 Miss Preakness.

In 2018, Asmussen won the then-ungraded Chick Lang with Mitole, who would go on to be named the champion sprinter of 2019.

Asmussen nominated four horses to the De Francis, but Jalen Journey is the only one expected to run. The others are Jaxon Traveler and Grade 1 winners Yaupon and Jackie's Warrior.

“Whatever Steve does with them seems to work,” Bernsen said. “Asmussen sort of has them surrounded in the sprint ranks.”

Prior to joining Asmussen, Jalen Journey was third in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby and fourth in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien in the summer of 2019 after being purchased by Rockingham's Gary Hartunian for $510,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Horses of Racing Age sale that July, following a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

Among the top horses Bernsen has owned with Rockingham are two-time sprint champion Roy H, a 10-time winner of more than $3.1 million in purses including back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in 2017 and 2018; and fellow multi-millionaire Stormy Liberal, the champion turf male of 2018 who counted the 2017 and 2018 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint among his 12 lifetime victories.

CEO of Letitride.com, a global computer wagering business based in California, Bernsen plans to be on hand for the De Francis.

“I was just looking at my schedule. I've never been to Laurel,” he said. “I was talking to Aidan Butler [COO of Laurel Park owner 1/ST Racing] earlier in the week and thought that it might be a good one to come out and see.”

The post Asmussen Prepares Jalen Journey For De Francis Dash At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trained by Brittany Russell, Wondrwherecraigis enters the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded race in 2021 from a 5 3/4-length optional claiming score on July 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Munnings, who garnered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent effort, returns to stakes company on the NYRA circuit after being disqualified from second to third in the Gold Fever in July 2020 at Belmont Park ahead of finishing fourth behind three next-out winners in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.

“It was a big race. He's doing really well,” said Russell. “We figured we would take a look. It looks like the race will set up for him, so we're shipping him up and giving him a chance.”

Jockey Sheldon Russell will ride from post 5.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle last-out stakes winner Foolish Ghost, who defeated his New York-bred counterparts in the John Morrissey on July 29. The son of Mineshaft was claimed by Handal and owner Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing last August and has since won four times for his current trainer.

“He's doing well,” Handal said. “There aren't too many sprints for him in the northeast area. On his best day, he can run with some of the good ones, so we'll see.”

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change arrives at the Tale of the Cat off a sharp win in the Mr. Prospector on May 29 at Monmouth Park for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The Brazilian-bred Forestry bay seeks his sixth stakes victory, which include four triumphs at such level in his native land.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 4.

My Boy Tate will seek a sixth stakes victory for Little Red Feather Racing and trainer, breeder, and co-owner Michelle Nevin. The 7-year-old son of Boys At Tosconova was second in the 2018 and 2020 Tale of the Cat.

Breaking from post 1, My Boy Tate will be ridden by Manny Franco.

Multiple stakes-winner Bon Raison [post 3, Jorge Vargas, Jr.] seeks a non-consecutive win in the Tale of the Cat, previously scoring in 2019. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Bon Raison brags the highest bankroll in the field with $685,874.

Completing the field is David Bernsen's Shashashakemeup [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], a four-time winner for trainer Peter Walder.

The Tale of the Cat is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Richard Mandella sends out impressive maiden winner Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), who scored by three lengths in her first try at two turns at Los Alamitos Dec. 13. Second in that one-mile event was Frosteria (Frosted), who returned to be second again in the Santa Ynez.

Third in that Dec. 13 Los Al maiden was debuting Moraz (Empire Maker). The Don Alberto homebred returned to air by 11 lengths in a one-mile special weight at Santa Anita Jan. 8.

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“She broke good and put me right into the race, in a good position,” said winning jockey Joel Rosario, who was riding Kalypso for the first time in the Santa Ynez. “I’m just happy to be on her. She was the best horse and she’ll be better going longer distances.”

Kalypso provided trainer Bob Baffert with his record sixth win in the Santa Ynez a day after he got back on the Triple Crown trail with the one-two finishers–Life is Good (Into Mischief) and Medina Spirit (Protonico)–in Saturday’s GIII Sham S.

“She has natural speed and she’s a really fast filly,” Baffert said of Kalypso, who was one of three fillies he saddled in the Santa Ynez. “She had the lead for a long time in the [Starlet], backing up, it’s a big difference to go seven-eighths. The way she broke today, she was in a good spot and she was really training well coming into this race, so it’s pretty exciting that she got a win.”

Kalypso opened her career with a third-place effort going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 15 and was second at that track and trip Sept. 5 before breaking her maiden going six furlongs in the Oct. 18 Anoakia S. She had a 2 1/2-length advantage in upper stretch before being overtaken by Varda in the 1 1/16-mile GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos last time out Dec. 5 and was shedding the blinkers for this second graded stakes attempt.

“I would try her long again, as they get older they are maturing,” Baffert said of future plans for Kalypso. “You can slow her down a little bit, like today she was pretty relaxed. She wasn’t too rank where she went real fast, but we’ll just see how they come out of it. The other filly [Frosteria], I think I’ll just run her in a maiden race.”

Pedigree Notes:

Brody’s Cause, winner of the 2016 GI Toyota Blue Grass S., was  represented by 2020 GIII Iroquois S. winner Sittin on Go, as well as GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. runner-up Smiley Sobotka and GII Best Pal S. runner-up Girther.

Malibu Cove, a full-sister to multiple graded winner Prospective, produced a filly by Hit It a Bomb in 2019 and a colt by Mor Spirit in 2020. She was bred back to Jimmy Creed. The mare is also a full to Enhanced, who produced last year’s GIII Bashford Manor S. third-place finisher Herd Immunity (Union Rags).

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA YNEZ S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 1-3, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.42, ft.
1–KALYPSO, 122, f, 3, by Brody’s Cause
                1st Dam: Malibu Cove, by Malibu Moon
                2nd Dam: Spirited Away, by Awesome Again
                3rd Dam: Cape North, by Capote
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($240,000 Ylg ’19 FTKJUL). O-David
A Bernsen, LLC, Rockingham Ranch & Chad Littlefield;
B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Joel Rosario.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 5-2-2-1, $245,600. Werk Nick
   Rating: B. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Frosteria, 120, f, 3, Frosted–Hystericalady, by Distorted
Humor. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Brilliant Cut, 120, f, 3, Speightstown–Polish a Diamond, by
The Factor. ($160,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $160,000 Ylg ’19
KEESEP). O-ERJ Racing LLC, David Kenney, William Strauss,
Dennis and Doug O’Neill; B-McCauley Farm & Speightstown
Syndicate (KY); T-Doug F. O’Neill. $24,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, 3HF. Odds: 0.90, 3.60, 30.90.
Also Ran: Queengol, Nasreddine, Exotic West. Scratched: Varda.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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The 6-year-old horse, who races for the partnership of Stuart Tsujimoto and David Bernsen, has won or placed in six black-type races at six different racetracks to date, and is scheduled to make two final starts in graded stakes company at Santa Anita Park in January before retiring to stallion duties.

Bred in Kentucky by Blue Heaven Farm, Heartwood sold for $500,000 as the highest-priced weanling at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale, and went on to win three stakes races from the ages of 3 to 5: the $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint Stakes at Mahoning Valley Race Course in 2017, the $75,000 Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial Stakes at Mountaineer in 2018 and the $100,000 King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn Park in 2019. The well-traveled sprint specialist also placed in three stakes races in 2018: Aqueduct's $206,100 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3), Gulfstream Park's $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) and the $101,800 Bet on Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Heartwood is the first foal out of Forestry's Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Maple Forest, a daughter of the Grade 2-placed stakes winner Maple Syrple and half-sister to French Group 3 winner Golden Century who has also produced the multiple stakes-placed winner Luzmimi Princess. His ninth dam is 1946 Broodmare of the Year Bloodroot.

“We are excited to offer West Coast breeders a stallion prospect of this magnitude by North America's most successful sire of the modern era,” said Rancho San Miguel Owner / Manager Tom Clark. “Not only does Heartwood hold distinction as Tapit's only dirt stakes winner available in California, he boasts the same broodmare sire as North America's Leading Freshman Sire of 2020, Nyquist.”

“As a direct male descendant of the breed-shaping stallion A.P. Indy, he also complements our existing stallion roster, which includes sires from the Mr. Prospector, Relaunch and Storm Cat lines.”

In addition to newcomer Heartwood, Rancho San Miguel stands the Grade 1-siring shuttle stallion Sir Prancealot (Ire), 2020 California Leading Second-Crop Sire Curlin to Mischief, multiple Grade 2 winner Danzing Candy, graded stakes winner Northern Causeway, two-time Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner Richard's Kid, Grade 1-placed multiple stakes winner Slew's Tiznow and Grade 1 winner Tom's Tribute. Inspections of all stallions are available by appointment.

The post Tapit Son Heartwood To Stand First Season At California’s Rancho San Miguel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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