“Our Corniche out of Faith and Honor started off our foaling season at Denali in good order,” said Conrad Bandoroff. “The filly has plenty of quality about her with good leg and bone. Very pleased with our start!”

A $1.5 million sale topper after breezing a furlong in :10 flat at OBS April, Corniche earned 'TDN Rising Star' status off a debut win going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar. Stepping straight into Grade I company for the two-turn American Pharoah S., he posted another front-end success.

Drawn widest of all in post 11 for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the son of Quality Road sped through fractions of :23.03 and :46.15 before keeping on strongly down the lane to score with plenty in hand. Corniche was a runaway winner at the Eclipse Awards with 214 votes compared with 12 for his nearest rival.

The 5-year-old stands for $24,000 LFSN at Ashford Stud. As for Faith and Honor, who was bred by Sun Valley Farm, this is her third produce of record. She is responsible for a 2-year-old filly named Indy's Map (Liam's Map) and a February yearling filly by Runhappy.

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The Richard Mandella trainee at odds of 2-5 broke alertly and vied for the lead with two others up the backstretch. As the far turn arrived, Llorona clearly had more to give and at the quarter pole she began to increase her margin. With Flavien Prat serving as passenger at this point, his mount appeared to glide along as she coasted home by 5 3/4 lengths over Make It Snow (Empire Maker).

The winner's dam GISP Wasted Tears (Najran) was bred, owned and trained by Bart Evans. A juvenile maiden breaker herself at Retama Park in San Antonio, a year later in 2008 through 2010 she won 10 of 11 races as she advanced from allowance into graded stakes company–including wins in the GII Jenny Wiley S. and GII John C. Mabee S.

Evans partnered with Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch, the founders of Stonehaven Steadings, to breed Corniche, who went to Speedway Stables for $1.5 million at the '21 OBS April Sale. At Keeneland September that same year, Evans, along with his son Robert, bought out the Reddoch's share in Llorona for $750,000. Since then, Wasted Tears foaled a filly by Into Mischief Mar. 15 and she visited that multiple-leading sire again for next year.

Llorona is Mendelssohn's second 'Rising Star' after Pink Hue.

1st-Del Mar, $62,000, Msw, 12-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.80, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.
LLORONA, f, 3, Mendelssohn
                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: $750,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Bart B. Evans and Robert M. Evans; B-Bart Evans & Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella.

She made it look so easy. #6 LLORONA ($2.80) wins the @DelMarRacing opener with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Richard Mandella and owners Bart Evans and Robert Evans. Another winner by Mendelssohn who stands at @coolmoreamerica.

Bet the Del Mar Pick 4 next on @FanDuelTV pic.twitter.com/oxWPhqSwRH

— TVG (@TVG) December 1, 2023

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During his championship juvenile season, ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Game Winner was undefeated in four starts–a 5 3/4-length score in his career unveiling at Del Mar followed by the GI Del Mar Futurity, GI American Pharoah S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. After earning the champion 2-year-old title for the 2018 season, he returned at three to finish runner-up in the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Rebel S. and finished fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“As a 2-year-old, he was just phenomenal and he really brought it to that Championship level,” said Bob Baffert. “To do what he did really showed that he was the best of the best. Candy Ride was a brilliant racehorse and he throws brilliance, and with Game Winner, the minute he showed that brilliance, I knew we had something special.”

Game Winner was most recently seen winning the GIII Los Alamitos Derby by five lengths.

“After the Los Al Derby, he had a high suspensory injury, and Bob was trying to work through it and get him over it, and never could to his satisfaction,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish.

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, Game Winner is out of Indyan Giving, who has also produced graded-stakes winner Flagstaff (Speightstown). His second dam is Champion Fleet Indian who won five graded stakes and earned over $1 million. To date, his sire Candy Ride has produced 16 Grade I winners and is the fourth leading active sire by lifetime earnings.

“Champion 2-year-olds make great sires,” added Farish. “Street Sense, Uncle Mo, American Pharoah, and now Nyquist looks very promising. All were the very best of their generation and now are among the elite stallions in America. Game Winner dominated in his championship year and was a graded-stakes winner at three. He is a champion from the immediate family of a champion, so we are honored that Gary and Mary West have entrusted Lane’s End with his stallion career.”

Consigned by Lane’s End to the 2017 Keeneland September Sale, Game Winner realized $110,000 from agent Ben Glass.

“Mary and I have been excited about Game Winner since the day Ben Glass bought him for us at Keeneland,” said Gary West, who campaigned the champion colt. “These special horses are so hard to come by and to have a Champion means everything to us. I am so pleased he will stand at Lane’s End and I plan on supporting him extensively as I have with my other stallions, alongside the superior group of shareholders they have put together.”

“This includes Alpha Delta, Summer Wind Farm, SF Bloodstock, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Sea Horse Breeders, West Point and St. Elias. They are among the best breeders in America and undoubtedly will support him and contribute greatly to his chances to be a successful stallion.”

The 4-year-old retires with five wins and two seconds from eight career starts and earnings of $2,027,500.

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