Tag: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

‘Locked’ and Loaded: Gun Runner Colt Secures ‘TDN Rising Star’ Honors at the Spa

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With this smashing victory in the fifth race Friday, Locked (Gun Runner) graduated summa cum laude with 'TDN Rising Star' honors from the 2-year-old maiden special weight ranks at Saratoga Race Course.

A month after his career debut went awry, Locked turned in a top-notch performance under Jose Ortiz, scoring by 7 1/4 lengths and covering the mile in 1:36. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said it is likely that the chestnut colt will run next in the GI Champagne S. or the GI Breeders' Futurity S.

Locked is co-owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm. He is out of the Malibu Moon mare Luna Rosa and was purchased for $425,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale.

Eclipse chairman Brian Spearman said the colt really delivered in his second trip to the races.

“We ran him Whitney weekend up here, came in third, stumbled a little bit coming out,” Spearman said. “Todd has always thought very, very highly of him. We were hoping what we saw today would be exactly what we thought, so we're super excited.”

Locked found trouble at the start of the Aug. 5 race and ended up at the rear of the field of 10, but he did rally and managed to hit the board in the six-furlong contest. Pletcher said getting a second crack against maidens can be a benefit.

“I think sometimes it's better for their development,” Pletcher said. “In that debut he got a lot of dirt in his face. He got a lot of experience, a lot of education that paid off. He showed good tactical speed today, put Jose right into the race.”

Locked and Ortiz were bumped a bit leaving the gate, but promptly grabbed a pace-pressing position outside of Arteta (Take Charge Indy), who led the field through splits of :23.96 and :47.72. They moved to the front just under a half-mile from home and were never challenged.

“Jose said he was travelling very comfortably, all the way down the backside,” Pletcher said. “When he kind of squeezed him, he jumped underneath him and finished up impressively. The final time, I thought, was exceptional.”

Spearman said that Eclipse founder and president Aron Wellman, the decision-maker on purchases, identified the colt bred by Rosa Colasanti as a top prospect.

“He loved the horse from the beginning,” Spearman said. “He loved the confirmation. He talked about the pedigree. He loved the mare. For him, I think it was the total package and once he saw him at the sale I think he was convinced we've got to try to get this one. So we did.”

Locked was no surprise to bettors, who made him the 2-5 favorite. He paid $3.50 to win.

Although the result of the first race was disappointing, Pletcher said he was better for the outing.

“He did what a lot of first timers to do, climbed from the kickback,” Pletcher said. “But when he levelled off, he really came with a strong late run and an exceptional gallop out. He came back with two dynamite breezes afterwards. We've been pointing to this race since we knew it was here and we were expecting good things from him.”

5th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 9-1, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.00, ft, 7 1/4 lengths.
LOCKED, c, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon
                2nd Dam: Gabriellina Giof (GB), by Ashkalani (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Paola Quatraro (Ire), by Cure the Blues
Sales history: $425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $70,350. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

Locked (Gun Runner) became the eighth 'TDN Rising Star' for his leading young sire with a powerhouse performance at second asking at Saratoga Friday afternoon.

The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm colorbearer wasn't much of a secret as the 3-4 favorite while stretching to a mile after rallying smartly from last after some trouble at the start to finish a very promising third sprinting on debut for Todd Pletcher at Saratoga Aug. 5 (Second Chances series).

Locked, a $425,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, bumped with a rival at the start this time, but was still away in good enough order to secure a perfect spot in an outside second. Ready to pounce beneath Jose Ortiz through fractions of :23.96 and :47.72, the chestnut could wait no longer, and took over with authority approaching the three-eighths pole. Locked hit the top of the stretch in complete control and was handed confidently down the lane en route to a 7 1/4-length tally over Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun) while stopping the timer in a sharp 1:36 flat.

Bred in Kentucky by Rosa Colasanti, Locked was produced by a winning half-sister to MGISW Gabby's Golden Gal (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW & GISP Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). The Gun Runner/Malibu Moon cross is already responsible for GSWs Shotgun Hottie and Runninsonofagun. Locked is also bred similarly to MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who is out of a Flatter mare.

Locked's dam produced a colt by Caravaggio in 2022 and a filly by Tiz the Law this year. She was bred back to Early Voting. —Steve Sherack

 

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Despite Wide Trip, Candy Ride Filly Captures Spa Maiden For Pletcher

Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) had all the momentum as the field turned into the stretch for Sunday's fifth at Saratoga, a six-furlong maiden for 2-year-old fillies. The only question was whether or not she could get up in time after racing seven wide on the turn. It took some doing, but she got the job done, winning a race despite showing signs that she's still on the immature side.

Ridden by Luis Saez, Candied was in mid-pack early as Ella Elizabeth (Take Charge Indy) set the pace. On the far turn, Irad Ortiz Jr. darted to the rail aboard Chad Brown first-time-starter Catherine Wheel (Into Mischief). It appeared to be the winning move as the Into Mischief filly opened up by 1 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole. Meanwhile, with a wall of horses in front of him, Saez took the widest route, but it didn't matter as his filly won by three-quarters of a length.

“She had to lose some ground, but she had her face clean and picked up some momentum. I thought it was a quality effort,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher continued: “We expected her to be a little closer. She had been pretty quick getting away from the gate. She's also been a little bit green. We actually put some blinkers on her a few times to test them out. We felt like she was still learning. She was one of those who was still looking around with the blinkers. So we decided to take them off.”

Pletcher also noted that Candied was having problems changing leads in the stretch.

“That's something we've been working on a lot with her, her lead changes,” the trainer said.  “She's been kind of slow to get totally professional about that. I think there is big room for improvement for her.”

Candied is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and was a $165,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale. The breeder is Buck Pond Farm Inc.

She paid $12.60 and ran the six furlongs in 1:10.89.

The priciest filly in the race was Munny Rockette (Munnings). She sold for $1 million at the OBS March Sale. Trained by Bill Mott, she finished third, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.

 

5th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-20, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.89, ft, 3/4 length.
CANDIED (f, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}–Toni Tools {SW, $193,339}, by Roaring Fever), a 5-1 shot, took her time getting into stride and was in chase mode early from several paths off the rail. She began to inch up into contention into the turn and jockey Luis Saez steered her outside to position her widest of the bunch coming into the lane. With plenty of late run despite drifting towards the rail, Candied got up alongside leader Catherine Wheel (Into Mischief) with a sixteenth to run and turned that rival away to prevail on the wire by three-quarters of a length with favorite Munny Rockette (Munnings) back in third. Toni Tools is responsible for a Solomini colt this year and was bred back to Mind Control. Sales History: $165,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Buck Pond Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Perfect Storm as Anisette Much the Best in Del Mar Oaks

With the threat of Hurricane Hilary looming over Southern California and Del Mar, Anisette (GB) (f, 3, Awtaad {Ire}–Tutti Frutti {GB}, by Teofilo {Ire}) took the seaside oval by storm, blowing the doors off the GI Del Mar Oaks Saturday. She remained perfect in three U.S. starts since transferring to Leonard Powell's barn from the UK earlier this year. The final time for Anisett's nine furlongs on the lawn was 1:48.15 as 'TDN Rising Star' and East Coast shipper Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), as well as former Irish runner Impact Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) chased her home.

“Her turn of foot made the difference at the top of the lane,” said Powell, who also won the Oaks in 2018 with Fatale Bere (Fr) (Pedro the Great). “I didn't think we'd be so far back, especially with a half mile in :47, but she was good enough to overcome that and close the ground. [Jockey Umberto Rispoli] kept his cool; we got a dream run on the rail and he had the horse to do it. She's the goods.”

The 3-year-old fillies broke in an even line for the turf contest and it was former $1.2-million Fasig-Tipton juvenile Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) who led by as many as four lengths while setting fractions of :23.84 and :47.21. Meanwhile, Anisette trailed through the first six panels while as many as a dozen lengths in arrears. If Rispoli was concerned, he didn't show it. The dark bay had also lingered closer to the back than the front early when the pair scored the in GII San Clemente S. over this course at a mile July 22.

On the turn for home, Anisette and Rispoli began weaving through horses, finally driving through a dream seam on the rail and bursting clear with a dazzling turn of foot as the rider peeked over his shoulder and stood up for a fist-pumping celebration at the wire. It was Anisette's fourth consecutive win following the San Clemente and an introductory U.S. allowance May 29 at Santa Anita. She was coming off a late-December win as a 2-year-old at Wolverhampton in Great Britain for her former conditioner, Kevin Philippart de Foy, after which Eclipse Thoroughbred's Aron Wellman bought her privately and imported her to the U.S. Anisette was originally consigned by Wiltshire's Manor Farm to the 2021 Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, where she hammered for 26,000gns to Avenue Bloodstock.

“I knew I was on the best filly and that helped me ride her the way I did,” said Rispoli. “I thought about going outside and I knew the pace wasn't in my favor. But then things opened a bit inside and I went. They tell me I ride like [new Hall of Famer] Fernando Toro did. I know what that means. It's a great honor.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Derrinstown Stud's Awtaad (Ire) has not had huge books by modern standards at his County Kildare home, but he's certainly done well with his three crops aged three and up with two Grade I/Group 1 winners to date in addition to a French highweight. He attained the Group 1 level himself in the 2016 Irish Two Thousand Guineas. Anmaat (Ire) won the May 29 G1 Prix d'Ispahan for the son of Cape Cross (Ire) and now Anisette adds a Grade I victory stateside less than three months later with the Del Mar Oaks. Overall, Awtaad has 10 black-type winners, five of which are group or graded.

The Galileo (Ire) son Teofilo (Ire) is the damsire of both Anisette and Al Qareem (Ire), Awtaad's French GSW who was highweighed for 2022. The statistical sample may be small, but it still makes 40% of Awtaad's group/graded winners out of mares by Teofilo, who has 33 stakes winners out of his daughters.

In addition to Anisette, Tutti Frutti (GB), a half to Great Britain's 2014 G1 Markel Insurance Nassau S. winner Sultanina (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), has produced an unraced 2-year-old colt named Eton Mes (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) and a yearling filly by Make Believe (GB). Eton Mes was an RNA at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. Tutti Frutti herself was a 52,000gns purchase by Hugo Merry Bloodstock at the 2016 December Mare Sale.

Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR OAKS-GI, $302,500, Del Mar, 8-19, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.15, fm.
1–ANISETTE (GB), 122, f, 3, by Awtaad (Ire)
                1st Dam: Tutti Frutti (GB), by Teofilo (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Soft Centre (GB), by Zafonic
                3rd Dam: Foodbroker Fancy (Ire), by Halling
1ST GRADE I WIN. (26,000gns Ylg '21 TATSOM). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners; B-Morera Partnership (GB); T-Leonard
Powell; J-Umberto Rispoli. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0,
$346,871. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Be Your Best (Ire), 122, f, 3, by Muhaarar (GB)
                1st Dam: Kamakura, by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Kotuku (GB), by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Flagbird, by Nureyev
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Michael J. Ryan; B-St. Croix Bloodstock
(IRE); T-Horacio De Paz. $60,000.
3–Impact Warrior (Ire), 122, f, 3, by Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Lina de Vega (Ire) (GSP-Ire),
                                by Lope de Vega (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Caerlina (Ire), by Caerleon
                3rd Dam: Dinalina (Fr), by Top Ville (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. (€55,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Martin Schwartz;
B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $36,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, NK, 1HF. Odds: 0.80, 7.50, 8.50.
Also Ran: Ruby Nell, Infinite Diamond, Window Shopping, And Tell Me Nolies, Absolutely Zero, Big Pond, Paris Secret (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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$380K Violence Colt Leads the Way During Solid Start to Fasig-Tipton NY-Bred Yearlings Sale

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session, ending with figures ahead of last year's opening session after a brisk evening of just 100 catalogued head. A colt by Violence brought the night's top price when Chris Baccari, bidding alongside trainer Ken McPeek, went to $380,000 on behalf of country singer Toby Keith. The yearling was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

A total of 53 yearlings sold Sunday for $5,999,000. The average of $113,189 was up 5% from last year's opening-session figure of $107,813, while the median of $100,000 was up 29.9% from $77,000 a year ago. With 28 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 34.6%.

“It was a very good opening session to the 2023 New York-bred Yearling Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “It seemed a tiny bit sticky at the beginning, with a little higher RNA rate that kind of smoothed out as the sale progressed. But it was a solid sale, a good sale. Last year was essentially a record-breaking sale and to be statistically improved in two key categories is a really good start.”

With just a third of the catalogue through the ring Sunday, Browning was loathe to make any big predictions on the state of the New York-bred yearling market.

“We have got a full day tomorrow, so we won't be making any bold proclamations or assertions,” Browning said. “We will have a better ability to access the overall market tomorrow. But it was certainly a good start and we are looking forward to another good day tomorrow.”

The New York-Bred Yearlings Sale continues Monday at noon with a further 264 catalogued head scheduled to go through the ring at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion.

 

Baccari, McPeek Strike for Violence Colt
Chris Baccari, who has been active buying on behalf of Toby Keith this year, got the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale off to a quick start when acquiring a colt by Violence for $380,000 (hip 306) for the country singer Sunday in Saratoga. Baccari did his bidding out back alongside trainer Ken McPeek.

“To me, he looked extremely sound and he had a lot of good qualities about him that were unique for his pedigree,” Baccari said. “That's why I told Kenny and Toby that this one we would have to stretch on. To me, he's a very solid horse.”

The bay colt is out of Liam's Lookout (Liam's Map), a half-sister to graded winner Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid). Bred by Fred Hertrich, the yearling sold for $175,000 to SKPJ Stables at this year's Keeneland January sale. He was consigned Monday by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

“Chris Baccari and I are good friends and we have been for a long time,” McPeek said. “I have a lot of respect for his work and he knows some of my work. We both liked the horse. We are putting a group together to race in New York. We will probably have Magdalena as some sort of share in him. He's a lovely horse. I thought he was a real standout. You have to pay for the good ones and he was a good one.”

Bidding for Keith's Dream Walkin Farms, Baccari purchased a filly by Fast Anna for $100,000 at the OBS June sale and Baccari and McPeek teamed up to buy a Blame colt for $310,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July sale.

“I've known Toby and had mares for him for a long time,” Baccari said. “In the springtime, he called me up and said let's try to get a racing stable. So, that's what I'm trying to do.”

Asked if there was a target number for the stable, Baccari said, “Every deal is it's own deal. When I walk up and see a horse, then I try for it”

 

Gun Runner Filly to Trade Winds Farm
Tom D'Ambra, standing alongside his daughter and farm manager Agatha Reid, went to $290,000 to acquire a filly by Gun Runner (hip 369) Sunday in Saratoga. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the yearling is out of graded winner Pantsonfire (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}). She was bred by Richard Nicolai.

“We really wanted her,” D'Ambra said. “She's a filly, she has residual value If she doesn't run, it's a great family. We hope she will have a good racing career, but even after that there is more in the tank.”

Trade Winds Farm is located in Rexford, New York and has campaigned stakes winner Bounding Charm and multiple stakes placed Scientist.

D'Ambra, who indicated the filly would likely be trained by Brendan Walsh, admitted he was willing to spend more to acquire the yearling.

“I thought she would go higher, so I thought this was good deal,” he said.

Asked if he was still shopping, D'Ambra said, “That's it for tonight, but we will be back tomorrow.”

Eclipse, Repole Back for Mo
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Repole Stables, who teamed up to purchase a yearling by Practical Joke for $150,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York sale, returned to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion two days after that colt broke his maiden first-time out at Saratoga to acquire his half-sister by Vekoma (hip 349) for $235,000.

“It's the exact same partnership as on the brother,” said Repole advisor Jacob West. “So we are combining forces and hope we do it again.”

Asked how much her half-brother Trust Fund's 2 1/4-length debut victory impacted their decision to buy the sister, West said, “We knew that she was in here and we knew what he was doing prior [to Friday's race]. The page was turned down on her before he ran. But the filly, on her own, was very, very nice. She was a beautiful filly. We hope he goes on and does well and we have some residual leftover.”

Hip 349, who was consigned by Straight Line Equine Sales, is out of Mo Savings (Uncle Mo), a half-sister to stakes winner and graded placed Clipthecouponannie (Freud). She was bred by Windylea Farm.

“She's been really nice ever since she was born,” Windylea's Kip O'Neill said of the yearling. “We thought she would bring $80,000 to $125,000 before the timely update that happened Friday. Certainly we were watching out for that horse. Once that happened, we thought we would get into the high $100,000s. She got over $200,000 and we are very happy with the hands that she's in. Jacob has bought quite a few from our farm over the years. It's becoming a good relationship.”

Windylea Farm claimed the unplaced Mo Savings for $40,000 at Belmont in 2019. Trust Fund was her first foal. She has a weanling filly by Tacitus.

“We still have the mare,” O'Neill confirmed. “We decided not to breed her back–it was a late foaling and we decided to give her the year off. We were going to have to give her a year off sooner or later and she's worked hard for us. So we figured we would give her a little bit of a break.”

Vekoma had a pair of yearlings sell Sunday night. In addition to the filly, the Spendthrift stallion also had a colt (hip 354) sell for $200,000 to Klaravich Stables.

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