A head-turning debut winner Dec. 10 at Fair Grounds over three next-out graduates, the blaze-faced chestnut added a narrow optional claiming tally there Jan. 29. She was bounced around in the stretch of the Mar. 12 Allen Black Cat Lacombe S. back in NOLA Mar. 12, and had to settle for third that day at 9-5.

More or less ignored here by the wagering public despite the equipment tweak and switch to hot-riding Luis Saez, New Year's Eve traveled slightly awkwardly past the stands for the first turn and around the bend, but eventually settled in at the caboose behind splits of :24.07 and :48.64. She caught the eye when given her cue to quicken into a six-furlong split of 1:13 flat, and continued to inhale rivals while out in the clear approaching the stretch. Looming large over the top, she blew them away from there to defy the odds.

“She relaxed really well,” said Saez. “I was able to save ground around the first turn. I came out a little after a half-mile because I saw horses in front stopping. At the top of the stretch, she was in the clear and boom. She was loving it. I could feel how happy she was.”

Walsh added, “She's been just a bit slow mentally. But she's getting it bit by bit. So we gave her some time to figure things out, then we gave her a push. We put blinkers on her for her last two works and she seemed to pick it up a bit. I was quietly confident that she'd be better today. And she was.”

Friday, Churchill Downs
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY FORCHT BANK-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.39, fm.
1–NEW YEAR'S EVE, 118, f, 3, by Kitten's Joy
   1st Dam: Awesome Rafaela (Brz), by Elusive Quality
   2nd Dam: Linda Rafaela (Brz), by Bin Ajwaad (Ire)
   3rd Dam: Poli Arumba, by Executioner

'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($110,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $105,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). O-Marc Detampel; B-Stud TNT LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Luis Saez. $294,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $353,600. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–McKulick (GB), 118, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Astrelle (Ire), by Makfi (GB). (180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $95,000.
3–Dolce Zel (Fr), 120, f, 3, Zelzal (Fr)–Dolce Attesa (GB), by Dr Fong. O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, and Robert V. LaPenta; B-Scuderia Micolo Di Nicola Galli & C. SNC (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. $47,500.
Margins: 2 3/4, 4HF, HF. Odds: 14.60, 2.30, 2.00.
Also Ran: Kneesnhips, Beechnut Trophy-(DH), Dream Lith-(DH), Tap Dancing Lady, My Philly Twirl, Spicer, An Agent Mistake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
New Year's Eve becomes the 53rd graded/group winner for Kitten's Joy and his third winner of the Edgewood. Elusive Quality is the broodmare sire of 40 graded/group winners in the Northern Hemisphere, and 25 more south of the equator.

The winner's dam was a two-time winner in Brazil and is half to Brazilian Group 1 winner and U.S. GISP Viva Rafaela (Brz) (Know Heights {Ire}). She has a 2-year-old colt named Will Take Cash (Will Take Charge) who was a $42,000 KEESEP buy by J. Kirk and Judy Robison. Barren in her subsequent mating, Awesome Rafaela was carrying a Volatile filly (born Mar. 5) when purchased by Fergus Galvin–an advisor to New Year's Eve's owner Marc Detampel–for $95,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale in February.

The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ New Year’s Eve Upends Edgewood appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Barista finished second by 2 1/2 lengths, with Line Dancing edging Queen of the Green in a photo finish for third. Aunt Pearl, whose three victories culminated with a front-running score last Nov. 6 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, checked in fifth in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies after setting the fractions.

Gift List, a Bated Breath filly bred in England by James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd., covered 1 1/16 miles on a good turf course in 1:41.94. She paid $10.80 as the second choice in the wagering off a second-place finish April 3 in the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland.

Aunt Pearl went to the front as expected under Florent Geroux (she won all three of her races as a juvenile going wire to wire), but the Todd Pletcher-trained Zaajel,a Street Sense filly making her fourth career start and first on turf, put some pressure on the Irish-bred Lope de Vega filly from the outset. Aunt Pearl went the opening quarter mile in :24.32 and the half in :49.03, but the third quarter was run in a shade under 24 seconds for a six-furlong split of 1:13.00.

Rounding the far turn, jockey Luis Saez stepped up the pressure with Zaajel, while Castellano sat chilly just behind the two front-runners. saving ground throughout their journey.

When the field tipped into the stretch, Aunt Pearl still clung to the lead, but Castellano swung Gift List to the front-runners outside and quickly accelerated past that one, passing the mile marker in 1:36.61 and was under light encouragement to the wire.

Castellano said he learned some things about Gift List in the Appalachian. “She needs to be covered up a little bit,” the Hall of Fame jockey said, a reference to keeping her behind other horses. “And we saved all the ground.

“I didn't have any special instructions today; just play the break and go from there,” Castellano added. “She broke fine and I got a very good spot. Then when I asked her she gave me some amazing acceleration. She was a special winner today.”

Lynch said the pressure that Zaajel put on Aunt Pearl approaching the stretch played to his filly's advantage. “It looked like a bit of a tussle at the three-sixteenths pole (between Zaajel and Aunt Pearl) and she put herself in the race,” Lynch said of Gift List. “She looks like she'll run on … like she'll get a mile and a quarter and beyond. I'm very fortunate to have her in the barn. It looks like she's got a very bright future.”

“Off the last race, in her first U.S. debut, she gave a great run that day  Appalachian Stakes), in a race that had no pace,” Lynch said. “She's really trained so well from her last start to this, even though we had to work her on the dirt, which was a new thing to her. She was very comfortable getting over it, and was getting plenty out of her works. I had a good feeling going into this race, that if Aunt Pearl were to stub her toe, we'd have a good shot. She (Aunt Pearl) was a big obstacle, no doubt. Undefeated filly. Breeders' Cup winner. But we all know, and I've run into it myself with Oscar Performance, some of them take to this course and some just don't. It had a little bit of give in it today, and my filly had some good races on soft and heavy turf. Maybe that had something to do with it.”

Trained in the UK by Karl Richard Burke as a 2-year-old, Gift List won two of five starts, with three seconds, none of the races longer than seven furlongs.

As for the beaten favorite, Geroux said of Aunt Pearl: “She was traveling great, going to the back side, she was relaxing, I just had no horse down the lane. She's a very small filly. In my opinion, she did not move forward as much as some of those other horses.”

Trainer Brian Lynch congratulates Javier Castellano after Gift List's Edgewood Stakes win

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Sent off at 4-1, Gift List tracked from a ground-saving third as the chalk dictated terms, clocking early splits of :24.32 and :49.03. Biding her time on the backstretch run, Gift List dove between horses to overtake Aunt Pearl at the top of the stretch and powered clear instantly, roaring home to a dazzling score. Barista filled the place spot. Aunt Pearl was one-paced in the lane, swallowed up by the field to be fifth at the line.

“Off the last race, in her first U.S. debut, she gave a great run that day, in a race that had no pace,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “She's really trained so well from her last start to this, even though we had to work her on the dirt, which was a new thing to her. She was very comfortable getting over it, and was getting plenty out of her works. I had a good feeling going into this race, that if Aunt Pearl were to stub her toe, we'd have a good shot. She was a big obstacle, no doubt. Undefeated filly. Breeders' Cup winner. But we all know, and I've run into it myself with Oscar Performance, some of them take to this course and some just don't. It had a little bit of give in it today, and my filly had some good races on soft and heavy turf. Maybe that had something to do with it.”

“I didn't have any special instructions today; just play the break and go from there,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “She broke fine and I got a very good spot. Then when I asked her she gave me some amazing acceleration. She was a special winner today.”

A second-out graduate at Newcastle Aug. 2, Gift List won again at Redcar 27 days later. Runner-up next out at Newmarket Oct. 3, she was second again in the Radley S. at Newbury Oct. 24. Privately purchased by the Amermans and sent to Brian Lynch, she was second in Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. when making her U.S. debut Apr. 3.

As for the beaten favorite, BSW/Crow Bloodstock tweeted: “Aunt Pearl came out of the race sound. Unfortunately she bled 3/5, her first time bleeding. She ran her entire 2yo year without Lasix, and we are hopeful we will be able to get her back to top form this season. When she is at her best, she has devastating speed that carries.”

Pedigree Notes:

Gift List is the 11th graded winner and 17th black-type scorer for her sire Bated Breath. Her GSW dam Birthstone is a daughter of GSW & G1SP Baya (Nureyev) and a half-sister to SW & MGSP Songcraft (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). Birthstone has only produced one foal since the winner, a now juvenile filly by Havana Gold (Ire).

Friday, Churchill Downs
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY NEWPORT RACING & GAMING-GII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 4-30, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.52, gd.
1–GIFT LIST (GB), 118, f, 3, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Birthstone (GB) (GSW-Fr), by Machiavellian
2nd Dam: Baya, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Barger, by Riverman
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (23,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Brian A Lynch; J-Javier Castellano. $182,280. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng, 7-3-4-0, $281,814. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Barista, 118, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Callista, by Tapit. ($100,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Miacomet Farm & Michael A Pietrangelo; B-Courtlandt Farm (KY); T-James E Baker. $58,800.
3–Line Dancing, 118, f, 3, Speightstown–Choreograph, by Dynaformer. O/B-Bass Stables LLC (KY); T-Michael R Matz. $29,400.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2HF, NO. Odds: 4.40, 23.10, 21.40.
Also Ran: Queen of the Green, Aunt Pearl (Ire), Postnup, Zaajel.
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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There don't appear to be any Concrete Roses waiting in the wings here, but Gift List (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) is the most likely upsetter. She was second in her Stateside debut for Amerman Racing and Brian Lynch in the Apr. 3 GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland behind speedy 'Rising Star' Jouster (Noble Mission {GB}).

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“They are all good this morning,” reported Amelia Green, who is overseeing Pletcher's string at Keeneland that also includes Ghazaaly, winner of Saturday's first race.

Malathaat, by Curlin, earned a berth in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) with her victory. The Oaks will be run April 30, the same day as the $300,000 Edgewood (G2) that could be a possible spot for the Noble Mission filly Jouster to return.

Pletcher said via text that Malathaat and Jouster would remain at Keeneland for the time being.

A half-hour after Malathaat won the Central Bank Ashland, Pletcher saddled Calumet Farm's Bourbonic and Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One to a 1-2 finish in the Wood Memorial (G2) Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct.

Pletcher has four horses in the top 20 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, including WinStar Farm and CHC Inc's Sainthood, who is stabled at Keeneland following his runner-up effort in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park March 27.

In winning her first Grade 1, Malathaat ran down Pass the Champagne in the final yards to prevail by a head.

“I thought we had it won, but I know Todd has been very high on Malathaat,” said George Weaver, trainer of Pass the Champagne, who is owned by the partnership of R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, Black Ridge Stables and James Brown. “She is doing fine this morning and will ship back (to Palm Beach Downs in Florida) tomorrow morning.”

Weaver followed a similar pattern two years ago with Vekoma after he won the Toyota Blue Grass, returning to his Florida base before going to Churchill Downs Derby Week.

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Avoiding some bumping between the foes to her outside at the start, Sharing showed good gate speed and perhaps a bit of eagerness as she kept In Good Spirits (Ghostzapper) honest through splits of :24.44 and :48.76. Ridden along by Manny Franco to confront the leader heading for home, she started to edge clear in midstretch and maintained a clear advantage under the line.

“She has tactical speed,” said Franco, who will look to carry Friday’s momentum into Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby, in which he rides Tiz the Law (Constitution). “She broke out of there good and put me in a position where I wanted to go. After that, she knows how to get it done. She is so nice and has a really good turn of foot. She is very professional.”

This was the first Edgewood victory for trainer Graham Motion, who said: “I can’t lie, I was pretty anxious about it because she was coming off a long trip and a long break. But she’s so classy, she makes us all look good I think. She had a great work last weekend (7f in 1:26, 1/3 over the Fair Hill all-weather) and Manny gave her a perfect ride. It couldn’t have set up any better quite honestly.”

As for what could be next, Motion said, “The only question I have in my mind is how far she wants to go. She obviously loves this distance. The next race would be 1 1/8 miles if we go to the [GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana Farm Oct. 10] at Keeneland. I don’t know if she wants to go that far, I don’t know why she wouldn’t, but she seems awfully good going a mile. I think the QEII is a race anyone with a good 3-year-old filly wants to go. I’m so tickled to get a race under her now because this makes it easier going forward now we’ve got this level of fitness. And I can’t say enough about working with [Eclipse’s] Aron [Wellman] and [Gainesway’s] Antony [Beck]. I feel like we’ve called the right shots and it’s because of them, they’ve never put any pressure on me.”

Friday, Churchill Downs
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY FORCHT BANK-GII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 9-4, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.87, gd.
1–SHARING, 123, f, 3, by Speightstown
                1st Dam: Shared Account (GISW, $1,649,427),
                                by Pleasantly Perfect
                2nd Dam: Silk n’ Sapphire, by Smart Strike
                3rd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
($350,000 Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
& Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Sagamore Farm (MD);
T-H. Graham Motion; J-Manuel Franco. $182,280. Lifetime
Record: GISW-US & G1SP-Eng, 7-5-1-1, $1,038,751. *1/2 to
Riley’s Choice (Distorted Humor), SW, $172,838. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hendy Woods, 118, f, 3, Uncle Mo–Separate Forest, by
Forestry. ($95,000 RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Stonestreet Stables
LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Mark E.
Casse. $58,800.
3–Lucky Betty, 118, f, 3, Munnings–Cherokee Beads, by Street
Sense. ($145,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Dennis Park; B-TK Stables
LLC (KY); T-William B. VanMeter. $29,400.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, 1. Odds: 0.60, 3.50, 19.30.
Also Ran: In Good Spirits, Pranked, Walk In Marrakesh (Ire), Mariafoot (Fr). Scratched: Outburst (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:

Sharing is one of 56 graded/group winners for super sire Speightstown, who was represented earlier this week by new ‘TDN Rising Star‘ in Nashville. Her dam’s signature win was a 46-1 upset of the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf going 11 furlongs over this same course. Shared Account has a yearling filly by Mastery and was bred back to Speightstown this season.

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The Alysheba is one of six graded stakes on Friday's 13-race program that begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) and is headlined by the 146th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). The Alysheba will go as the day's 10th race with a 4:15 post time.

Also on the program is the 65th running of the $300,000 Eight Belles presented by TwinSpires.com (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the main track, the 36th running of the $300,000 Edgewood presented by Forcht Bank (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf and the 26th running of the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (GII) for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.

Trained by Bob Baffert, McKinzie romped to a 4 ¾-length victory in last year's Alysheba. Fifth in the Metropolitan Handicap (GI) going a mile in his most recent start, McKinzie will be ridden Friday by Mike Smith and break from post position two.

Looming as the top challenger to McKinzie is Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards. Runner-up in the Whitney (GI) in his most recent start and a winner of three of five starts in 2020, By My Standards is trained by Bret Calhoun and will be ridden Friday by Gabriel Saez and break from post position six.

The field for the Alysheba, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Silver Dust (Adam Beschizza, 120 pounds), McKinzie (Smith, 118), Owendale (Florent Geroux (118), Hence (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Mr Freeze (Manny Franco, 123), By My Standards (Saez, 123), Title Ready (Corey Lanerie, 118) and Bodexpress (Javier Castellano, 118).

Witham Thoroughbreds' homebred Four Graces, riding a three-race win streak, headlines of field of seven for the Eight Belles.

Scheduled as the day's eighth race, post time for the Eight Belles will be 3:05.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces has won four of five career starts and has posted Grade III in her past two starts in the Beaumont at Keeneland and the Dogwood at Churchill Downs.

Julien Leparoux, who has been aboard for all of Four Graces' victories, will ride Friday and break from post position 8.

The field for the Eight Belles, from the rail out with riders and weights, is: Mundaye Call (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Never Forget (Javier Castellano, 118), Extra Effort (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Purrfectly Claire (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Sconsin (James Graham, 118), Perfect Happiness (Rafael Bejarano, 118) and Four Graces (Leparoux, 120).

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stables' Sharing, winner of the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) at Santa Anita last fall and the Tepin at Churchill Downs in her 2020 debut, tops a field of eight for the Edgewood.

The Edgewood will go as the day's ninth race with a 3:40 post time.

Trained by Graham Motion, Sharing will be making her first start since finishing second in the Group I Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Manny Franco has the mount Friday and will break from post position three.

The field for the Edgewood, from the rail out with riders and weights, is: In Good Spirits (Miguel Mena, 118 pounds), Hendy Woods (John Velazquez, 118), Sharing (Franco, 118), Lucky Betty (Declan Cannon, 118), Outburst (GB) (Tyler Gaffalione, 120), Pranked (James Graham, 118), Mariafoot (FR) (Florent Geroux, 118) and Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) (Javier Castellano, 118).

Diamond Oops, making his return to the grass for the first time since finishing second in last fall's Shadwell Turf Mile (GI), and Grade II winner Bound for Nowhere head a deep field of 14 grass sprinters and one also-eligible in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint.

The Twin Spires Turf Sprint will go as the day's 13th race with a 6:20 post time.

Owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, DP Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing, Diamond Oops is a three-time graded stakes placed runner on dirt to go with his grass success. Trained by Patrick Biancone, Diamond Oops will be making his first start since June and be ridden by Florent Geroux out of post position one.

Bound for Nowhere, owned and trainer by Wesley Ward, won the 2018 Shakertown at Keeneland at the 5 12/2-furlong distance and finished third beaten a neck in this year's edition July 11 in his most recent start.

Julio Garcia has the mount and will break from post position four.

The field for the Twin Spires Turf Sprint with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Diamond Oops (Geroux, 121), Wellabled (Manny Franco, 121), Real News (Joe Talamo, 121), Bound for Nowhere (Garcia, 121), Extravagant Kid (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Tell Your Daddy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 121), Smart Remark, Rafael Bejarano, 121), Just Might (Colby Hernandez, 121), Jazzy Times (Miguel Mena, 121), Carotari (Julien Leparoux, 121), Fielder (Paco Lopez, 121), Chaps (Corey Lanerie, 121), Tiger Blood (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121) and Chief Cicatriz (James Graham, 121). Also-Eligible: High Crime (Javier Castellano, 121).

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