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Saturday Insights: $1.3m Into Mischief OBS April Grad Makes Santa Anita Debut

9th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 8:11 p.m. ET.
The rail-drawn URBAN LEGEND (Into Mischief) is one of three Bob Baffert trainees to debut in the Santa Anita finale. Out of MSW Singing Kitty (Ministers Wild Cat), the bay colt went for $300,000 at Keeneland September before bringing $1.3 million at the OBS April Sale. He is campaigned by Morplay Racing LLC, Rosedown Racing Stables, LLC and Kerri Radcliffe.

The Hall of Fame conditioner will also saddle Nysos (Nyquist), who was purchased by Baoma Corp. for $550,000 at OBS April, and British Isles (Justify). Out of GSW Purely Hot (Pure Prize) and a half-brother to GI American Pharoah S. champ Eight Rings (Empire Maker), the latter is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.

Also set for his unveiling is Tracker (Curlin), who is out of GI Darley Alcibiades S. heroine Gomo (Uncle Mo). The $250,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $900,000 OBS March graduate is campaigned by Talla Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and Robert and DeLynn Abernathy. TJCIS PPS

5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:08 p.m. ET.
Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and trainer Jeff Engler send out Bedazzle 'Em (American Pharoah) for her first start. The $750,000 Keeneland September graduate counts GIII Schuylerville S. winner Just Cindy (Justify) as a half sister.

She'll face Red White and Blue Racing's Denim and Pearls (Into Mischief), who sold for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. The Brad Cox trainee is a full-sister to GIII Robert B. Lewis S. hero Newgate.

Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred Aunt Fannie (Uncle Mo), trained by Ian Wilkes, is a half-sister to GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. victor McCraken (Ghostzapper) and GIII Dogwood S. winner Four Graces (Majesticperfection). TJCIS PPS

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Grading the TDN Rising Stars: Class of 2019

While no singular superstar emerged from this class numbering just 60, the top-to-bottom quality separates this class from its counterparts.

MGISW Guarana (Ghostzapper) was the only 'TDN Rising Star' to win multiple Grade I events in 2019. She posted three consecutive victories that year, going straight from her maiden-breaking score at Keeneland to the GI Acorn S., where she defeated GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress (Alternation) and future Eclipse champion Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), and then to Saratoga's GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Second only to GISW Street Band (Istan) in her final start of the year, the GI Cotillion S., Guarana returned in 2020 to score once more at the highest level, retiring a winner back where she started in Keeneland's GI Madison S.

With a final record of 6-5-1-0 and earnings of $1,078,268, Guarana wasn't done making headlines just yet, going on to bring a final bid of $4.4 million from Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura at the Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars Sale in November 2021. She produced a colt by leading general sire Into Mischief in 2022 and was bred to a fellow Hill 'n' Dale great in Charlatan for 2023.

A further eight 'Rising Stars' from 2019 would find success at the Grade I level including elevated GI Kentucky Derby winner and current Darby Dan stallion Country House (Lookin At Lucky), GI American Pharoah S. winner Eight Rings (Empire Maker), WinStar stallion Global Campaign (Curlin), himself the half-brother to 2022 leading first-crop sire Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), and Valid Point (Scat Daddy). A quartet of fillies, many of whom brought big sales numbers upon their retirement, joined this group: Hard Not To Love (Hard Spun), who sold to Gainesway and Whisper Hill Farm for $3.2 million while pregnant to Curlin, Sharing (Speightstown), Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map), who brought $2,9 million from Whisper Hill Farm also in foal to Curlin, and Wesley Ward's millionaire Kimari (Munnings) who sold at the same Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars Sale for $2.7 million to Coolmore's M.V. Magnier.

Another eight horses achieved graded-stakes success highlighted by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner up Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo), who sold in foal to Tiz the Law for $1.9 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars Sale, and Frank's Rockette who finished 2022 strong with a win in the GIII Sugar Swirl S. at Gulfstream Dec. 31. GII Risen Star S. winner Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice), a half-brother to dual Eclipse champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), and GIII Iroquois S. victor Dennis' Moment (Tiznow) both found their best form as 2-year-olds in 2019 while Magic Star (Scat Daddy) entered the graded-stakes ranks with a win in the 2020 GIII Marshua's River S.

Amongst those who competed at the stakes level, Canadian champion 3-year-old Desert Ride (ON) (Candy Ride {Arg}) took wins in two of the three legs of the Canadian Triple Tiara, the Woodbine Oaks and the Wonder Where S. Others include the ill-fated dual-stakes winning filly Taraz (Into Mischief), GI Santa Anita Oaks runner up Flor de La Mar (Tiznow) and MGISP Shoplifted (Into Mischief).

Other names to note include a pair of foals by Constitution in MGISP Gouverneur Morris, a factor in the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby, and MGISP Golden Principal, who did her best racing as a 3 and 4-year-old.

In total, 9/60 (15%) 'TDN Rising Stars' of 2019 would achieve success at the Grade I level. 8/60 (14%) won graded-stakes races, 18/60 (30%) were stakes winners, 10/60 (16%) placed at the graded-stakes level, 3/60 (5%) placed at the stakes level, and only 12/60 (20%) did not reach black-type status.

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Well-Related Union Rags Colt Debuts at Hanshin

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Hanshin Racecourses:

Saturday, November 12, 2022
4th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
CUPIDON (c, 2, American Pharoah–Chocolate Pop, by Cuvee) is a half-brother to dual-surface graded winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Airoforce (Colonel John) and was hammered down to owner Koki Meada for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. His dam, twice placed at stakes level, was sold to Springhouse Farm for $460,000 in foal to Bernardini at the 2017 Keeneland January sale and is also responsible for a yearling Uncle Mo filly that fetched $450,000 from Live Oak at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Cupidon is bred on a similar cross to MGSW Forbidden Kingdom. B-Camas Park Stud & Lynch Bages Ltd (KY)

5th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT
GUREN (c, 2, Union Rags–Purely Hot, by Pure Prize) is the fifth foal to make the races from his Grade III-winning dam, who was acquired by Hugo Merry Bloodstock for $1.2 million with this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2019. The lofty pricetag was due in large measure to the on-track exploits of the mare's 'TDN Rising Star' son Eight Rings (Empire Maker), who won that year's GI American Pharoah S. about a month prior to going under the hammer in Lexington. Guren was a $235,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase by Red Wings and was entered for–but was ultimately scratched from–this year's OBS April sale. B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY)

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Express Train Brings Recent Form Into Six-Horse San Pasqual

In what shapes up as an important prep to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5, C R K Stable's Express Train heads a field of six older horses going a mile and one eighth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita.

A game nose winner over A-List sophomore Hot Rod Charlie in the G2 San Antonio Stakes going a mile and one sixteenth on Dec. 26, Express Train is the defending champ in the San Pasqual and he'll be seeking his fourth graded stakes win on Saturday.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train will be ridden back by Victor Espinoza, who delivered the mail at odds of 7-1 on opening day. A 5-year-old horse by Union Rags, Express Train is easily the leading money earner in the field with $815,800 from an overall mark of 15-5-4-3.

A newly turned 4-year-old, Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Law Professor prevailed in a protracted stretch battle with Grade 1 winner Beyond Brilliant to take the G2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile by a half length on Dec. 26 and he has the look of a “now horse” as he bids for his third consecutive victory.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Law Professor, a 4-year-old gelding by Constitution, was ridden to consecutive wins by Jose Ortiz and will be handled for the first time by Juan Hernandez in the San Pasqual. With a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in hand, Law Professor, who had raced on turf in his previous two starts, was off at 4-1 in the Mathis Mile, which was switched to the main track due to heavy rains. With three wins from seven starts, Law Professor seeks his second stakes win.

With John Velazquez riding him back, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings, who went to the front in the opening day San Antonio and nearly dead heated with Hot Rod Charlie for the place while beaten a half length by Express Train, rates a big chance in what will be his 14th career start. A Grade 1 winner here at two, Eight Rings is a 5-year-old horse by Empire Maker seeking his second graded stakes win and his fourth overall.

In a dominant gate to wire performance, trainer George Papaprodromou's American Theorem took a second condition allowance at a mile an one sixteenth by 2 ¼ lengths over Shooter's Shoot on Jan 2 and was flattered by the fact the runner-up came back to post a big second here in Saturday's G3 Palos Verdes Stakes.

Owned by Kretz Racing, LLC, American Theorem, who earned a 90 Beyer on Jan. 2, will likely employ similar front-running tactics with Mike Smith back aboard.

A Derby prospect a year ago, Baffert's Spielberg came back running off a 9 ½ month freshening to rally from off the pace and register a three-length win in a one mile second condition allowance Jan 14 and will be ridden back by Flavien Prat as he seeks his second graded stakes win. A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, Spielberg is owned by Golconda Stables, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing, LLC, et al and is 10-3-3-1 overall.

THE GRADE 2 SAN PASQUAL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Kiss Today Goodbye—Abel Cedillo–120
Express Train—Victor Espinoza—124
American Theorem—Mike Smith—120
Eight Rings—John Velazquez—120
Spielberg—Flavien Prat—120
Law Professor—Juan Hernandez–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m., admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

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