fair grounds | Horse Racing Free Tips

Not This Time Colt Front and Center in Risen Star

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time) made up for his close call in the GIII Lecomte S. with a front-running score in the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, moving him up in the GI Kentucky Derby points rankings. Winchell Thoroughbreds and winning trainer Steve Asmussen also teamed up to take this event in 2016 with future Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

Away a breath slower than the rest, Epicenter quickly got his hooves beneath him and tugged his way up to the front under Joel Rosario. Bodock (Street Boss), a 63-1 shot, kept the pacesetter honest through early splits of :23.79 and :47.97 with Pappacap (Gun Runner) saving ground to Bodock's inside in third. Meanwhile favored 'TDN Rising Star' Smile Happy (Runhappy) bided his time back off the pace in sixth with GII Remsen S. runner-up Zandon (Upstart) sitting off his heels. Epicenter continued to lope along comfortably at the head of affairs, putting up three-quarters in 1:12.25. Rosario sat chilly in the saddle as Epicenter cruised clear with ease in the lane for a decisive victory. Smile Happy rallied for second with Zandon closing right behind him for third.

Fading to sixth in his seven-panel Churchill Downs unveiling in September, Epicenter returned with a good-looking graduation going a mile at that venue Nov. 13. Running away to a 6 1/2-length triumph in this venue's Gun Runner S. Dec. 26, he did most of the heavy lifting in the Lecomte S. last time Jan. 22, only to be headed by Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute) late.

“He did run a really big race today,” Rosario said. “That was really nice. He looked like he was enjoying what he was doing and put in a really nice race today. We'll see going forward how far he can go.”
“A little different than his last race in that every quarter was perfect,” owner Ron Winchell said. He looked nice and comfortable we were just hoping he would finish off the race and he did. He looked great.”

Pedigree Notes:
Epicenter is the fifth graded winner and one of 17 black-type scorers for his young sire Not This Time. He is also the 14th graded scorer and one of 30 black-type winners out of a daughter of Candy Ride (Arg), who was also the broodmare sire of GIII Fair Grounds H. winner Cavalry Charge (Honor Code). Westwind Farms purchased the winner's dam Silent Candy for $130,000 at the 2014 KEENOV sale carrying a foal by Scat Daddy. Her recent produce includes a juvenile colt by Always Dreaming and a yearling filly by Tapiture. She was bred back to Outwork.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
RISEN STAR S. PRESENTED BY LAMARQUE FORD-GII, $400,000, Fair Grounds, 2-19, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.03, ft.
1–EPICENTER, 122, c, 3, by Not This Time
               1st Dam: Silent Candy (SW & GSP, $182,208), by Candy Ride (Arg)
               2nd Dam: Silent Queen, by King of Kings (Ire)
               3rd Dam: Soundproof (Ire), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($260,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Westwind Farms (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $240,000. Lifetime
Record: 5-3-1-0, $410,639. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Smile Happy, 122, c, 3, Runhappy–Pleasant Smile, by
Pleasant Tap. ($175,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $185,000 Ylg '20
FTKSEL). O-Lucky Seven Stable (Mackin); B-Moreau
Bloodstock Int'l Inc. & White Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Kenneth
McPeek. $80,000. 'TDN Rising Star'
3–Zandon, 122, c, 3, Upstart–Memories Prevail, by Creative
Cause. ($170,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jeff Drown; B-Brereton
Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, HF, HD. Odds: 3.50, 2.20, 3.80.
Also Ran: Pioneer of Medina, Tawny Port, Slow Down Andy, Trafalgar, Pappacap, Bodock, Russian Tank.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Not This Time Colt Front and Center in Risen Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Nyquist Filly Upsets Rachel Alexandra S.

Ike and Dawn Thrash's Turnerloose (Nyquist) sprung a 17-1 upset to put herself on the GI Kentucky Oaks trail while making her first start on dirt in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds. Away alertly, the dark bay hustled up to be in contention before settling back in a ground-saving fourth as the well-related and previously unbeaten Silverbulletday S. winner La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro) dictated terms with GSW Hidden Connection (Connect) hot on her heels through a :23.94 opening quarter. La Crete was pulled up sharply as the half went up in :48.18, plummeting to the back of the pack, leaving Hidden Connection in charge.

Turnerloose inched closer, but was instantly shuffled back again as a slew of rivals charged up on her outside. Florent Geroux was undeterred, sitting chilly atop the Brad Cox pupil turning for home. He swung his mount out two wide in the lane as Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) charged up alongside the pacesetter. Turnerloose was grinding along the outside and forged clear late to win by a half-length. Goddess of Fire held second and Awake at Midnyte (Nyquist) filled the show spot.

La Crete's owner Stonestreet Stable tweeted that the filly suffered a condylar fracture and is a good candidate for surgical repair.

“To be honest I didn't know if she could handle the dirt,” said trainer Brad Cox. “She worked well enough last fall. I gave her a little bit of a break. She worked well enough here at Fair Grounds. She tries hard. Always tries hard. We saw a better version of her today than we did in California [at the Breeders' Cup]. The two logical spots are the [GII] Fair Grounds Oaks or the [GI Central Bank] Ashland.”

A debut winner on the grass at Ellis Park July 16, Turnerloose romped by five lengths in the Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 6. Setting the pace in Keeneland's grassy GII Jessamine S. Oct. 13, she was run down late by California Angel (California Chrome) and forced to settle for third and faded to 14th when last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at Del Mar Nov. 5.

Pedigree Notes:
Turnerloose is the fourth graded winner and one of seven black-type achievers for her young sire Nyquist. She is one of 247 black-type winners for her legendary broodmare sire A.P. Indy and the 117th graded scorer out of one of his daughters. The winner's unraced dam Goaltending is a daughter of Grade I winner Game Face (Menifee). The 11-year-old mare did not have a foal in 2020, but had an Arrogate filly in 2021 and a City of Light filly Jan. 12 of this year.

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Olympiad Gets the Gold in Mineshaft

Bill Mott's patient handling paid off with the well-regarded Olympiad, who earned his graded stakes badge in the Mineshaft Saturday. Stalking Silver Prospector from second through early splits of :24.18 and :48.11, the even-money favorite turned up the heat on the backstretch run and jumped clear in the lane to win with ease. Silver Prospector held second and Miles D completed the trifecta.

Graduating at Saratoga in September of 2020, Olympiad checked in second behind GI Runhappy Malibu S. runner-up Baby Yoda (Prospective) in a Saratoga allowance exactly 364 days later. The $700,00 KEESEP buy captured a Keeneland allowance in October and was fourth next out to 'TDN Rising Star' Americanrevolution (Constitution) in Aqueduct's GI Cigar Mile H. Dec. 4. Olympiad ran away to a 7 1/4-length score in a two-turn optional claimer at Gulfstream Jan. 15, earning a gaudy 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pedigree Notes:
Olympiad is the 63rd graded winner and 128th black-type scorer for the timeless Speightstown. The winner is also the 18th graded winner and 52nd black-type victor out of a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro. The Speightstown/Medaglia d'Oro cross is also responsible for Grade I winners Rock Fall and Competitionofideas. Olympiad is the second foal out of GSP Tokyo Time, who is also the dam of the once-raced 3-year-old filly Friendship Road (Quality Road); a juvenile filly by War Front, who brought $450,000 from Larkin Armstrong at KEESEP; and a yearling colt by American Pharoah. The half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Hungry Island (More Than Ready) and MGSW Soaring Empire (Empire Maker) is currently expecting a foal by Quality Road. This is also the family of GISWs Preservationist (Arch), Harmonize (Scat Daddy) and Keen Ice (Curlin).

Saturday, Fair Grounds
MINESHAFT S.-GIII, $247,500, Fair Grounds, 2-19, 4yo/up,
1 1/16m, 1:42.01, ft.
1–OLYMPIAD, 118, c, 4, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Tokyo Time (GSP, $249,177), by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Flying Passage, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Chic Shirine, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($700,000
Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable, LLC
and LNJ Foxwoods; B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-William I.
Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-1,
$348,440.
2–Silver Prospector, 118, h, 5, Declaration of War–Tap Softly,
by Tapit. ($50,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $190,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR).
O-Ed and Susie Orr; B-Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton & Silver
Fern Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $50,000.
3–Miles D, 122, c, 4, Curlin–Sound the Trumpets, by Bernardini.
($470,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant and Robert V.
LaPenta; B-River Bend Farm (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $25,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, NK. Odds: 1.00, 9.70, 3.30.
Also Ran: O Besos, Happy American, Untreated, Sprawl, Midcourt. Scratched: Big Dreaming, Fort Peck, Title Ready.
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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Speightstown Firster Proves Gamest on Big Easy Bow

4th-Fair Grounds, $55,000, Msw, 2-19, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.58, ft, head.
MOMENTOUS (c, 3, Speightstown–Glory and Power, by Medaglia d'Oro) amassed a solid worktab at this conditioner's South Florida base at Palm Beach Downs and was sent off at just shy of 5-1, the third pick behind fellow firster and 7-5 pick Marsalis (Curlin x Hot Dixie Chick). Momentous was first to break the line from gate 10, but the favorite–a homebred half-brother to recent GIII Houston Ladies' Classic heroine Pauline's Pearl (Tapit)–was driven through by Joel Rosario to take up the running inside the opening furlong and took the field past the half-mile marker in :22.29 seconds. Momentous confronted Marsalis in earnest at the five-sixteenths and led narrowly while racing on his incorrect lead passing the eighth pole. Marsalis was in for the fight and boxed on gamely inside, but Momentous did slightly the better work and proved best by a head while remaining on his right leg under the line. The top two had some 5 1/4 lengths on Major Contender (Distorted Humor) in third. The winner is out of a full-sister to SW Dance d'Oro and hails from the deeper female family of Horses of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), as well as GISW Funtastic (More Than Ready). Momentous is bred on the highly productive cross that has been responsible for the likes of the late GISW Rock Fall, GISW Competitionofideas and additional GSWs Souper Stonehenge, Strike Power and Saturday's GIII Mineshaft S. hero Olympiad. Glory and Power is also represented by a 2-year-old Tapit colt that sold for $400,000 at KEESEP last fall and a yearling colt by Street Sense. The mare is due to Good Magic this season. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $33,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-WinStar Farm LLC, Bonne Chance Farm LLC & Siena Farm LLC; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

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