fasig-tipton saratoga | Horse Racing Free Tips

Second Chances: Candy Ride Colt a ‘Second-Half Horse’ for Spendthrift

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

A little racing experience may be, ahem, just what Ocasek (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}–Shananies Song, by Eltish) needed.

Carrying the name of Ric Ocasek, the late frontman for The Cars, the Spendthrift Farm colorbearer wasn't off to the sharpest of beginnings from his rail draw and was forced to steady in the early stages traveling 6 1/2 furlongs on debut for Chad Brown in the opener at the Big A last Sunday.

Pushed along by Dylan Davis while trailing the field of five through an opening quarter in :22.39, Ocasek hit the gas entering the far turn and was rolling while four wide approaching the quarter pole as well-meant firster Harrodsburg (Constitution) kicked for home in complete control.

Still racing on his left lead down the stretch, Ocasek finally switched over a furlong from home and finished up nicely in a field-best :31.82 to cut Harrodsburg's margin of victory to 2 1/4 lengths.

Ocasek, a $440,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, earned a rock solid 83 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“I think in the first start, mostly I just want to see them finishing strong,” Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey said.

“We never really thought he was gonna be a real early horse. It was very encouraging the way he ran on. Chad was very positive about what he saw and the numbers he ran.”

Toffey added, “With a little luck, he feels like he might be a nice second-half horse for us.”

Bred in Kentucky by Charles T. Matses, Ocasek's leading sire Candy Ride is responsible for 17 Grade I winners, including the brilliant Gun Runner.

Out of the stakes-winning and very productive Eltish mare Shananies Song, a homebred for Matses, Ocasek is a half-brother to Favorable Outcome (Flatter), GSW & MGISP, $522,818; Mouheeb (Flatter), GSW-UAE, $192,966; Bellamentary (Bellamy Road), SW & MGSP, $216,200; and last year's GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Beguine (Gun Runner).

What's next for the Triple Crown-nominated Ocasek?

“That's really more up to Chad,” Toffey replied. “We certainly feel like this horse is gonna be best going farther. He came out of the race well. Certainly, the plan will be to stretch him out, whether that happens in his next start or after that. We'll see how things go with him, but we're very encouraged so far.”

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Sunday Insights: Saving The Best For Last at Gulfstream

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
11th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, post time: 5:51 p.m. ET
The post-Derby program at Gulfstream concludes with this turf dash for sophomore fillies headed by 7-2 morning-line chance SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS (City of Light) from the barn of Wesley Ward. A $525,000 purchase by the Breeze Easy braintrust at Keeneland September in 2021, the April foal looks to become the second winner for her stakes-placed dam, a half-sister to turf MGSW Clearly a Queen (Lucky North), who is also responsible for Bison City S. victress Mizzen Beau (Mizzen Mast). Sign of Beauty (War Front) cost Live Oak $775,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga in the summer of 2021 and with good reason, as she is a full-sister to Cambodia, a three-time graded winner on the grass and third in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; as well as Sylphide (Blame), whose daughter Danse Macabre (Army Mule) took out this year's GIII Herecomesthebride S. at this venue. The filly's dam Sassifaction (Smart Strike) is a half-sister to three-time South African champion sprinter Overarching (Arch); GSW Temeraine (Arch); SWs Dead Red (Out of Place) and Alone At Last (Quiet American); and to the dam of GISW Abscond (Blame). TJCIS PPs

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Seven-Figure Justify Colt Debuts on FOY Undercard

Insights, sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
4th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, post time: 12:27 p.m. ET
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Gandharvi LLC's ILLUSTRATED (Justify) was led out unsold when bidding stalled out at $290,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. The blaze-faced bay made the decision to retain him look that much better when selling for $1.1 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat despite jumping the shadows of the sixteenth pole and of floodlights around the area of the finish line. His GI Spinaway S.-winning dam Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal) was purchased by My Meadowview for $1.1 million at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and went on to produce GI Belmont S. hero and young stallion Tapwrit (Tapit), MGSW & GISP Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg})–who carried the silks of Len Riggio's operation–and SW & 'TDN Rising Star' Inject (Frosted). Carrying a full-sister to Tapwrit, Appealing Zophie was hammered down to Barronstown Stud for $1.2 million at FTKNOV in 2018. Having amassed a worktab dotted with bullet drills, Illustrated is the 5-2 favorite from gate 10 and has the services of Luis Saez. Illustrated will be opposed by LNJ Foxwoods' Scotland (Good Magic), a daughter of Grade III winner and Grade I-placed Gemswick Park (Speightstown), who was acquired for $675,000 on behalf of the Roth family at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. The chestnut gelding also has a series of strong works under his belt, including five furlongs from the gate at Payson Park in 1:01 2/5 (1/9) Feb. 17. TJCIS PPs

7th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 1m 70 yds, post time: 5:15 p.m. ET
RULE BREAKER (Into Mischief) was one of four horses–two by this sire–to fetch $1 million or better at last year's OBS March Sale after hammering for that price to Spendthrift, the BSW/Crow Colts' Group and Broman after a :10 1/5 breeze. The New York bred is the latest foal to the races for the Bromans' multiple Grade I winner Artemis Agrotera (Fusaichi Pegasus), whose son Chestertown (Tapit) topped the 2019 March Sale on a bid of $2 million. Rule Breaker's second dam is SW & MGSP Indy Glory (A.P. Indy), a full-sister to Stephen Got Even. TJCIS PPs

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Uncle Mo Colt Gets Rising Star Nod at Fair Grounds

In a field including six first-time starters, Squire Creek (Uncle Mo) proved much the best, scampering home a six-length winner over the well-related 4-5 choice Wicked Again (Gun Runner) in the six-furlong contest at Fair Grounds Thursday. Off the blocks alertly, the 5-2 second choice vied for the early lead with the well-related Wicked Again through opening fractions of :21.65 and :44.92. Head-to-head with that rival turning for home, the $525,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate edged ahead in early stretch and blasted clear late en route to an easy victory.

A half-sister to MGSW & GISP Commissioner (A.P. Indy) and GSW & GISP Laugh Track (Distorted Humor), Covenant is also a half to Mythical Bride (Street Cry {Ire}), the dam of champion older horse and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin). The 9-year-old mare was barren in 2021 but foaled a Constitution colt the following season and was bred back to Curlin.

8th-Fair Grounds, $50,000, Msw, 3-2, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.05, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
SQUIRE CREEK, c, 3, Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Covenant, by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Flaming Heart, by Touch Gold
3rd Dam: Hot Lear, by Lear Fan
Sales history: $525,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-WinStar Farm LLC, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC, 4 G Racing, LLC and Ronald Ortyl; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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