Tag: flavien prat

Nysos Proves A Smooth Winner of the Robert B. Lewis

Things may not have gone strictly according to script for undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S., as he was perhaps a half-step slowly away, and with a trio of rivals hellbent on being part of the pace battle, was forced to sit farther off the speed than he'd done in either of his previous towering victories. At the end of the day, it mattered very little, as the Bob Baffert trainee came with a bold run three wide into the lane and went on to treat his six other rivals to a 7 1/2-length beating.

Though Nysos did lay fourth early on before bolting up in the GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar Nov. 19–having earned 'Rising Star' accolades when graduating by better than 10 lengths the previous month–those were sprinter-type splits ahead of him at Del Mar and he would need to prove he could switch off behind fractions that were sure to be slower on balance. Indeed, stretching out to a route of ground for the first time Saturday, Nysos settled nicely enough for Flavien Prat, about five lengths away from the hard-sent Scatify (Justify), his stablemate Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) and Mc Vay (Constitution) down the backstretch and past the half-mile in :46.67.

Still fourth as they raced into the final three-eighths of a mile, Nysos gained inside of Mc Vay with under three furlongs to travel, was switched out wide under a full head of steam at the quarter pole and kicked home in a race of his own. Wine me Up won the battle for second over Scatify.

It was the sixth win in a row and 12th in the race for trainer Bob Baffert, who trained Silver Charm for Bob and Beverly Lewis to win the 1997 GI Kentucky Derby. General Challenge provided him with his first back in 1999, when the race was contested as the Santa Catalina S. It was renamed for Lewis following his passing in 2006. Nysos is ineligible for this year's Derby, having been left with Baffert at the Jan. 29th deadline.

“He stumbled a bit leaving there, but he was in a good spot,” the winning trainer commented. “Prat rode him with a lot of confidence, he knows the horse well. I love the fact that he has speed and he proved he can do two turns. He has a great mind. He is a really good colt. You can just sit there and push the button at any time. It makes it so much easier for the riders, but I still get a little nervous.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of 22 stakes winners and 11 graded winners for his Kentucky Derby-winning sire, Nysos is bred on the same cross that produced GI Summer S. hero Gretzky the Great from Nyquist's first crop to the races in 2020, and the cross over A.P. Indy and his stallions sons has resulted in fellow Grade I winner Vequist and Grade II victress Turnerloose. Bernardini dams have produced Grade I winner Mo Town and other graded scorers Modernist and Mopotism when bred to Nyquist's sire Uncle Mo.

The unraced Zetta Z, a granddaughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff upsetter Unbridled Elaine, is the dam of four winners from five to race and she has become increasingly popular from a commercial standpoint. Before Hades blossomed from a $130,000 Keeneland November weanling and $150,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling into a $550,000 OBS April breezer, the mare's now 2-year-old Street Sense filly was a $70,000 KEENOV purchase turned $170,000 FTKOCT acquisition after Zetta Z changed hands for $35,000 at KEENOV in 2021. Zetta Z's colt by Uncle Mo's son Yaupon was knocked down for $450,000 at Keeneland last November, the priciest of 44 of the stallion's foals reported as sold in 2023. Zetta Z was covered by Cyberknife last year.

 

Saturday, Santa Anita
ROBERT B. LEWIS S.-GIII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 2-3, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.65, ft.
1–NYSOS, 120, c, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Zetta Z, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Seresa's Spirit, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Unbridled Elaine, by Unbridled's Song
'TDN Rising Star'. ($130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22
FTKOCT; $550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Baoma Corp; B-Atkins
Susie (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $216,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple
Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wine Me Up, 120, c, 3, Vino Rosso–Deanaallen'skitten, by
Kitten's Joy. ($115,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $300,000 2yo '23
OBSOPN). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul
Weitman; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$40,000.
3–Scatify, 120, c, 3, Justify–Broadway Run, by Prospective.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($120,000 2yo '23
EASMAY). O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-Doug & Felicia
Branham (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $24,000.
Margins: 7HF, 3/4, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.10, 6.50, 13.10.
Also Ran: Mc Vay, Moonlit Sonata, Better Than Gold, Ace of Clubs. Scratched: Coach Prime, Stronghold.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Nysos Proves A Smooth Winner of the Robert B. Lewis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Week in Review: National Treasure Could Be On His Way to Stardom

I wasn't a National Treasure (Quality Road) fan. He got one of the easiest trips you'll ever see in a Triple Crown race when he was allowed to walk on the lead in the GI Preakness S., winning by a head over soft group of challengers. Which is why it came as no surprise that he couldn't so much as finish in the money in any of his next three starts, the GI Belmont S., the GI Travers S. and the GI Awesome Again S. He looked like a horse who had to set the pace to prevail and he didn't find himself on the lead in any of those races.

Yes, he turned in a big effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile when losing to eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish by a nose. But maybe Cody didn't run his best. He never did show an affinity for two turns. And maybe National Treasure's effort was a bit of a fluke. So I didn't like him one bit in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream. As the 5-2 favorite, he was an easy toss.

I was wrong. Was I ever.

Yes, this was the weakest field ever to assemble for the Pegasus and he did win by only a neck over the hard-trying blue-collar type Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). But take a deeper dive into this race and you'll likely conclude, as I did, that this was a very strong performance from National Treasure, one in which he served notice that he might be on a path to a Horse of the Year title.

As soon as the gate opened, both National Treasure and Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) left there with a purpose, to get to the lead. With Hoist the Gold narrowly in front, they battled through early fractions of :23 and :46. For National Treasure, this was supposed to be the worst trip possible. He didn't make the lead and was engaged in a battle that resulted in fast fractions.

Trainer Bob Baffert, watching from California, wasn't worried.

“I knew there was going to be a hot pace and [Flavien] Prat and I talked about it,” Baffert said. “You can't take his speed away. You can't be worried about one horse. Just let him do his thing and he did. That's why he won.”

With about five furlongs to go, Prat made the move that might have won the race for him. He backed off of Hoist the Gold, ever so slightly but enough to give his horse a quick breather. With three furlongs left, Prat called on National Treasure and he responded and went right back at Hoist the Gold. By mid-stretch he had put away Hoist the Gold and had clear sailing to the wire. But then Senor Buscador decided to make a race out of it and closed relentlessly. Another two or three jumps, he probably would have won the race. But National Treasure had enough left to hold him off.

“He's very brave,” Prat said of National Treasure.

Meanwhile, Hoist the Gold, the winner of the GII Cigar Mile H., was cooked in the stretch. He finished fourth, beaten 11 lengths.

Baffert was non-committal when asked about National Treasure's next race, but you have to think that the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup is on his radar. If so, he would meet White Abarrio (Race Day), which would mean an early season showdown between the two best older dirt males in training.

With so many top horses being retired at the end of 2023, it looked like there would be very little star power when it came to the older male dirt division this year. Maybe National Treasure can change that.

Ryan Moore Does It Again

European-based rider Ryan Moore turned in the ride of the day when he guided Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. He saved ground every step of the way and burst through the hole that opened up at the top of the stretch when Balladeer (Distorted Humor) drifted ever so slightly off the fence and then held off eventual Eclipse Award winner Up to the Mark (Not This Time). Moore was the reason Auguste Rodin won the race.

On Saturday at Gulfstream, he gave a carbon-copy ride to Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to win the nine-furlong Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S.

On a horse whose biggest wins had come at a mile-and-a-half, Moore knew he couldn't afford to drop too far off the pace, so he had her positioned in third in the early going. She was third at the top of the stretch on the rail and it looked like Moore had nowhere to go. There never really was a hole, but when Maine Event (Bernardini) came out a half-path or so, Moore burst through the narrow opening and then held off a late bid from I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing). Just as was the case in the Breeders' Cup, the horse probably doesn't win unless guided to a perfect trip by Moore.

“Ryan obviously gave her an incredible ride and has done such an incredible job,” winning trainer Aidan O'Brien said.

And give credit to the Coolmore team. When so many others find reasons not to run in races, this was Warm Heart's second start after she finished second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. When it was determined that she was going to have to be in the U.S. anyway so that she could be bred to Justify, they figured why not head a ways down the road and go after the $1-million purse at Gulfstream. The win netted them $531,000. It was the perfect way to end Warm Heart's career.

By the way, how did Warm Heart go off at 2.4-1, while Integration (Quality Road) was 1.2-1? Yes, Integration looked like he had a lot of potential, but had never faced older horses in a stakes race and his biggest win came in the GII Hill Prince S. Yes, Warm Heart was a filly facing boys, but her record towered over that of anyone else in the field. She was a two-time Group I winner in Europe and missed by just a neck when second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She should have been the favorite.

Eclipse Awards

It's always fun to see every year what was the dumbest vote when it comes to the Eclipse Awards. The winner this year goes to the person who voted for Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute) in the female sprinter category. Kirstenbosch went 2-for-9 on the year and both wins came in Grade III races. That also means that someone voted for her ahead of Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), won two Grade I's during the year, including the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) who was 3-for-3 and based on some speed figures was the fastest horse to race during the year.

The post The Week in Review: National Treasure Could Be On His Way to Stardom appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

National Treasure Survives Late Scare To Win Pegasus World Cup

National Treasure (Quality Road), last year's front-running GI Preakness S. hero and a latest painful second to Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Nov. 4, gave trainer Bob Baffert a third victory in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and his sire a second Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park.

“I'm proud of him. He ran his race. He showed up,” said Baffert by phone from Southern California. “That's all you can ask for as a trainer. He was prepping well for it.”

Baffert also won the Pegasus World Cup with Arrogate (2017) and Mucho Gusto (2020).

“I've always thought he was that good a horse,” Baffert added. “He was just very immature and he's getting better and better, the way he's training. He trained much better than he was going into the Breeders' Cup.”

Flavien Prat was intent on being a forward factor aboard the 5-2 post-time favorite, but John Velazquez aboard GII Cigar Mile H. hero Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) had similar designs on the lead.

Hoist the Gold showed the way with National Treasure a pressing second through taxing fractions of :23.18 and :46.32. National Treasure came after Hoist the Gold with a quarter mile to race and kicked for home as the one to catch.

In the meantime, GI Breeders' Cup Classic seventh and Cigar Mile runner-up Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) was winding up with an inside run on the far turn and would have had every chance given the shape of the race.

It seemed inevitable that he'd race right by National Treasure in the deciding stages, but the latter had just enough in reserve to take it by a long neck. Crupi (Curlin) closed from last of 12 to finish third at longshot odds.

“He's very brave. Obviously, a great job by Bob,” Prat said of the winner. “He's always on point. It's been a great pleasure riding [National Treasure].”

National Treasure, a solid third in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, followed his Preakness win with a sixth-place finish in the GI Belmont S., a fifth-place finish in the GI Travers S. and a fourth-place finish in the GI Awesome Again S. He just got tagged by a nose by Cody's Wish at the Championships.

National Treasure is campaigned by the powerful partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan.

“It's a wonderful partnership,” SF Racing's Tom Ryan said. “Great group of people that have stood behind us the whole way throughout over the last five or six years. Bob has taken us to places that we probably didn't feel we could arrive. This horse, what he did today, sitting off a horse, showed a new dimension. He's going to be a very nice 4-year-old.”

'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense), a narrow runner-up in the GII Clark S. and the 5-2 second choice, showed a little early speed before fading to ninth for trainer Brad Cox, who had saddled Knicks Go for a victory in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup.

“Just didn't handle the track at all. A lot of dirt hitting him in the face. He didn't seem like he wanted to go forward through it,” Cox said. “Luis [Saez] said at the half-mile pole he didn't move forward when asked. Pretty simple watching the race on television, I kind of thought going up the backside he was struggling with the ground. Regroup and see what happens.”

Pedigree Notes:

National Treasure, a $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select yearling purchase, is among the 15 Grade/Group 1 winners by leading sire Quality Road. Quality Road, winner of this race's predecessor (GI Donn H.) in 2010, also sired the 2019 Pegasus winner City of Light.

National Treasure was bred by Peter Blum Thoroughbreds, who retained his dam Treasure–a maiden of seven career start–after she RNA'd for $375,000 as a yearling at the 2013 Keeneland September Sale. Treasure is also responsible for the stakes winner Ultimate (Speightstown) and last year's GI Hopeful S. third-place finisher and 'TDN Rising Star' Pirate (Omaha Beach), who commanded $350,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Treasure's 2-year-old Authentic filly has been named Renoir. Treasure delivered a full brother to National Treasure Jan. 19.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream
PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY BACCARAT-GI, $2,932,700, Gulfstream, 1-27, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:50.51, ft.
1–NATIONAL TREASURE, 123, c, 4, by Quality Road
               1st Dam: Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Proposal, by Mt. Livermore
                3rd Dam: Lady of Choice, by Storm Bird
($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing,
Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables
LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and
Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $1,719,000. Lifetime Record:
11-3-2-2, $3,322,000. *1/2 to Ultimate (Speightstown), SW,
$395,778 and Pirate (Omaha Beach), GISP. Werk Nick Rating:
A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Senor Buscador, 123, h, 6, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by
Desert God. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.; B-Joe R Peacock Sr. & Joe R
Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $573,000.
3–Crupi, 123, c, 4, Curlin–Don'tforgetaboutme, by Malibu
Moon. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
($275,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias
Stables LLC; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$286,500.
Margins: NK, 4HF, 6 1/4. Odds: 2.60, 8.90, 34.00.
Also Ran: Hoist the Gold, O'Connor (Chi), Il Miracolo, Dynamic One, Nimitz Class, First Mission, Trademark, Grand Aspen, Skippylongstocking. Scratched: Castle Chaos.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post National Treasure Survives Late Scare To Win Pegasus World Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Effortless Victory for Omaha Beach Filly in Santa Ynez

Spendthrift stallion Omaha Beach got the first graded win of his nascent sire career with a blowout victory by Kopion (f, 3, Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) in Santa Anita's GIII Santa Ynez S. Sunday. Three of the four fillies in the gate were by first-crop sires, but it was the least experienced of the newly minted sophomore fillies whom the public pegged at 1-5 and who put herself firmly in the early GI Kentucky Oaks conversation. The Santa Ynez was worth 10 points on the Oaks trail on a 5-3-2-1 scale.

Kopion broke smoothly from the Santa Ynez rail, but there was trouble just to her inside as 5-2 second-choice Tambo (Enticed) stutter stepped and stumbled. She was quickly left several lengths back as Kopion continued unbothered and under a hold while in front with authority. As the chestnut cruised through a :23.70 first quarter with her ears flicking back and forth, Tambo went outside horses and caught up with the short field.

Both Kopion and rider Flavien Prat had enough of the stalking Don't Bring Crazy (Maximus Mischief) by the :46.55 half as Prat imperceptibly gave the filly his blessing to let it out the smallest of notches. She quickly opened up and the race was over before the stretch as Kopion put 5 3/4 lengths on the field while Prat sat almost motionless and never asked her. It was clearly a special performance. Don't Bring Crazy held second over Tambo, who got up for third.

“Her trip was good,” said Prat. “She was a bit sharper today but she jumped well out of there and she looked around a bit when she was on the lead. Besides that she did everything perfect. It's always special when I ride for [Richard] Mandella.”

Kopion debuted Nov. 26 in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar with a sharp win and an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. Prat was aboard that day as well. Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and Prat also teamed up to win this race last year with Ice Dancing (Frosted); Prat was making it three in a row and four of the last six in the Santa Ynez with additional wins in 2022 with Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile) and in 2019 with Bellafina (Quality Road). Just a week prior to Kopion's Santa Ynez, Mandella and Prat had joined forces to close out 2023 with Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah)'s win in the GII Joe Hernandez S. Forbidden Kingdom is co-owned by Spendthrift; Kopion is owned outright by the farm as a $270,000 Keeneland September buy.

“It looked like when she went out to the track she settled down, she warmed up nice, and went to the gate nice,” said Mandella about Kopion's first graded win. “She left there running and she kind of gave us that feeling when we were in the paddock. She showed her class.

“The only time she didn't work good was with Tamara; I can't explain it but she just didn't want any part of it.”

It was just a few months ago that Tamara (Bolt d'Oro)–a 'TDN Rising Star' and winner of the GI Del Mar Debutante S.–was the undisputed star of the crop for both Spendthrift and the Mandella barn. The daughter of the Spendthrift/Mandella multiple champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) has been sidelined since coming out of the Breeders' Cup with a fractured splint bone in her left hind leg.

Pedigree Notes:

Much has been made of the perceived underperformance of the 2023 freshman sires in the graded department, but Omaha Beach finished top of the class for the year by both graded performers with four and black-type horses with 11 before coming out firing with his first graded winner in the first week of 2024. The MGISW son of War Front–like Kopion, also trained by Mandella–has 25 winners in his first crop and three black-type winners. In addition to Kopion's graded victory, his GSP-Ire daughter Launch finished second Sunday in Gulfstream's Glitter Woman S.

Kopian is out of a daughter of 1999 champion older horse Victory Gallop, reportedly still standing in Turkey at the age of 29 this year. Victory Gallop has 37 stakes winners as a broodmare sire.

From the prolific 'Ami' family, Kopion is a half to 2016 Canadian champion Amis Gizmo (Giant Gizmo) and to GSW & GISP Ami's Flatter (Flatter). Others in the immediate family include dual 2017 Canadian champion Ami's Mesa (Sky Mesa). Kopion's dam has a 2-year-old colt named Authentic Gallop (Authentic), a yearling filly by Essential Quality, and was bred to Uncle Mo for this term. The juvenile was a $300,000 Keeneland September buy by Greg Tramontin.

Galloping Ami was honored with Canada's Sovereign Award for Outstanding Broodmare for 2016; her full-sister, Victorious Ami, was given the same award for 2017.

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA YNEZ S.-GIII, $98,000, Santa Anita, 1-7, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.89, ft.
1–KOPION, 120, f, 3, by Omaha Beach
1st Dam: Galloping Ami (Outstanding Broodmare-Can), by Victory Gallop
               2nd Dam: Secret Ami, by Secret Claim
               3rd Dam: Sybelle Ami, by Alwasmi
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($270,000
Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Tall Oaks Farm
(KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $96,600. *1/2 to Aragorn Ami (Aragorn
{Ire}), SW, $112,535; 1/2 to Ami's Flatter (Flatter), GSW &
GISP, $536,931; 1/2 to Amis Gizmo (Giant Gizmo), Ch.
3-year-old Colt-Can, GSW, $800,022. Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
*1st graded winner for first-crop sire (by War Front).
2–Don't Bring Crazy, 120, f, 3, Maximus Mischief–Lily Maria,
by Paynter. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($60,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $140,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-Mark Davis; B-Mullikin Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Doug F.
O'Neill. $20,000.
3–Tambo, 120, f, 3, Enticed–Flatter Me First, by Flatter. 1ST
GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($29,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $25,000 Ylg
'22 KEESEP; $70,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-SAF Racing,
Neil A. Haymes, James E. McCadden, and William Strauss;
B-Thoroughbred by Design LLC (KY); T-Peter Eurton.
$12,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 4 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 16.00, 2.90.
Also Ran: Bossy Bruin Gal. Scratched: Petit Filet.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Effortless Victory for Omaha Beach Filly in Santa Ynez appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights