Friday Insights: American Pharoah Filly Unveiled At Santa Anita

8th-SA, $65K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 6:29 p.m. ET.
TAHINI (American Pharoah) debuts Friday afternoon for Kretz Racing. Initially sold for $200,000 at Keeneland September, the filly went for $475,000 at the OBS March Sale after a 10 flat breeze during the under tack show. The George Papaprodromou trainee is out of SP More Fun Again (Arch), whose own graded stakes winning dam Silver Reunion (Harlan's Holiday) produced GII Lake Placid S. heroine Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front).

Also making her first start is Ms Bo J (Mitole), who was purchased for $70,000 as a weanling during Keeneland November. The Peter Eurton trainee recorded her own 10 flat during the OBS March Sale before going to Exline-Border Racing for $350,000. The grey filly is out of a dam who counts as a half-brother MGISW and sire The Factor (War Front). TJCIS PPS

5th-TP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1mAW, 7:55 p.m. ET.
Godolphin sends out Encino (Nyquist) for his first start for trainer Brad Cox. The homebred is his dam's first to make the races. Second dam Bedazzle (Dixieland Band) is responsible for champion 2-year-old colt and sire Street Sense (Street Cry). TJCIS PPS

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Spirit of Makena Continues Streak with Triple Bend Score

Quarter cracks have plagued Spirit of Makena (h, 5, Ghostzapper–Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time) this spring, but they're only a memory after the speedy chestnut captured Saturday's GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita. It was his second consecutive graded score following a win in the GIII San Carlos S. in March. MGSW and two-time Breeders' Cup runner-up C Z Rocket (City Zip) and multiple statebred SW Desmond Doss (Grazen) followed him home.

MGSW and one-time Derby horse Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) set the :22.86 early pace while Spirit of Makena was restrained a length behind and to his outside in second. Forbidden Kingdom continued to show the way, switching smoothly to another gear and putting a little daylight between him and his pursuer before the :45.22 half. Spirit of Makena menaced briefly alongside the pacesetter coming off the turn, but promptly put the result to bed with jockey Joe Bravo's encouragement. He tripped the six-furlong timer in 1:09.92 and sauntered home uncontested as Bravo sat chilly late for a 3 1/4-length win.

“He's a nice horse,” said winning trainer George Papaprodromou. “He won the last time doing the same thing kind of. I'm grateful to train a horse like that and I would like to thank the owners for giving me a horse like that. We are looking forward to a nice future with him.”

Had it not been for the head of hard-knocking Holden the Lute (Midnight Lute) last September in Spirit of Makena's second lifetime start, the Triple Bend winner would be undefeated. He got a five-month freshening after that lone loss. The chestnut has been perfect in all four of his starts at seven furlongs or less and came out with guns blazing in 2023–first capturing a Santa Anita optional allowance with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure and then trying and conquering graded company for the first time Mar. 11 in the San Carlos. Papaprodromou indicated he would target the GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar in July for the Triple Bend winner.

Pedigree Notes:

The brilliant Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, now a 23-year-old Hill 'n' Dale sire, has been represented by 96 black-type winners and 49 graded winners. Amazingly, three of his graded winners–Canadian champion and U.S. MGISW Shaman Ghost, Whiskey Ticket, and Spirit of Makena–are out of Gilded Time mares. The late Gilded Time, a flashy chestnut in the same vein as the Triple Bend winner as well as a champion 2-year-old, has quietly racked up 79 stakes winners out of his daughters, including GISW and current freshman stallion Audible (Into Mischief).

Spirit of Makena is the first stakes performer in three generations of his immediate female family, but he is a second-generation homebred for Bruce Chandler and the last named foal out of his dam. The mare does have an unnamed 3-year-old filly by Merit Man who sold at the recent CTBA Winter Mixed sale to O.J. Jauregui for $5,000.

Saturday, Santa Anita
TRIPLE BEND S.-GII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 5-27, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:23.07, ft.
1–SPIRIT OF MAKENA, 122, h, 5, by Ghostzapper
           1st Dam: Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time
           2nd Dam: Take the Picture, by Doneraile Court
           3rd Dam: I'vegotthatfeeling, by Regal Classic
O/B-Bruce Chandler (KY); T-George Papaprodromou; J-Joe Bravo. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $347,600. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–C Z Rocket, 120, g, 9, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber, and Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $40,000.
3–Desmond Doss, 120, h, 7, Grazen–Malley Girl, by Malek (Chi). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Steven Miyadi. $24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NO, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 5.30, 27.80.
Also Ran: Forbidden Kingdom, Positivity, Midnight Mammoth, Howbeit.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Graded Stakes ‘Triple’ Kicks Off Memorial Day Weekend

A graded stakes trio, led by the GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita, will kick off Memorial Day weekend on Saturday afternoon.

The lightly raced 5-year-old Bruce Chandler homebred Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) looks for his third straight victory for trainer George Papaprodromou following a 1 1/2-length score over the re-opposing Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) in the GIII San Carlos S. last time Mar. 11. Spirit of Makena is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The field of seven also includes last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up and popular 9-year-old gelding C Z Rocket (City Zip), an earner of more than $2 million.

Santa Anita's nine-race program also features a field of seven turf sprinters–led by last out Siren Lure S. winner and 9-5 morning-line favorite Whatmakessammyrun (We Miss Artie)–in the GIII Daytona S.

A field of six 3-year-old fillies, meanwhile, will line up in Belmont's GIII Soaring Softly S. going seven furlongs over the widener turf course. Christophe Clement will saddle Moyglare Stud Farm homebred and 6-5 morning-line favorite Love Appeals (Speightstown), who enters off a sharp optional claiming win sprinting over the Aqueduct lawn Apr. 27.

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For Spirit of Makena’s Connections, Patience Is a Virtue Rewarded In San Carlos

For owner/breeder Bruce Chandler, patience was a virtue rewarded when his eye-catching Spirit of Makena captured the GIII San Carlos S. in just his four career start.

A head shy from perfection in his spaced-out career, Spirit of Makena debuted late in his 4-year-old season; not seen until an Aug. 5 maiden special at Del Mar last season. He was hounded every step of the way on his step up to allowance optional company Sept. 11 in his first trip at the mile and just couldn't hold off Holden the Lute (Midnight Lute) on the wire. Gone until Feb. 11 this year, he outdueled GSP Anarchist (Distorted Humor) in a six-panel optional claimer dash at Santa Anita to return to the winner's enclosure as his prep for this graded contest.

Taken off the front as Forbidden Kingdom was allowed to set his own pace, Spirit of Makena was never far behind and content to track off the rail to avoid hooking into a speed duel. Urged along by Joe Bravo as the pair rolled into the turn, he hit the lead by the three-sixteenths and left Forbidden Kingdom in his wake to pull clear under steady handling by 1 1/2 lengths. Forbidden Kingdom kept open ground on the rest of the field as Get Her Number rolled in from the back to close out the trifecta.

“Coming out of the last race he won, he came out of it great and he's been training great,” said conditioner George Papaprodromou, who notched his second stakes win of the meet. “He was doing great leading into this race and we tried.  Obviously, it was a tough spot [but] we gave it a shot. He ran huge and what can I say? He's a nice horse.”

Pedigree Notes:

Spirit of Makena becomes the 94th stakes winne/50th graded winner for his leading sire Ghostzapper. The Ghostzapper cross over Gilded Time is also responsible for MGISW Shaman Ghost.

The most accomplished runner from his three-time winning dam, Spirit of Makena has a 3-year-old unraced half-sister by Merit Man. He hails from the extended female family of 10-time victor and Canadian staple GSP Spigot (Plugged Nickel).

Saturday, Santa Anita
SAN CARLOS S. PRESENTED BY FANDUEL-GIII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 3-11, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:22.06, gd.
1–SPIRIT OF MAKENA, 120, h, 5, by Ghostzapper
          1st Dam: Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time
          2nd Dam: Take the Picture, by Doneraile Court
          3rd Dam: I'vegotthatfeeling, by Regal Classic
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Bruce Chandler (KY); T-George Papaprodromou; J-Joe Bravo. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $227,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Forbidden Kingdom, 124, c, 4, American Pharoah–Just Louise, by Five Star Day. ($300,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $40,000.
3–Get Her Number, 124, h, 5, Dialed In–Fancier, by Bernstein. ($45,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Gary Barber; B-Philip & Brenda Robertson (KY); T-Peter Miller. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.50, 1.80, 1.70.
Also Ran: Howbeit, Holden the Lute, Clem Labine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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