GI Carter H. | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘TDN Rising Star’ Doppelganger Arrives At Pleasant Acres Stallions For Stud Duty

Pleasant Acres Stallions welcomes to their roster 'TDN Rising Star' and GISW Doppelganger (Into Mischief) who will stand in 2024 for $10,000 LFSN, the Florida farm said in a release Thursday morning.

“Doppleganger exudes class in every sense. He's an eye-catching individual with more natural power and strength than his namesake Authentic. Commercially, he gives breeders an excellent chance to get a proper ROI, especially with the precocious nature of the broodmare base in Florida,” said Tom Ryan.

A $570,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Showcase yearling, Doppelganger is out of the Quiet American mare Twice the Lady–a stakes winner and multiple stakes placed performer. His second dam, Catherine's Crown (Chief's Crown) is the dam of Michelle's Crown, who produced Louisiana Champions Day Turf S. and Louisiana Showcase Turf S. winner Snakebite Kit.

Once at the races, the Bob Baffert trainee broke his maiden on debut as a juvenile with a performance that awarded him the coveted TDN title for his 3 1/2 length win at Los Alamitos. He became his sire's 29th 'Rising Star'.

“When we saw him at the sale the whole team, Bob [Baffert], Tom [Ryan], and myself, agreed he was an absolute must have,” said Donato Lanni. “I am looking forward to seeing his babies hit the sales in a couple of years.”

At three, Doppelganger finished as the runner-up in the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita, and as a 4-year-old he captured the GI Carter H. at Aqueduct as well as the Battery Park S. at Delaware Park.

“A TDN Rising Star by Into Mischief has arrived in Florida for our breeders,” said Pleasant Acres Stallions Owner Joe Barbazon. “Bred on the same crossover Fappiano-line mares as Champion and MGISW Covfefe and GSW Maximus Mischief, we are confident he will make an impressive impact on future Florida crops.”

Pleasant Acres's newest addition will join the likes of MGISP and G1SP Gunnevera (Dialed In) at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala.

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Carter Field Takes Shape

Godolphin's Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and First Captain (Curlin), owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing and celebrity chef Bobby Flay, appear on course for a tilt at the seven-furlong GI Carter H. Apr. 9 at Aqueduct. This term, the former, trained by Bill Mott, has posted a pair of one-turn victories at Gulfstream Park–the GIII Fred Hooper S. Jan. 29 followed by the Mar. 5 GII Gulfstream Park Mile. Last year, he won three starts in New York, including a 6 3/4-length triumph in a Belmont optional claimer in October before finishing runner up in the nine-furlong Discovery S. He also finished a well-beaten sixth in the GI Pennsylvania Derby in September.

“He showed plenty last year,” said Godolphin bloodstock director Michael Banahan. “We tried stretching him out, but it wasn't really what he wanted to do. We got him back out to one-turn miles and he was impressive in both of those. That's what it looks like he wants to do.”

Speaker's Corner breezed four furlongs in :50.80 at Payson Mar. 18. The Godolphin homebred is out of Tyburn Brook (Bernardini), a daughter of 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond.

“He's a bigger and stronger version of himself,” said Banahan. “Even as a foal and as a yearling, we always liked him on the farm. He's out of an unraced mare but has a very good pedigree. Once he went to Florida to get pre-trained, he showed plenty of talent. When he was sent to Bill, he said the same, so we were always hopeful of him.”

Also gearing up in next month's Carter, First Captain will aim to garner his first win at the top level. Bred by Bobby Flay Thoroughbreds, First Captain made a winning seasonal debut for Shug McGaughey in a seven-furlong allowance sprint at Gulfstream Feb. 27. Last season, he reeled off three-straight wins at Belmont, including a 1 3/4-length score in the GIII Dwyer going a one-turn mile at Belmont in July before finishing third in the July 30 nine-furlong Curlin S. at Saratoga.

“He's got that one-turn grinding type of style which, generally, is a tough style to win with at Gulfstream, so we were happy that he ran well,” said West Point Thoroughbreds spokesman Jason Blewitt. “The fact that he got up to win, not that it was a surprise, really felt great. We were proud of him to find the finish with such a closing kick. He bounced out if it in really good shape for Shug.”

Exceptional at the one-turn mile, the Carter will serve as a litmus test of sort to see whether he can win going two turns.

“I'm not totally convinced he doesn't want to go two turns,” said Blewitt. “Although the Curlin was disappointing out of him, it maybe was a case of a bad trip and he did have a minor ankle issue after that,” Blewitt said. “There's no denying that his races at Belmont last spring and summer were mighty impressive as well as the seven-eighths win at Gulfstream. It looks pretty black and white on paper that he's 4-for-4 around one turn, so I'm anxious to see how he'll stack up in the Carter. It's a race that has a very rich history.”

A strong performance from First Captain in the Carter could pave the way to the GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. June 11 at Belmont. Vekoma is the most recent horse to capture the Carter-Met Mile double in 2020.

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First Foal for MGISW Vekoma

Spendthrift Farm's Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the GI Met Mile and GI Carter H. is represented by his first foal, a filly that was born early Saturday at Crowning Point Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

“She's a nice filly, we thought she was a colt because of how big she was from a maiden mare,” said Julie Rini of Crowning Point. “She has a nice shoulder and hip, good bone and appears to be correct. We are very happy.”

Bred by Loren Nichols, the bay is the first foal out of Bella Alicita (Bellamy Road), who was stakes placed as a juvenile and is from the immediate family of graded stakes winner Blazing Fury. Campaigned by trainer George Weaver for R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma won on debut in 1:08 4/5 before earning his first graded win in the GIII Nashua S. At three, he won Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S., and the next season added the Carter and Met Mile in addition to the Sir Shackleford S. at Gulfstream.

Vekoma, who retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $1,245,525, covered 222 mares in his first book in 2021. The 6-year-old chestnut is set to stand his second season at stud for a fee of $17,500 S&N.

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