GII Lexus Raven Run S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gun Runner’s Vahva Best in Raven Run

Closing out her sixth year in the training ranks, Cherie DeVaux added yet another notch on her belt, collecting her first Keeneland stakes victory in Saturday's feature, the GII Lexus Raven Run S. Helping her achieve that goal, DeVaux was represented by GIII Charles Town Oaks winner Vahva (Gun Runner), who was accompanied by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, also aboard in her last-out score in West Virginia.

“I don't know if there are words to really describe that,” said a visibly moved DeVaux following the win. “Our team has really worked hard with all of our horses, especially this filly, and it's just so rewarding.”

Sent off at 5-2 behind 4-5 choice Alva Starr (Lord Nelson), Vahva broke alertly from post 4 and was tucked in along the inside as the favorite raced to the front, carving out an opening quarter in :22.61. Continuing to show the way through a :45.48 half as GIII Remington Park Oaks runner-up Ancient Peace (War Front) forced the issue in a three-wide second while Vahva continued to bide her time in third, Alva Starr rounded the home turn in control and appeared en route to victory. Set down for the stretch run under a strong hand ride by Velazquez, Vahva slowly reeled in the game pacesetter, poked her head in front late and inched away in the final strides to collect her second consecutive graded stakes victory. Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief) was a long way off in third.

DeVaux said, “Johnny and I have had great success this year in stakes races, and I told him, 'There's one thing we haven't done yet, and that's come into the infield [at Keeneland] for a trophy presentation,' so I'm elated that he got that done. It's beautiful [out here].”

A winner in her third career start at Churchill Downs last November, the $280,000 Keeneland September buy finished third behind Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in her stakes bow in the Dec. 26 Untapable S. before finishing fourth to that classy filly again in the 1 1/16-mile GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 18. Cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs for a Keeneland optional claimer in April, she was beaten narrowly by next-out stakes winner Positano Sunset (Goldencents) and came right back to score at the same distance at Churchill May 5.

Prior to her Aug. 25 Charles Town Oaks score, she finished a respectable third behind the ill-fated Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. July 8. Velazquez was aboard for her two most recent races prior to the Raven Run.

“We took the same approach [as the Charles Town Oaks, also seven furlongs but around two turns],” explained Velazquez. “She came running and we tried to get a good position. Obviously, we knew the speed horse [runner-up Alva Starr] was going to be really tough to beat. Cherie has done a great job with the horse and gave me the opportunity to stay with her.”

He added, “Everything worked out good. I got close to the heels of the horse in front (Alva Starr), held my position and when I pulled her out, she responded. That's all you can ask of the horses. She was there for me, and she did it all.”

Pedigree Notes:
Stakes-winning Holiday Soiree, who also finished third in the GI Humana Distaff, was secured by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds for $160,000 at Keeneland November in 2021. The 14-year-old mare will be re-offered at next month's Keeneland sale under the Warrendale banner. Since her purchase, she produced a filly by City of Light in 2022 followed by a Nyquist filly this term. She was bred back to City of Light.

Saturday, Keeneland
LEXUS RAVEN RUN S.-GII, $349,375, Keeneland, 10-21, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.28, ft.
1–VAHVA, 118, f, 3, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Holiday Soiree (SW & GISP, $405,642),
                                by Harlan's Holiday
                2nd Dam: Try to Remember, by Include
                3rd Dam: Casanova Striker, by Smart Strike
($280,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Belladonna Racing, LLC, Edward
Hudson, Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable LLC, Nice
Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve
Hornstock and Twin Brook Stables; B-Woodford
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-John R.
Velazquez. $211,575. Lifetime Record: 10-4-2-2, $873,810.
*1/2 to Signal From Noise (Arrogate), SP, $163,990.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alva Starr, 120, f, 3, Lord Nelson–Sittin At the Bar, by Into
Mischief. O-P. Dale Ladner; B-Brett A. Brinkman & P. Dale
Ladner (KY); T-Brett A. Brinkman. $68,250.
3–Dazzling Blue, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Blue Violet, by Curlin.
($500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Juddmonte; B-WinStar Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $34,125.
Margins: HF, 12HF, HF. Odds: 2.53, 0.90, 7.77.
Also Ran: Apple Picker, Lily Poo, Lady Radler, Ancient Peace. Scratched: Nom de Plume, Simply Stated.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Gun Runner’s Wicked Halo Streaks to Raven Run Win

Sent off the lukewarm 5-2 choice, Winchell Thoroughbred's Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) made that price seem like a gift after rolling home an emphatic four-length winner in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Settled in third, Wicked Halo waited as Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) sprinted to the front and carved out an opening quarter in :22.73 while Freedom Speaks (American Freedom) pressed the issue. Three wide and ready to pounce at any moment following a half in :46.09, Wicked Halo collared the front-running duo while fanned out several paths wide turning for home, bounded clear through the stretch as the early leaders faded and proved much the best while scampering home comfortably ahead of SW Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), who closed from well off the pace to edge Midnight Stroll (Not This Time) for the runner-up spot. The victory represented the second stakes win on the card for Winchell, Asmussen and Gun Runner following Gunite's score in the Perryville S.

“It's extremely special,” said Asmussen. “Their level of ability is obvious, but the fact that they thrive with racing and have continued to get better is so rare. I think they are very similar in the fact that they've just accepted their job and continuously gotten faster. Obviously, they're very sound horses–great homebreds for Winchell. I'm very fortunate to have them.”

Showing her talent right out of the box, Wicked Halo went wire-to-wire in her career bow at Lone Star and added a victory in the GII Adirondack S. at the Spa later that summer. Sidelined for the rest of her juvenile season after that, she needed a few starts to get going, finishing third in two of three starts in the first part of 2022 before kicking off a three-race win skein in Churchill's Leslie's Lady S. In June. Stretching to a mile for the Tepin S. July 2, the grey handled that with aplomb and duly followed up with a narrow victory in Saratoga's six-furlong GII Prioress S. Sept. 2.
“She did everything very easily,” added winning rider Tyler Gaffalione, who was also aboard for Gunite's win earlier in the day. “I'm just so thankful I was able to get the opportunity to steer them around there. It was a lot of fun today.”

Pedigree Notes:
Wicked Halo's dam, Just Wicked, also showed early precocity to win the 2015 renewal of the Adirondack. Following Wicked Halo, the half-sister to GSW My Miss Lilly (Tapit) produced a pair of Gun Runners, a colt in 2020 and a filly last term. She was bred back to the hot sire for 2023.

Saturday, Keeneland
LEXUS RAVEN RUN S.-GII, $334,500, Keeneland, 10-22, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.30, ft.
1–WICKED HALO, 120, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $206,150. Lifetime Record: 10-6-0-3, $780,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fingal's Cave, 120, f, 3, Carpe Diem–Barbie On a Budget, by Mineshaft. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($75,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Alifyfe Racing, LLC; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-David G. Donk. $57,000.
3–Midnight Stroll, 120, f, 3, Not This Time–Midnight Magic, by Midnight Lute. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $225,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O-Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld; B-Carolin Von Rosenberg (FL); T-John P. Terranova, II. $28,500.
Margins: 4, NK, 3 3/4. Odds: 2.52, 4.46, 5.05.
Also Ran: Freedom Speaks, Last Leaf, Smash Ticket, Colorful Mischief, Republique, Union Lake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Saying ‘Grace’ In the Raven Run

A competitive group of 10 sophomore fillies line up in Saturday’s GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Among the expected favorites for the seven-furlong test is Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Four Graces (Majesticperfection). Trained by Ian Wilkes, the homebred has won four of five starts at the Raven Run distance, including Churchill’s GIII Dogwood S. in June followed by the GIII Beaumont S. over the local Beard Course July 10. Given some time off following that effort, she speed-loving filly weakened late to be second behind Sconsin (Include) in the Sept. 4 GII Eight Belles S. and most recently posted a bullet five-furlong move at Churchill in :59.20 at Oct. 8. Julien Leparoux, who has been in the saddle for all five on-the-board finishes, gets the call.

Also likely to join Four Graces on the front end early is Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Dominic Savides’s Venetian Harbor (Munnings). A runaway winner of the GII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita in February, the Colts Neck Stables-bred filly finished behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the May 1 GIII Fantasy S. and played the bridesmaid again, this time behind Speech (Mr Speaker) in the July 11 GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland. In her most recent trip to the post, she found the talented Gamine (Into Mischief) seven lengths too tough in Saratoga’s GI Test S. Aug. 8.

“We are just trying to win a race; that’s the first thing,” said trainer Richard Baltas. “If she runs well and bounces out of the race OK, we will eye the [GI] Breeders’ Cup [Filly and Mare Sprint].”

Manny Franco has the mount on Venetian Harbor and will break from post position five.

Looking to regain some of her earlier form is Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch’s Tonalist’s Shape (Tonalist), who began her career with five consecutive victories in one-turn races for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The chestnut took six of seven starts in South Florida from September through May, including this winter’s GIII Forward Gal S. followed by the GII Davona Dale S. Off the board in the Mar. 28 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, she bounced back to win the May 15 Hollywood Wildcat S. before finishing fourth in the nine-furlong GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga July 18. Most recently, Tonalist’s Shape was a troubled fifth in the GIII Charles Town Oaks Aug. 28.

“[The CT Oaks] was two turns and she did have trouble in that race,” Joseph said, referring to Tonalist’s Shape being checked approaching the sixteenth pole.”

He added, “There are no plans for her beyond this race. I am just curious to see how she would do back around one turn and hoping she will come back to her [good] form.”

Since the Charles Town Oaks, Tonalist’s Shape has worked twice at Gulfstream–a best-of-78 half-mile in :47.03 Sept. 27 and a best-of-seven 5/8ths in 1:00.62 Oct. 1.

“The two weeks between works was by design to keep her fresh,” Joseph explained.

The 3-year-old has been entered as a racing or broodmare prospect in Keeneland’s upcoming November Breeding Stock Sale and is catalogued as hip 155 in Book 1.

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