Tag: gulfstream park

First Mission Fires Bullet for Pegasus

Godolphin's First Mission (Street Sense) continued preparations for the Jan. 27 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational with a bullet five-furlong work in 1:00.00 (1/51) at Fair Grounds Saturday.

“He's a great work horse,” trainer Brad Cox said Sunday. “He's continued to do the same here at the Fair Grounds in preparing for the Pegasus. He looked fantastic this morning. We actually took him to the track today [jogging a mile Sunday] because we're due some cold weather in the next few days and we may miss a day of training. But overall, super pleased with how he's moving and how he physically looks and how he is acting. I think he's set up for a big run to start his 4-year-old season.”

First Mission earned a spot in the GI Preakness S. last year with a win in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S., but missed the second leg of the Triple Crown due to injury. He returned with an allowance win at Keeneland in October and is coming off a narrowly beaten runner-up effort in the Nov. 24 GII Clark S.

The Cox-trained GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), another Pegasus invitee, also worked five furlongs at Fair Grounds Saturday, covering the distance in 1:00.20 (3/51). Owned by the Saudi-based FMQ Stables, the 4-year-old is entered in Saturday's GIII Louisiana S. as a prep for the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup in Riyadh, according to Cox.

Working for the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park Sunday, last year's GIII Smarty Jones S. winner Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) went five furlongs in 1:00.92 (5/11) with jockey Javier Castellano in the irons for trainer Antonio Sano.

“He went really good. I liked the way he did it today,” Castellano said. “He did it in good time and galloped out beautiful.”

Il Miracolo was third in the Pennsylvania Derby, a narrowly beaten second in the Oct. 28 GII Fayette S. and third in the Clark.

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Conquest Warrior Lives Up To His Name In ‘Rising Star’ Graduation

Despite enduring a season's worth of trouble in Saturday's ninth race maiden at Gulfstream, Courtlandt Farm's Conquest Warrior (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time, by Pulpit) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and with it, became yet another 'TDN Rising Star' for his Lane's End-based sire in jaw-dropping fashion.

Pinched back badly and pinballed around in the opening strides, the $1-million Keeneland September graduate was relegated to a detached last early on, but began to improve his position and finally entered the picture as they passed the half-mile marker in :46.84. Committed to an inside run around the turn, the 7-2 chance–a debut third to big-figure El Capi (Maclean's Music) at Aqueduct Dec. 2–was traveling very strongly beneath Jose Ortiz, but found himself in a jackpot while stuck behind horses at the quarter pole and Ortiz was forced to snatch up, with just a furlong and a half ahead of him to try to make up for lost time. Finally pulled out into the clear with a furlong to race, the colt steamed down the middle of the track and grabbed Centennial Farms' Antiquarian (Preservationist)–who raced prominently throughout in a debut that was promising in its own right–for a highly improbable victory.

“I was surprised he broke the way he did. I knew he'd be back and then finish,” McGaughey said. “I was surprised by the effort he put in today with the trip he had for a young horse.”

The conditioner won't be rushing Conquest Warrior into stakes company right away and will seek out a first-level allowance, he said.

Conquest Warrior's dam raced for the partnership of the late Jon and Sarah Kelly and Helen Groves and made 18 starts from ages two to five for trainer Michael Matz, earning her first stakes win at two before following up with a pair of added-money tallies at three. She retired with five wins and four minor placings for earnings of just shy of $280,000.

Acquired by Betz Thoroughbreds for $250,000 in foal to Union Rags at Keeneland November in 2019, Tea Time is out of Asian Empress, a full-sister to GISW Acoma and kin to five other winners, including GISW sire Arch, MSW Alisios and UAE Group 3 winner Festival of Light. This is also the family of multiple champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) and the closely related Japanese MGSW/G1SP Albiano (Harlan's Holiday). Conquest Warrior's fourth dam is champion Althea (Alydar).

Don Adam's operation bought the Union Rags filly that Tea Time was carrying in 2019, Soul Play, for $200,000 at KEESEP in 2021, and the mare is also responsible for the 2-year-old colt Brodeur (Nyquist)–a $110,000 purchase by co-breeder D J Stable. She is due to Justify this season.

Conquest Warrior is the second 'Rising Star' in two weeks for City of Light, whose son Crimson Light turned in an equally unlikely debut success at Aqueduct Jan. 7. Among City of Light's three other 'Rising Stars' is champion-elect and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Fierceness, who also has a second dam by Belmont winner Empire Maker.

9th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-13, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.57, ft, 1/2 length.
CONQUEST WARRIOR, c, 3, by City of Light
1st Dam: Tea Time (MSW, $279,966), by Pulpit
2nd Dam: Asian Empress, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Aurora, by Danzig
Sales history: $1,000,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $52,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Betz/B&K Canetti/J Betz/CoCo Equine/D J Stables (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.

 

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Making Waves: Daughter Of Ten Sovereigns Strikes At Gulfstream

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Kalispera at Gulfstream Park.

 

Ten Sovereigns Filly Delivers In Florida

William Werner's Kalispera (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) won her American debut at Gulfstream Park for trainer Brian Lynch earlier this month (video).

A product of the storied Annemarie O'Brien breeding programme, the 3-year-old rattled off a trio of group placings at two in her colours when third in both the G2 Debutante S.,–and G3 Newtownanner Stud S., and second in the G3 Prix d'Aumale for former trainer Joseph O'Brien in September. Sold privately to these connections, the filly is a half-sister to G2 Ridgewood Pearl S. second Emphatic Answer (Ire) (No Nay Never) and G3 Silver Flash S. third La Dolce Vita (Ire) (Caravaggio). The trio are out of placed runner Ask Me Nicely (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who is a half-sister to G1 Dewhurst winner Beethoven (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}).

Kalispera is one of two winners from five (40%) to race in America for her Coolmore sire whose eldest foals are now 3-year-olds. The winner Irish Gent (Ire) was second in the Listed Atlantic Beach S., while the placed Loterie (Ire) was runner-up in the Listed Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S.

 

By Any Other Name

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and MyRacehorse's Forever Rose (Ger) (Cracksman {GB}) won at Tampa for trainer Greg Sacco this month (video).

Making her third start, the Gestut Etzean-bred bay was a €49,000 Baden-Baden yearling turned €420,000 Arqana May 2-year-old when picked up by Stephen Hillen. Her dam Forever Beauty (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}), a winner at two and listed placed over a mile in Germany at four, has a juvenile filly named Fabulous (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) and a yearling colt called Fawkes (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) still to come. Forever Beauty is a half-sister to a trio of stakes winners led by G1 Deutsches Derby winner Feodora (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}).

Darley's Cracksman is now best known as the sire of French wunderkind Ace Impact (Ire), an undefeated Classic-winning victor of the 2023 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. However, Cracksman is not a one-horse sire, as he has six other stakes winners worldwide including G2 Premio Dormello victress Aloa (GB). In the U.S., Forever Rose is the first winner from two to race for her sire.

 

Long Live The King

Boardshorts Breeding and Racing's King Julien (Kingman {GB}) graduated at Gulfstream Park at second asking on Jan. 7 (video).

Trained by Brian Lynch, the Glen Hill Farm-bred dark bay sold for $300,000 as a Keeneland September yearling when picked up by Taylor Creek. Dam Deer Valley (Speightstown), who won Monmouth's Crank It Up S., is already responsible for stakes winner Wide West (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and she was covered by Good Magic last spring. Crisp (El Corredor), a half-sister to Deer Valley and a winner of the GI Santa Anita Oaks, is the dam of star Japanese dirt performer Danon Pharoah (Jpn) (American Pharoah).

Juddmonte's Kingman has sired 36 winners from 59 runners (61%) in the US and Canada. His eight stakes winners are anchored by Domestic Spending (GB), a winner of three Grade I races; and Grade II winners Technical Analysis (Ire), who was second in the GI Diana S. and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, and Serve The King (GB), who was second in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S.

 

 

Repeat Winners

Cheyenne Stable's Ozara (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) added a first listed victory to her resume in the Ginger Brew S. at Gulfstream Park at the beginning of the year for trainer Christophe Clement (video). She first featured in this column after a win at Saratoga in August.

Another repeat winner is Zoustar (Aus) filly Lunar Impact (GB), who races for D K Racing, LLC, Qatar Racing, LLC, Radley Equine, Inc., Rick Gold and Dave Odmark. She won her second race at Santa Anita near the start of January for trainer Dan Blacker (video).

 

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Saffie Joseph-Trained Invitees Breeze for Pegasus World Cup

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman), multiple graded stakes winners trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., breezed at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning in preparation for scheduled starts in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 27.

Skippylongstocking and O'Connor were joined on the worktab at Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility by Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who is on the reserve invitational list for the Pegasus World Cup.

Skippylongstocking breezed a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.25 (1/21) ahead of his first start since finishing third in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.

O'Connor, who is coming off back-to-back graded-stakes victories in the GII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 28 and GIII Harlan's Holiday S. at Gulfstream Dec. 30, breezed a half mile in :50.35 (112/170).

Joseph said that Skippylongstocking and O'Connor have given him reason to expect them to improve on seventh- and 11th-place finishes, respectively, in last year's running.

“They're both doing well. They've both have become more consistent. O'Connor has rattled off two wins and overcame adversity, so you like to see that,” Joseph said. “Skippy used to be a horse that gave you one good one and one bad one, but he's been consistent the last four races.”

Ny Traffic, who finished third behind O'Connor in the Harlan's Holiday, breezed three furlongs in :36.45 (5/61) at Palm Meadows.

At Fair Grounds, 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) breezed five furlongs in 1:00 (1/51) to produce his second straight bullet workout in preparation for the Pegasus World Cup. The Brad Cox trainee, who won the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland last year, was nosed by Pegasus Invitee Trademark (Upstart) in the Nov. 24 GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs.

At Palm Beach Downs, 2022 GII Suburban S. winner Dynamic One (Union Rags) (five furlongs in :59.31) and narrow Harlan's Holiday runner-up Grand Aspen (Dialed In) (half mile in :48.40), who are on the invitational list for the Pegasus, breezed for the Pegasus World Cup.

“We worked pretty much everything. I thought overall it was a good morning. We had some good works,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Everybody seemed to have done what we hoped, so right now we're right on schedule.”

Top West Coast older horses Dirt Mile runner-up National Treasure (Quality Road) (five furlongs in a bullet :59.60) and GII San Antonio S. winner Newgrange (Violence) each worked Saturday at Santa Anita towards potential starts in the Pegasus World Cup as well.

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