Tag: Gulfstream

O’Connor Preps For Pegasus With Harlan’s Holiday Win

In a race meant as a prep for next month's GI Pegasus World Cup, O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) staked his claim for potential favoritism with a gusty win in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S.

Favored in this same race a year ago, the Chilean import disappointed when fourth behind MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and was thus never a factor as Art Collector (Bernardini) cruised to the Pegasus win to kick off 2023. O'Connor has spent the rest of his 6-year-old season hitting the board in graded-stakes races around the East Coast and finally broke through for his first North American graded success last out when he defeated Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) by a head in the GI Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 28.

Caught three-wide into the firsts turn as the field fanned across the track, Tyler Gaffalione chose to take back and eased O'Connor into a stalking trip as NY Traffic (Cross Traffic) and Grand Aspen (Dialed In) battled it out up front into the backstretch. Positioned mid pack in fifth, the 7-2 shot had a clear view of the leaders through a :47.12 opening half and took aim with rail-skimming move midway around the far turn. The top three spun into the stretch with Grand Aspen appearing to have the better chance but NY Traffic and O'Connor battled back with the 6-year-old finishing nicely to just nail Grand Aspen on the line in a tight finish.

“Last year, I didn't think he could get beat,” said winning trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “I've learned the least I know the better I do. Fast forward one year and we got the job done. We're proud of him, obviously. He's a horse that's won 2 in a row now and he's doing what we thought he could do.”

 

Pedigree Note:

O'Connor, a winner at the highest level and Horse of the Year in his native Chile, is one of seven stakes winner for GI Hollywood Derby hero Boboman and out of a winning dam who has produced four other winners from five to race. From a deep South American family, O'Connor counts champion older mare in Chile Sacramentada (Chi) (Northair) as his third dam. She would also produce GISW and $3m KEENOV broodmare Hystericalady (Distorted Humor), the dam of GSW/GISP Lady Montdore (Medaglia d'Oro). O'Connor has only one younger sibbling–a 5-year-old unraced half-brother named Totoi (Chi) (Caesario {Ire}).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HARLAN'S HOLIDAY S.-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 12-30, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.80, ft.
1–O'CONNOR (CHI), 126, h, 6, by Boboman
1st Dam: Torrente de Agua (Chi), by Touch Gold
2nd Dam: Torrey Pines, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Sacramentada (Chi), by Northair
O-Michael & Julia C Iavarone & Fernando Vine Ode; B-Haras
Carioca (CHI); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $88,350.
Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. Older Horse & G1SW-
Chi, 27-12-7-3, $749,319. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Grand Aspen, 121, c, 4, Dialed In–Lady Aspen, by Grand
Reward. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-PRO
Thorughbred Enterprises (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $28,500.
3–Ny Traffic, 121, h, 6, Cross Traffic–Mamie Reilly, by Graeme
Hall. ($27,000 RNA 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-John Fanelli, Cash is
King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman & Team Hanley;
B-Brian Culnan (NY); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr. $14,250.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.60, 10.40, 5.80.
Also Ran: Steal Sunshine, Octane, Dubyuhnell, Blue Devil, Gasoline, Lure Him In, Miles D. Scratched: Signator. Click for the Equibase.com chart, PPs or the VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Saturday Insights: Gulfstream Maidens Headline Pre-Christmas Action

2nd-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:39 p.m.

Returning to the track for his second start after being disqualified from second at Monmouth Aug. 6, WONDERFINN (Justify) enters off back-to-back bullet works Nov. 13 (four furlongs in :48 1/5 {1/14}) and Nov. 20 (three furlongs in :36 2/5 {1/11}). The 2-year-old is out of a full-sister to trio of prolific Galileo siblings led by G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Magician (Ire) along with GSW Apple Betty (Ire) and SW/GISP Outstanding (Ire), herself the dam of MGSW Masteroffoxhounds (War Front).

Making his debut, My G (Medaglia d'Oro) brought $400,000 from Spendthrift as a yearling at the Saratoga Select sale last year. Dam Perfect Note, herself a $800,000 FTKNOV broodmare buy, is out of MGISW Music Note (A.P. Indy), making her a half-sister to G1 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). This is also the family of French G1SW Musical Chimies (In Excess {Ire}). The Todd Pletcher trainee fired a bullet of his own Dec. 16, going five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (1/8). TJCIS PPS

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Friday Insights: ‘Rising Stars’ Return at Churchill, Del Mar

8th-CD, $127k, Alw, 3yo/up, f/m, post time: 4:33 p.m. ET
Bass Stables' beautifully bred BANDITA (Gun Runner) could not have been more impressive in her lone racetrack appearance to date, as she led every step of the seven furlongs on Gulfstream debut Jan. 29 to score by nearly nine lengths en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' nod (video). The $350,000 Keeneland September grad is unraced since. The bay is out of a daughter of four-time stakes winner and Grade III-placed Simplify (Pulpit), the dam of Bandita's stakes-winning full-sister Optionality and of SW Simple Surprise (Cowboy Cal), whose two-time Grade I-winning son Gunite (Gun Runner) was runner-up in last Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and is a new addition to the stallion roster at Coolmore in Kentucky. TJCIS PPs

7th-GP, $50k, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:04 p.m ET
Fans of the 1960s band the Turtles and handicappers alike might flock to the debuting HAPPY TOGETHER (Speightstown) here. The Jan. 23 is the first foal from the stakes-placed Coexistence (Violence), who was purchased by the Lyster family's Ashview Farm for $190,000 out of the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. Herself a $425,000 KEESEP purchase by Robert and Lawana Low, the bay is bred on the very successful cross of Speighstown over Medaglia d'Oro responsible for the likes of Grade I winners Rock Fall, Olympiad, Competitionofideas and this year's GI Del Mar Futurity hero Prince of Monaco. TJCIS PPs

3rd-DMR, $63k, Alw/OC, 2yo, f, 5fT, 4:29 p.m. ET
JULIAS DREAM (Flameaway), a $15,000 KEESEP yearling, blossomed into a $180,000 OBS April juvenile after working an eighth of a mile in a slick :9 4/5. The chestnut filly made the very most of her first trip to the races in a course-and-distance maiden Aug. 6, winning off by 5 1/2 lengths to become a 'Rising Star' and connections could hardly be faulted for taking a crack in the GI Del Mar Debutante, where she finished down the field behind fellow 'Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro). The Talla Racing colorbearer gets Flavien Prat for this return to action. TJCIS PPs

 

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Three Witches An Upset Winner In Gulfstream’s Princess Rooney

After seven straight races at Florida's Gulfstream Park, Three Witches (Into Mischief) might have to pack a suitcase. An upset winner of Saturday's GIII Princess Rooney S., she's headed to Santa Anita to line up in an all-expenses paid spot in the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

After breaking her maiden in her debut last July, the 4-year-old took some time off before returning to the track to post three straight on-the-board finishes. Sixth in a one-mile spot two back March 10, she again went to the sidelines only to return a winner last time out facing optional claimers Aug. 27.

The only runner in the field to have never lined up in a stakes spot, Three Witches got a good early tempo to run at as Poiema (Neolithic) charged out of the gate and asserted herself up front through an opening quarter in :22.17. The field quickly spaced themselves out with the eventual winner floating back to fifth and held out in the clear nearly six paths off the fence. Racing between rivals into the far turn, the 10-1 shot wasn't making up any ground yet but really began to move into the final quarter mile past a half in :44.37. Angled outside of the leading runners, Three Witches had clear sailing home but had to contend with the closing speed of 7-5 favorite Maryquitecontrary (First Dude) who chased her home but had to settle for a narrow second.

 

“She's run some decent races where she showed some glimpses of hope and then she'd disappoint after a couple races,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “We gave her a break and she came back to win well. Today, she put it together. Obviously, she had to make a jump, and she did.”

“The Breeders' Cup, we'll talk about. It's another jump up. She earned the right to go. We'll have to decide. [Owner] Bob [Edwards] is going to make that decision. I'll give him feedback on how she's doing, but he'll make the call,” Joseph added.

Pedigree Note:

Into Mischief picked up his 67th graded-stakes winner with Three Witches's win Saturday. Layreebelle, though unraced herself, was a $525,000 KEENOV RNA in 2018 and has already produced MGSW Kid Cruz (Lemon Drop Kid) along with GSW Spellbound (Bernardini) who herself foaled MGSW Soothsay (Distorted Humor). Another of her daughters, Rebelle (Hard Spun), produced GII Woodward S. runner up Film Star (Flatter). The dam is herself a half-sister to GISP Magical Illusion (Pulpit), better known as the grand-dam of Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) through her daughter, Broodmare of the Year Stage Magic. The winner has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother who brought $450,000 as a yearling at the FTSAUG sale, a yearling Candy Ride (Arg) half-sister who sold for $375,000 at last month's Keeneland September Sale and a weanling half-brother, also by Candy Ride (Arg).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PRINCESS ROONEY INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 10-7, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.89, ft.
1–THREE WITCHES, 119, f, 4, by Into Mischief
           1st Dam: Layreebelle, by Tale of the Cat
           2nd Dam: Voodoo Lily, by Baldski
           3rd Dam: Cap the Moment, by For The Moment
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-e Five Racing Thoroughbreds; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Leonel Reyes. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-2, $199,870. *1/2 to Kid Cruz (Lemon Drop Kid), MGSW, $792,985; 1/2 to Spellbound (Bernardini), GSW, $231,750. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Maryquitecontrary, 123, f, 4, First Dude–Mary Kate 'n Kelly, by Mecke. O/B-R. G. Lundock (FL); T-David Fawkes. $40,000.
3–R Adios Jersey, 119, m, 5, Adios Charlie–Marion Theatre, by Montbrook. ($12,000 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-Averill Racing LLC, ATM Racing and Jayson R. Werth; B-Ocala Stud & J. Michael O'Farrell Jr. (FL); T-Georgina Baxter. $20,000.
Margins: HF, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 10.20, 1.40, 1.60.
Also Ran: Bluefield, Olivia Darling, Rosie's Halo, Poiema, Flakes. Scratched: Last Leaf.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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