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Racing Insights: Big Pedigrees Shine On Saturday

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10th-SA, $67K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 8:01 p.m.

The first of a pair of Juddmonte fillies racing for Bob Baffert, PLEASANT (Munnings) is the latest filly to make the races out of Fair Lady (Medaglia d'Oro), herself a daughter of GISW Honest Lady (Seattle Slew) making her a half to GISW First Defense (Unbridled's Song), SW & GSP Honest Mischief (Into Mischief), SW Phantom Rose (Danzig), and SW Honest Quality (Elusive Quality). Pleasant's third dam is none other than Toussaud (El Gran Senor), the broodmare of the year responsible for the likes of MGISW and late sire Empire Maker (Unbridled), GISW Chester House (Mr. Prospector), MGSW & GISP Decarchy (Distant View), GISW Chiselling (Woodman), and the dam of MGSW Honorable Duty (Distorted Humor). The bay worked a sharp five-furlongs in :59.1 (3/32) Mar. 6 and picks up veteran John Velazquez.

Her un-coupled stablemate breaking from the inside gate, Enclosure (Arrogate) is the first foal out of Juddmonte's $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase Cognitive (Uncle Mo). This is the extended family of $3.3m Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars pick up MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush) and her daughters: GISW Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy) and MGSW Dream Pauline (Tapit).

“They are both nice fillies,” Baffert said Friday morning of the Juddmonte pair. “The Arrogate (Enclosure) is probably going to need a race and I think she wants two turns. The Munnings (Pleasant) is quicker.”

Also of note in this field is the outside runner Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro), purchased for $1.2m as a 2-year-old at the Gulfstream Sale last year. She was last seen in second behind SW Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) when debuted on the grass Jan. 22. TJCIS PPS

7th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 5:15 p.m.

Triple-Crown nominated PURSUIT OF POWER (Gun Runner) brought $875,000 from Courtlandt Farm at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Distorted Lies (Smart Strike), herself a daughter of GI Kentucky Oaks runner up Broadway's Alibi, is a half-sister to newly-crowned Eclipse champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin), MGSW Golden Lad (Medaglia d'Oro), and MSW & GISP R Gypsy Gold (Bernardini). This is also the family of Armed Forces S. winner Lights of Broadway (City of Light).

First Mission (Street Sense), a Godolphin homebred from the family of Argentinian champion 3-year-old filly Forty Marchanta (Arg) (Roar), will try to improve off his three-quarter length defeat on debut Feb. 18. TJCIS PPS

3rd-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:38 p.m.

A $460,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling purchase, MAGICAL POWER (Good Magic) enters his debut off a pair of bullet drills Feb. 26 and Mar. 11 for trainer Todd Pletcher and owners AMO Racing USA and Stonestreet Stables. The colt is out of a half-sister to MSW More Moonlight (More Than Ready). TJCIS PPS

9th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 4:37 p.m.

A homebred for Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, UNION TAP (Union Rags) is from the family of champion 3-year-old colt Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet) and MGSP Unforgettable Max (Northern Afleet).

Making his second start for Todd Pletcher and Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable after a close third over the all-weather track Feb. 16, Clever Thought (Quality Road) is out of a daughter of champion 3-year-old filly Dancinginmydreams (Seeking the Gold). His dam is a half to GISW Dancing Forever (Rahy) and the to the dams of GSP Miss Yearwood (Will Take Charge), GSP Tuggle (Point of Entry), and GSW & GISP Carrumba (Bernardini). Under his third dam is another champion 3-year-old filly in Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold), MGISW Good Reward (Storm Cat) and GISW Oh What A Windfall (Seeking the Gold). TJCIS PPS

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All Six 2-Year-Olds Reoffered by Keeneland Change Hands

Six 2-year-olds previously purchased at last year's Keeneland September Sale for a collective $4.875 million through bloodstock agent Richard Knight have been resold, according to a report in Blood-Horse. Keeneland did not reveal the buyers or purchase prices.

Prospective buyers were to submit only one offer on each horse they were interested in with the highest acceptable offer taking the horse. There was no public or online auction held by Keeneland. The six juveniles were all in training in Ocala with either Niall Brennan or David Scanlon.

The most expensive of the group and the eighth-most expensive horse to sell at Keeneland September 2022 was hip 192, a Constitution–Cozze Up Lady colt, who brought $1.3 million last year.

The second-most expensive September yearling of the group was a filly by Gun Runner–Just Wicked, a full-sister to the multiple graded stakes winning Wicked Halo, who brought $1.1 million at Keeneland September.

The group was rounded out by a filly by Justify–Fully Living, who brought $1.05 million as a KEESEP yearling; a Street Sense–Bambalina colt, who brought a final bid of $725,000 at KEESEP; an Omaha Beach colt out of Daisy, who brought $400,000 at KEESEP; and a Twirling Candy–Danceforthecause colt, who brought $300,000 at KEESEP.

For more information on the six 2-year-olds, including videos, click here.

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Mar. 2 Insights: Full-Brother to Wicked Halo Debuts at Fair Grounds

8th-FG, $50k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 5:45 p.m. ET

WICKED AGAIN (Gun Runner), a full-brother to MGSW and last term's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint third-place finisher Wicked Halo, kicks off his career for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, drawn on the inside in post two and favored on the morning line at 5-2, fired back-to-back, five-furlong bullets for this, including a 1:00 2/5 (1/8) drill Feb. 21. Wicked Again's dam Just Wicked (Tapit) won the 2015 GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga.

The field of 10 also includes debuting pricey yearling purchases: $550,000 FTSAUG purchase Gun Collector (Gun Runner) and $525,000 FTSAUG graduate Squire Creek (Uncle Mo). TJCIS PPs

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Bob Baffert: ‘Country Grammer Will Get Saudi Cup Job Done If Taiba Doesn’t’

Bob Baffert has issued an upbeat bulletin on his Saudi Cup contenders and said that, if for whatever reason his short-priced favourite Taiba (Gun Runner) does not get the job done, then stablemate and last year's runner-up Country Grammer (Tonalist) should be there to pick up the pieces in the world's richest race on Saturday.

The Saudi Cup is one of the only big dirt races that has eluded Baffert and, along with Country Grammer, the American handler has sent out Charlatan to fill the runner-up spot to Mishriff (Ire) in 2021.

This year's challenge is headed by three-time Grade I winner Taiba, who had to be put through the stalls on Friday morning after his antics at the track the previous day, and the battle-hardened Country Grammer. Mike Smith will partner Taiba while Frankie Dettori takes the mount aboard Country Grammer.

“He just has so much quality,” Baffert said of Taiba. “He will do what you want–he can go forward or come from off the pace–I don't worry about him. He'll fool you, because he's such a lazy work horse in the mornings and is so laidback, but when he gets in that gate and the lights turn on, that's when his light turns on.”

Taiba will line out for Saturday's race at Riyadh off the back of an easy win in the Malibu S. on December 26, the same Grade I Baffert's 2021 runner-up Charlatan won in preparation for his Saudi Cup effort.

“Charlatan was a brilliant horse with just brilliant speed, but he got into a speed duel with Knicks Go, which cost him the race, but this horse has speed and stamina. The Gun Runners want to run longer, mostly, and this horse–while not as brilliant speed-wise as Charlatan–has that same class and he can go longer.

“He is tough to ride and that's why Mike Smith had to really get him out and get him going last time in the Malibu. Once you put him into the race, he has the stamina, and that's why, when he missed the break [when third] in the Breeders' Cup [Classic], it hurt him. He wasn't going to beat Flightline, but it cost him second.”

Earlier on that December 26 card at Santa Anita, Country Grammer returned to the winner's enclosure impressively in the Grade 2 San Antonio. Thus far, he is two out of two with Dettori in the saddle.

“I think both horses are doing really well and Jimmy [Barnes, assistant] is really happy with how they look out there. Country Grammer is a horse who always runs his race. Frankie knows him really well and if the horse shows up, he'll get the job done if Taiba doesn't. This horse has never been better-he's a better horse this year, I think-and he likes this track, which is really key.

“The Saudi Cup is one of the toughest races to win,” Baffert continued. “I've never won it and I really want to. It's a long ship and a different surface and you have to keep them at their best the entire time.

“It's a challenge and that's what I love. I'd love to win it for these owners. Amr [Zedan] and the Troutts [owners of WinStar Farm] and the rest of the connections have been so loyal to me and we have won some great races together–a Triple Crown with Justify–but to win this one would be an honor and I'm just blessed to have two good horses in the race.

“Everyone can really run in this race and it's a tough field, but expectations are high and we have some owners with a love and passion for the horse, itself, and for horse racing, so we hope we can win it for them.”

The Saudi Cup will be broadcast on FS2 beginning at 8 a.m. ET Saturday morning. Equibase past performances can be found on page 2 of the newsletter.

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