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‘Pearl’ Runs Them Off Their Feet in the GII Jessamine

Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) repeated her ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy debut victory with a record-setting success in Keeneland’s GII J.P. Morgan Chase Jessamine S., a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at this oval Nov. 6.

Running the field off their feet from the start, the 280,000gns TATOCT purchase graduated by five lengths going a mile on the lawn at Churchill Downs Sept. 1. She was hammered down to 3-2 favoritism to repeat in this black-type bow.

Taking up her preferred position at the head of affairs, Aunt Peal was strong on the engine, enjoying a loose lead as she doled out opening splits of :22.28 and :46.65. Turning for home in front under a hand ride from Florent Geroux, the bay was shaken up a bit in the lane and readily responded, effortlessly pulling clear in a new stakes record time of 1:40.86.

“She showed us a lot of talent in the mornings,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “I told someone after the race that that’s the first time we ever cut her loose. She’s very gifted. She’s got a lot of natural speed–:46 and change, carrying speed two turns like that in the second start of her career–she’s obviously very special. It was a big effort.

“I was going faster than I thought,” said winning rider Florent Geroux. “Looking at the fractions, I was like ‘Wow.’ I thought they would be much slower than that. She has short legs, but they move very fast for sure. I’m very impressed with her.”

He continued, “We always loved her from the beginning. We thought she was a very nice filly. I had to make her work a little bit today down the stretch. In her first race, she didn’t get anything out of it. She was pretty much on cruise control the whole time. If we want to be a factor in the Breeders’ Cup, she needed to do a little something today. She was very impressive, and I’m very pleased with her.”

Pedigree Notes:

Aunt Pearl is the 41st graded winner and 76th black-type scorer for her sire Lope de Vega. Her dam, Scandinavian champion Matauri Pearl, is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Wekeela (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). The 11-year-old mare produced a Sea the Stars (Ire) filly in 2019 and a Lope de Vega colt in 2020. This is also the family of MG!SW Monsun (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}).

Wednesday, Keeneland
JPMORGAN CHASE JESSAMINE S.-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 10-7, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.86, fm.
1–AUNT PEARL (IRE), 118, f, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Matauri Pearl (Ire), by Hurricane Run (Ire)
2nd Dam: Moonrise (Ger), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Morning Queen, by Konigsstuhl (Ger)
TDN Rising Star 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (280,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant); B-Ecurie Des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $132,784. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spanish Loveaffair, 120, f, 2, Karakontie {Jpn}–Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat. ($35,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $30,000.
3–Ingrassia, 118, f, 2, Medaglia d’Oro–Infanta Branca, by Henrythenavigator. O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $15,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.50, 1.70, 5.50.
Also Ran: Arm Candy, Batyah, Navratilova, Taylor’s Tourist, Momentous Miss, Beautiful Star, Gambling Cat, Lazy Summer Day.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Brown-Trained Duo Selflessly, Tamahere Headline Saturday’s Sands Point Stakes

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of contenders led by multiple graded-stakes winner Selflessly and French-bred Tamahere as the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner looks to secure his fourth win in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

Saturday's blockbuster card includes four Grade 1, Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” challenge races led by the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 ¼-mile test for 3-year-olds and up offering a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic; the $300,000 Champagne at one-mile for 2-year-olds providing a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the $250,000 Flower Bowl at 10-furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up with a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on the line; and the $250,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Klaravich Stables' Selflessly, a dark bay daughter of More Than Ready purchased for $190,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated in style at second asking in the 2019 Grade 2 Miss Grillo on the Belmont turf ahead of a fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to close out her campaign.

Selflessly stumbled at the start of her seasonal debut when fifth in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 20 at Belmont, but returned to form last out when a nose winner of the one-mile Grade 3 Lake George at Saratoga on Aug. 28, when besting multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania.

Selflessly has breezed four times on the Oklahoma training turf following the Lake George, including a five-eighths effort in 1:02.85 on Oct. 3.

“Selflessly is doing really well coming off a nice win last time out,” said Brown.

Bred in Maryland by George Louis Doetsch, Jr, Selflessly is out of the Grand Slam mare Uniformly Yours and is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Enchanted Ghost.

Swift Thoroughbreds' Tamahere, by Wootton Bassett and out of the Giant's Causeway mare Alatasarai, posted a record of 6-2-2-1 in her native France for former conditioner Francois Rohaut.

She captured the Prix la Sorellina on June 18 at La Teste Buche last out over one mile of soft going before shipping to Brown's stable at Saratoga for a trio of works. The French-bred bay has posted her last two works on the inner turf at Belmont, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.40 on Sunday.

Jose Ortiz will pilot Selflessly from post 3, while Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call aboard Tamahere from the inside post as Brown looks to add to a Sands Point winner's ledger that includes Ball Dancing [2014], Uni [2017] and New and Improved [2019.]

Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer will turn back in distance following a Saratoga summer campaign that saw the Summer Front bay capture the nine-furlong Grade 2 Lake Placid on July 19 ahead of a fourth in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Aug. 16.

Speaktomeofsummer has posted a trio of works at Belmont following the Saratoga Oaks, including a half-mile effort on the inner turf in 50.60 on Sunday.

“The filly is doing great. She's working well and looks well. I'm excited to see her run,” said Clement.

A maiden winner at second asking on the Monmouth Park turf in September 2019, Speaktomeofsummer rallied for a two-length win in the one-mile Chelsey Flower in November on the Big A turf.

Clement said the turnback in distance won't bother his filly.

“I think she's very versatile from a mile to a mile and a quarter. I don't see the distance as a negative, I think she's perfectly OK with it,” said Clement.

Out of the graded-stakes winning Harlan's Holiday mare Silver Reunion, Speaktomeofsummer was purchased for $135,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 2.

Maxis Stable, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Miss J McKay will look to make the grade for trainer Cathal Lynch. The Hangover Kid bay, who boasts a record of 8-2-4-2 with purse earnings of $208,553, crossed the wire first at second asking in the five-furlong 2019 Colleen at Monmouth but was disqualified and placed third for interference. The talented filly made amends next out in the 5 1/2-furlong Ann Arundel County when surging to a five-length score over next-out winners Queen of Shades and Bella Aurora.

Bred in Maryland by Linda Oliff Rohleder, Miss J McKay has posted a perfect in-the-money record in three sophomore stakes sprints including a third in the six-furlong Lady Shipman in June at Belmont; a second in the 5 1/2-furlong Coronation Cup in July at Saratoga; and a second last out in the 6 ½-furlong Music City on Sept. 15 at Kentucky Downs.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call aboard Miss J McKay from post 5 as she stretches out in distance for the first time.

Rounding out the field are New York-bred allowance winner Giacosa [post 4, Luis Saez] for trainer H. James Bond; Positive Power [post 6, Manny Franco], a veteran of 17 career starts for trainer John McAllen; Pure Wow [post 7, Jose Lezcano], a maiden winner for trainer John Terranova; and the stakes-placed Drop a Hint [post 8, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Antonio Arriaga.

The Grade 2 Sands Point is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Dominant Spinaway Winner Vequist Tops Field For ‘Win And You’re In’ Frizette

Vequist proved she could dominate a Grade 1 field when she cruised to a 9 1/2-length score in her stakes debut in the Spinaway on Sept. 6 at Saratoga Race Course. She will look to show similar form on Saturday against a talented field of juvenile fillies in the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette contested at one mile on Belmont Park's main track.

The 73rd running of the Frizette will award an automatic spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 6 at Keeneland. It also is one of five graded stakes on a stacked 11-race card at Belmont that includes the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies 3-years-old and up on the turf that is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies on the turf. Highlighting the card will be the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up with a spot in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic awarded to the victor.

Gary Barber and Adam Wachtel purchased a 75 percent share from Swilcan Stable following Vequist's runner-up debut effort on July 29 at Parx when she ran a nose behind Niente. In her second start, the Butch Reid trainee was stretched out from 4 ½ furlongs to seven in the Spinaway. Off at 6-1, Vequist tracked in second position and powered home a huge winner, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure in picking up a prestigious Grade 1 at the Spa.

Since then, Vequist has continued to train at Parx, including a four-furlong work in 48.62 seconds on Sunday over the main track.

“She has to confirm it; anybody can do it once,” Reid said. “You have to do it a couple of times to really prove you belong at that level. But she jumped from 4 1/2 furlongs to seven-eighths and against Grade 1 company, so it was impressive, and I really liked the way she handled herself. We got up to Saratoga a couple of days ahead of time and she acted really great in the paddock. The way she acted was what impressed me more than anything else. She handled it like a seasoned, old racehorse.”

Vequist, the daughter of 2016 Kentucky Derby-winning Nyquist, will have her first chance at Belmont's Big Sandy track, drawing the inside post with Luis Saez aboard.

Reid said the one-turn mile could be beneficial and was the difference between going in the Frizette rather than the two-turn Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades which was contested on Oct. 2 at Keeneland.

“Even when she made her debut, it seemed like there was no limit to how far she'll go,” Reid said. “Her mother [Vero Amore] ran at a mile and an eighth and ran long, and so did Nyquist, so I think the further, the better with her. With two turns the Alcibiades was a pretty good prep for the Breeders' Cup, but this race fits her perfectly and we know she can handle the one-turn mile, so this seemed like the better way to go.

“Belmont is such a short ship for us, so we're keeping her comfortable,” Reid continued. “She rides the van very well, so I'm not worried about any of those kind of things.”

Stonestreet Stable's Cantata also is entered off a dominant victory, when she pulled away by 10 1/4 lengths in a debut effort in a 6 ½-furlong maiden sprint on Aug. 16 at Saratoga. The Medaglia d'Oro filly started training for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen with big expectations after being purchased for $950,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale and flashed that potential as she tracked in third position before powering home to the wire as the favorite last out.

Since the win, Cantata recorded four works at Saratoga before shipping to Belmont, where she breezed four furlongs in 50.54 seconds on Sunday over the training track.

“She's come in and done everything correctly,” said Asmussen assistant Toby Sheets. “She's quite the individual. We're looking forward to seeing her step up her game a little bit. She's a racehorse. She does her job and has it down.”
Joel Rosario will ride from post 2.

Team Hanley's Joy's Rocket is already a stakes winner, having crossed the wire first in the My Dear on Aug. 1 on Woodbine's all-weather track, which built on her debut win on June 28 over a sloppy and sealed Churchill Downs track.

Last out, Joy's Rocket was switched to turf in the Bolton Landing, where she showed her versatility by running second to Tobys Heart in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint on the grass. Asmussen will move her back to the main track, where she will tackle Big Sandy for the first time, drawing post 4 with Jose Ortiz drawing the assignment for the first time.

“She's also a filly that hasn't done anything wrong. She tries every time,” Sheets said. “I think she deserves a chance.”

Besides Vequist, the field's other graded stakes victor is Dayoutoftheoffice, who will look to go 3-for-3 after a debut victory in May at Gulfstream Park before a six-length triumph in the Grade 3 Schuylerville going six furlongs on July 16 at Saratoga.

Trained by Timothy Hamm, who co-owns the Into Mischief filly with breeder Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice will ship from Thistledown to run at Belmont for the first time, drawing post 5 with Junior Alvarado getting the return assignment following her effort in the Schuylerville.

Reddham Racing's Get On the Bus will be making her third consecutive graded stakes appearance to start her career, which started with a second to My Girl Red in the Grade 2 Sorrento in August at Del Mar.

She was stretched out from six furlongs to seven next out in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 6, where she ran fourth. Trainer Doug O'Neill will now keep her at the highest caliber and see how she responds to a mile.

“She's doing really well,” O'Neill said. “I'm optimistic we'll see a strong performance.”

Jose Lezcano will be in the irons from post 6.

Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Fifth Risk, a first-out winner going six furlongs on Aug. 23 at the Spa, will make the step up for trainer Todd Pletcher, breaking from post 7 in tandem with Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Cilla, making her first start for trainer Bentley Combs after her first three starts for Brett Brinkman, broke her maiden at second asking on Aug. 13 at Delaware Park before running ninth last out in the Sorority on Sept. 7 on the Monmouth Park turf.

Kendrick Carmouche will ride from post 3.

Saturday's card will feature a 12:20 p.m. Eastern first post. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Civil Union Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Saturday’s Flower Bowl

The top-four finishers in the Grade 2 Glens Falls last month at Saratoga Race Course will each vie for supremacy again in Saturday's rematch that highlights the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/4 miles on the Belmont Park inner turf.

Allen Stable's Civil Union, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, outkicked the Chad Brown trainee My Sister Nat by one length in the Glens Falls going 1 3/8 miles on Sept. 5. The two will renew acquaintances in the 43rd running of the Flower Bowl, which serves as a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

In total, Saturday's 11-race card features five graded stakes, including the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for juveniles; the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette offering the same Breeders' Cup entry for juvenile fillies and the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies on the turf. Taking center stage will be the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up with a spot in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic awarded to the victor.

The only trainer besides Brown to capture the Flower Bowl since 2014 is McGaughey, who won with War Flag in 2017. Civil Union, a 5-year-old War Front mare, has won three in a row, starting with a 1 ¼-mile allowance tilt on the Belmont turf on June 21 before winning the River Memories on the same track going 1 1/2 miles on July 12.

“I think she's a nice filly and she's learned to put it all together,” McGaughey said. “We've been able to space her races in a good way and we'll see if she moves it up the next notch. She'll run as far as you want to run her.”

Originally trained by Brown, Civil Union is 3-0-1 in four starts in 2020 for McGaughey, with all of her efforts coming over firm turf.

“Most of the War Fronts like the firm turf,” McGaughey said. “I think she likes this big race track at Belmont, too. She liked Saratoga and ran good there, but I think everything is coming together with her and I'm hoping it comes together Saturday.”

Joel Rosario will have the call from post 3.

Peter Brant's My Sister Nat is one of three entrants for Brown, who has won five of the last six Flower Bowl runnings. The 5-year-old Acclamation mare, who was a group stakes winner in her native France before arriving in the United States in 2019, won her first graded stakes for Brown by edging Mrs. Sippy by a neck in the Grade 3 Waya going 1 1/2 miles on the Spa turf on Aug. 8. That effort netted her a personal-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure setting up her competitive second to Civil Union in her last start.

Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, his half-brother Sottsass captured the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triumphe last weekend at France's Longchamp.
Jose Ortiz will ride My Sister Nat for the fifth consecutive race, breaking from post 2.

OXO Equine's Cambier Parc returned off an 11-month layoff to run second behind Rideforthecause in the Grade 2 Canadian going 1 1/8 miles on the Woodbine turf on Sept. 12.

The well-deserved rest leading into that race was given after a 2019 season in which she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks one start after running third in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks. In October 2019, she followed with a victory in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, ending her year on a high note.

Cambier Parc will look to start her 4-year-old campaign 2-for-2, exiting the inside with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.

Brown will also send out Irish-bred graded stakes winner in Nay Lady Lay, who enters off victories in the Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 18 at Belmont Park and the All Along on Sept. 7 at Laurel Park.

The 4-year-old No Nay Never filly, owned by First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm, is 5-1 in eight career starts. She ended her 2019 with her lone graded stakes win, rallying from seventh to win the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. picks up the mount from post 6.

Trainer Tom Albertrani will send out a pair of contenders in Mark Anderson's Beau Belle and Elizabeth Mateo's Lovely Lucky, who ran third and fourth, respectively, in the Glens Falls last out.

Beau Belle will be making her 24th career start. The 5-year-old Giant's Causeway daughter was third in her previous appearance at Belmont in the River Memories.

“She's training well and came out of the race fine,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, we can just step up a little bit and make up a couple of lengths. She didn't get beat very far. She tries hard every time she runs and she's always right there.”

Beau Belle did not make her graded stakes debut until her 4-year-old year and in her 11th start overall. After winning her first start in her 15th career race in July 2019, Albertrani said she started to figure things out.

“It took her awhile to break her maiden but once she did, it looks like she just started going forward from there,” Albertrani said. “She's matured and she got a little older and a little better.”

Luis Saez will be in the irons on Saturday, drawing post 5.

Lovely Lucky broke her maiden at fifth asking – and in her second career turf start- in June 20 over the Belmont grass before besting allowance company going 1 3/8 miles on the Saratoga turf on July 24. After running fourth in her graded stakes debut in the Glens Falls, Jose Lezcano will retain the mount from post 7.

Lovely Lucky made her first three starts on the main track before Albertrani moved her to turf to start 2020. She has won two of four starts since, including a 6 3/4-length score against allowance company going 1 3/8 miles on July 24 at Saratoga.

“She's also doing well. Ever since we stretched her out, she's shown she can be a competitive filly in these longer races,” Albertrani said. “I thought she ran well in the Glens Falls. She was a bit keen early on, so hopefully Saturday she'll settle a little bit and hopefully make up more ground.

“She was really impressive her first start at Saratoga,” he added. “That race was an eye-opener. We put her in the deep end in the Glens Falls but she ran quite well and wasn't beaten that far.”

La Signare won the Grade 3 Wonder Again last year and was third in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on Sept. 5 at Churchill. Since taking over the training duties last fall, Brendan Walsh has conditioned the French bred to a win in the Sand Springs on March 28 at Gulfstream and a strong runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Mint Julep in May at Churchill Downs.

Manny Franco will be aboard La Signare from post 4.

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