Guarana Battles Back to Take Madison, Giving Brown 100th Career Grade I

Keeneland’s GI Madison S. was a battle between ‘TDN Rising Stars’ Guarana (Ghostzapper) and Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) from start to finish, but in the end it was Guarana who won the gutsy brawl. Favored at 1-2, Guarana went straight to the front and was hounded by Mia Mischief, who was let go at a surprising at 8-1, through early splits of :22.95 and :45.92. Mia Mischief drew even with Guarana at the top of the stretch and briefly headed her younger rival, but Guarana battled back in the final sixteenth, turning back her elder for a half-length success. It was the 100th Grade I victory for Eclipse winning-conditioner Chad Brown.

“Well during the course of the race, what happened was it unfolded sort of how I feared with Mia Mischief having the better post on the outside of us and being able to hound us a bit,” said Brown. “I thought turning for home that the post really did us in this race and I was started to get a little disappointed. But I could see at the sixteenth pole that she was finding her stride again and I think seven [furlongs] is maybe a tick far for the other filly. We were able to come back on her. She showed her heart. She showed that she’s a very special horse, which we’ve known for a long time.”

He continued, “To [get the 100th Grade I win] with one of Mr. Torrealba’s horses is really special. He’s a real fine man. Very loyal. It’s right up there near the top. It’s a whole body of work from 12 1/2 years now of training. It has to do with my team of co workers, owners, and horses both present and past. They all contributed to the 100 Grade Is. God willing if everything stays in tact, we’ll work on the next 100. But we’re going to enjoy this for now.”

Devastating the field by 14 3/4 lengths in her Keeneland unveiling last April, Guarana romped by sixth in Belmont’s GI Acorn S. last June and followed suit with a win in the nine-panel GI CCA Oaks six weeks later. Finishing second to Street Band (Istan) as the favorite in the GI Cotillion S. Sept. 21, she was subsequently shelved for the season and resurfaced at Churchill June 4 with a dominant optional claimer score in the slop June 4.

 

Pedigree Notes:

Guarana is one of 12 top-level scorers by Ghostzapper and one of 41 graded winners for the Adena stallion. She is bred on the same Ghostzapper/Distorted Humor cross as fellow Grade I winner Molly Morgan. Daughters of Distorted Humor are responsible for 45 graded stakes winners. Magical World, a daughter of GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Pleasant home (Seeking the Gold), is also responsible for stakes winner and GSP ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magic Dance (More Than Ready). Her 2018 colt by Pioneerof the Nile brought $2.1 million from e Five Racing at Keeneland September. The 10-year-old mare did not have a foal in 2019, but had a Gun Runner colt Feb. 25 of this year. This is also the family of MGISWs Point of Entry (Dynaformer), Pine Island (Arch) and Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat).

Saturday, Keeneland
MADISON S.-GI, $250,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.70, ft.
1–GUARANA, 118, f, 4, by Ghostzapper
                1st Dam: Magical World, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Our Country Place, by Pleasant Colony
TDN Rising StarO-Three Chimneys Farm & Hill ‘n’ Dale
Equine Holdings Inc.; B-Three Chimneys Farm (KY); T-Chad C
Brown; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 6-5-1-0,
$1,078,268. *1/2 to Magic Dance (More Than Ready), SW &
GSP, $156,883. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.  
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mia Mischief, 118, m, 5, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Greer Lynn, by Speightstown
                2nd Dam: Roll Over Baby, by Rollin On Over
                3rd Dam: Sweet Praise, by Honey Jay
TDN Rising Star($135,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $300,000 2yo ’17
FTFMAR; $2,400,000 4yo ’19 FTKNOV). O-Stonestreet Stable
LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$50,000.
3–Bell’s the One, 120, f, 4, by Majesticperfection</strong
                1st Dam: Street Mate, by Street Cry (Ire)</strong
                2nd Dam: Day Mate, by Dayjur
                3rd Dam: Possible Mate, by King’s Bishop
($155,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL). O-Lothenbach Stables, Inc. (Bob
Lothenbach); B-Bret Jones (KY); T-Neil L. Pessin. $25,000.
Margins: HF, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.50, 8.00, 4.40.
Also Ran: Wildwood’s Beauty, Sally’s Curlin, Unique Factor, Amy’s Challenge, Diamond Crazy. Scratched: Princess Causeway.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Guarana Battles Back to Take Madison, Giving Brown 100th Career Grade I appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Monomoy Girl Continues Comeback With Ruffian Victory

Monomoy Girl, the 2018 champion 3-year-old who missed all of her 4-year-old campaign, continued her comeback for trainer Brad Cox on Saturday, winning the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., by about two lengths over Vexatious, with Piedi Bianchi third in a field of five older fillies and mares.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Monomoy Girl, a 5-year-old by Tapizar racing for Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC, and Bethlemen Stables LLC, paid $2.30 to win as the odds-on favorite and covered one mile on a good main track in 1:34.13.

Monomoy Girl tracked Mother Mother through opening fractions of :22.84 and :45.55 for the first half mile, moved to the lead without urging and took command at the top of the stretch after six furlongs in 1:09.40. Geroux gave her a couple of taps with his riding crop in the stretch and the issue was never in doubt.

The win was the 11th in 13 career starts for Monomoy Girl, whose 2018 victories included the G1 Kentucky Oaks and the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff against older fillies and mares.

The post Monomoy Girl Continues Comeback With Ruffian Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Uncle Mo’s Enola Gay Comes Alive Late to Take Appalachian

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.97, fm.
1–ENOLA GAY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Dakota Queen, by War Front
2nd Dam: Moon Queen (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Infamy (Ire), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($90,000  RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Allen Stable Inc; B-Mr Joseph Allen LLC
(KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Julien R Leparoux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $174,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Walk In Marrakesh (Ire), 118, f, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Walk In Beauty (Ire), by Shamardal. O-Merriebelle Stable LLC;
B-Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Ignacio Correas IV. $30,000.
3–Alms, 118, f, 3, City Zip–Charity Belle, by Empire Maker. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham. $15,000.
Margins: NO, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.30, 4.50, 0.50.
Also Ran: Evil Lyn, Passion Factor, Mariafoot (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Enola Gay, employing her usual come-from-behind style, got up in the final jump to collect her first black-type and graded- stakes win in Saturday’s GII Appalachian S. A first-out winner going 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs last September, the bay concluded the season with a fourth–beaten four lengths–in the Stewart Manor S. over Aqueduct’s outer turf course Nov. 10. Given a 5-1 chance in this seasonal return, the Shug McGaughey trainee was a close-up third as Evil Lyn (Wicked Strong) and Alms (City Zip) established a :23.25 quarter. Joined by Walk In Marrakesh to her outside through a half in :46.28, the Allen hombred was soon left behind as Walk In Marrakesh rushed up to join the two leaders as they hit the quarter pole. At the head of the stretch, Evil Lyn, Alms and Walk In Marrakesh were three abreast with Enola Gay tucked in about a length behind them, and while it looked like one of the top three would win the day, Enola Gay found her best stride late and closed down the center of the course to best Walk In Marrakesh by a nose on the wire. Alms rounded out the trifecta.

Pedigree Notes:
Campaigned by Joseph Allen, Enola Gay is out of Allen hombred Dakota Queen (War Front), herself a daughter of Group 2\Grade III-winner Moon Queen (Sadler’s Wells). A half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning turf mare Innuendo (Ire) (Caerleon), Moon Queen–a daughter of 1988 Woodbine’s GI Rothmans International heroine Infamy (Ire)–is also responsible for Grade III-scorer Beauty Parlor (Elusive Quality).
Dakota Queen produced a juvenile full-sister to the winner, now named Flying Fortress, and a yearling sister by Union Rags. The 8-year-old mare was bred back to Into Mischief.
Enola Gay is the first graded stakes winner, and the fifth stakes winner, for War Front as a broodmare sire.

 

The post Uncle Mo’s Enola Gay Comes Alive Late to Take Appalachian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Monomoy Girl Delivers in Ruffian

Champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) was bet like she could not lose at 1-9 in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. and duly delivered with a facile success in this five-horse affair. Glued to pacesetting Mother Mother’s (Pioneerof the Nile) outside hip through a :22.84 opening quarter, the chestnut stuck to her like glue through a :45.55 half-mile. Drawing even on the backstretch, Monomoy Girl stuck her head in front on the far turn and rolled clear in the lane. Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway) was the only one trying to run with the Eclipse winner in the lane, but proved no match, finishing two lengths short in second. It was 8 3/4 more lengths back to Piedi Bianchi (Overanalyze) in third.

“She’s a very special filly,” said Brad Cox’s assistant Dustin Dugas. “She showed up and ran well. She did everything we asked of her.”
“The only way she gets beat is when she’s by herself and she puts the breaks on me,” said winning pilot Florent Geroux. “I knew Mother Mother would show speed. She showed tactical speed when I rode her before and I know what she can do. I just let her [Mother Mother] go on and do the dirty work for me. At the three-eighths pole, Manny [Franco, aboard Mother Mother] was asking his filly pretty hard. I was waiting and I gave her a little tap to get her focused to the wire. This was a nice race for her to come back into stakes competition and now we can tackle some bigger races and a tougher field, too.”

Monomoy Girl won six of her seven starts during her sophomore season in 2018 to clinch the Eclipse Award with five Grade Is topped by the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Given a brief freshening after her championship campaign, the chestnut returned to the Brad Cox barn in the winter of 2019, but was soon sidelined by a case of colic. After rehabbing at WinStar, she rejoined Cox last July, but was sent to the bench yet again with a hamstring injury, which kept her off the track for the rest of her 4-year-old year. Back with Cox once again at the start of 2020, Monomoy Girl made a triumphant return in a sloppy one-mile optional claimer at Churchill Downs May 16.

Pedigree Notes:

The winner’s dam Drumette–a half-sister to GSW Drum Major (Dynaformer)–summoned $1.85 million from Bridlewood at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale while carrying a foal by Mastery. The resulting foal was a fill and she had a colt by Tapit May 25 of this year. Monomoy Girl’s 3-year-old half-brother Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) won one of the divisions of this year’s GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds, but was knocked off the GI Kentucky Derby trail with a minor injury. Her 2-year-old half-brother Superman Shaq (Shackleford) sold to Justin Casse at last month’s OBS Spring Sale for $550,000.

Saturday, Belmont Park
RUFFIAN S.-GII, $145,500, Belmont, 7-11, 4yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:34.13, gd.
1–MONOMOY GIRL, 120, m, 5, by Tapizar
1st Dam: Drumette, by Henny Hughes
2nd Dam: Endless Parade, by Williamstown
3rd Dam: Mnemosyne, by Saratoga Six
($100,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-M Dubb, Monomoy Stables LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC (Stuart Grant) & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-FPF LLC & Highfield Ranch (KY); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $82,500. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Filly, MGISW, 13-11-2-0, $3,086,118. *1/2 to Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice), GSW, $327,162. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vexatious, 120, m, 6, Giant’s Causeway–Dream of Summer, by Siberian Summer. ($150,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Calumet Farm; B-James C Weigel & Giant’s Causeway Syndicate LLC. (KY); T-Jack Sisterson. $30,000.
3–Piedi Bianchi, 120, m, 5, Overanalyze–Adore You, by Tactical Cat. ($60,000 Wlg ’15 KEENOV; $80,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo ’17 OBSMAR). O-Jay Oringer, Jack Bick & Madaket Stables LLC; B-Deann & Greg Baer DVM (IN); T-Carlos F Martin. $18,000.
Margins: 2, 8 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.15, 14.80, 33.50.
Also Ran: Mother Mother, Always Shopping.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Monomoy Girl Delivers in Ruffian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights