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Seven-Figure Medaglia d’Oro Colt Earns ‘Rising Star’ Honors

Having finished a distant fourth on his Del Mar debut last August behind the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and future dual Grade I winner Cave Rock (Arrogate) and subsequent multiple Grade II victor Practical Move (Practical Joke), Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal's Ultimate Gamble (Medaglia d'Oro) made his much anticipated 3-year-old debut in a one-mile maiden at Santa Anita Saturday afternoon. Pounded down to 70 cents on the dollar, the athletic dark bay colt was ridden in supremely confident fashion by Frankie Dettori and ran out an easy 2 1/4-length winner to earn 'Rising Star' honors of his own.

A half-brother to Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Drefong (Gio Ponti), MGISW, $1,538,385–now siring Classic winners in Japan–Ultimate Gamble was given a trio of six-furlong breezes leading into this comeback effort, suggesting that he prefers a trip considerably longer than his half-brother. Content to take a hold and let a few of his rivals to go on with it, Dettori allowed his mount to find his feet and settled him in third position and wide around the first turn, remaining in no particular hurry to move towards the lead down the backstretch.

Methodically drawing to within striking distance by the time the field hit the second bend, Ultimate Gamble was nursed along and leveled up three wide at the quarter pole, with Dettori taking a look back to see 4-year-old Palagio (Practical Joke) looking dangerous wider out. Asked to meet that challenge, Ultimate Gamble swapped his leads on cue, carried a two-length advantage into the final furlong and stayed on strongly for the victory, then galloped out a ton into the clubhouse turn while receiving a congratulatory pat from his Italian pilot. The winner covered his final two furlongs in a slick :24.52.

Bred by Machmer Hall, who acquired Eltimaas for $77,000 in foal to Mizzen Mast at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale, Ultimate Gamble first changed hands for $325,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and went on to achieve the second-highest price at last year's OBS April Sale when hammering for $1.75 million (under-tack breeze). That was not the first time the progeny of the mare lit up the tote in Ocala, as Sui (Candy Ride {Arg}) fetched $675,000 at the 2019 March Sale, while Order of Magnitude (Curlin) made $425,000 at the 2021 April Sale.

Eltimaas, a half-sister to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Action This Day (Kris S.), is also the dam of a 2-year-old Curlin filly that was sent to Japan after selling for $525,000 at KEESEP last fall

4th-Santa Anita, $67,000, Msw, 4-1, 3, 4,/5yo, 1m, 1:36.68, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
ULTIMATE GAMBLE, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Eltimaas, by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Najecam, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sue Warner, by *Forli
Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $1,750,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $45,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline catalog-style pedigree.
O-Red Baron's Barn LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC; B-Machmer Hall, Carrie & Craig Brogden (KY); T-Mark Glatt.

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Forte Guts It Out in Curlin Florida Derby

There's your favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby.

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) punched his ticket to Louisville with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory as the 1-5 favorite in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Up against it from the get-go exiting from a much-discussed gate 11 draw in a field of 12 with a short run to the first turn, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate was off to an alert beginning and raced in traffic to the clubhouse turn before setting deep and with only a couple of rivals behind as the slow-starting Southern Californian invader Fort Bragg (Tapit) burned across to lead clear.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. had the big favorite worse than midfield and in about the five path nearing the half-mile marker, at which point he began to get busy. But so, too, did Mage (Good Magic), who raced at the tail early on, in the slipstream of Forte towards the end of the backstretch and got first run with a powerful sweep around the turn. Racing in a pocket for a stride or two, but with ample galloping room, Forte allowed Mage to go on with it and he dueled with Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief)–who had also sat a wide trip from a high draw–into the final furlong. But produced down the center, Forte did his best work through the line and was comfortably clear by a length at the end of the nine furlongs. Mage was second; Cyclone Mischief was third.

The Florida Derby offered 200 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with the first five finishers earning points on a 100-50-30-20-10 basis.

“I was worried, he had a lot to do turning for home,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher after a record-extending seventh Florida Derby victory. “He had to angle out really wide and kind of got a wide trip all the way around there, but he had a pretty smooth run it; he just had to lose a lot of ground to do it. It looked like he had a lot to do still at the eighth pole but then really kicked in the last part and found his best stride the last sixteenth.”

Pletcher continued, “He got a lot of experience today. The one good thing about here is you get a big crowd, a noisy crowd, long post parade, so they get exposed to a lot. That experience hopefully pays off down the road.”

Repole added, “I knew it was going to be a big test for him. I didn't mind him having the 11 post. I thought he got an incredible education. I, too, at the eighth pole was saying, we're going to get second or third, and he just kept going and going and going. It was pretty special.”

Forte captured three straight Grade I events during his championship season in 2022, capped by an impressive success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4. The dark bay returned to the races with a stylish tally in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4.

“He just continues to amaze us,” Pletcher said. “He gets better and better. He handled the stretchout to a mile an eighth great and actually probably ran a mile and three-sixteenths today. It gives you a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Pletcher had previously counted Scat Daddy (2007), Constitution (2014), Materiality (2015), Always Dreaming (2017), Audible (2018) and Known Agenda (2021) for Florida Derby victories.

Mage, a sharp debut winner going seven furlongs on the GI Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Jan. 28, was an unlucky fourth while making his two-turn debut in the Fountain of Youth. Cyclone Mischief, also exiting the Fountain of Youth, made it two straight third-place finishes behind Forte.

Pedigree Notes:

Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola bought 43 yearlings for more than $16 million to top the sheets for the first of two straight years at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Forte was a $110,000 purchase out of that auction.

Forte is one of six Grade I winners for Violence. Forte's broodmare sire Blame has 12 stakes/six graded winners out of his daughters. Blame is also the sire of Saturday's impressive GIII Fantasy S. heroine Wet Paint, a leading contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Forte is the first foal out of Queen Caroline, with her now-juvenile colt by Uncle Mo hammering for $850,000 to Mayberry Farm at Keeneland September. She lost her 2023 foal by Not This Time and was bred to Flightline in 2023. Her third dam is the MGSW Jeano (Fappiano), whose descendants also include champions Folklore (Tiznow) and Essential Quality (Tapit); Japanese champion Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and additional GISW Come Dancing (Malibu Moon). The family traces tail-female to the great La Troienne through her Broodmare of the Year granddaughter by War Admiral, Striking.

Saturday, Gulfstream
CURLIN FLORIDA DERBY PRESENTED BY HILL 'N' DALE FARMS AT XALAPA-GI, $1,000,000, Gulfstream, 4-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.51, ft.
1–FORTE, 122, c, 3, by Violence
                1st Dam: Queen Caroline (MSW, $401,608), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Queens Plaza, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Kew Garden, by Seattle Slew
'TDN Rising Star'. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate
Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $576,600.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old colt, 7-6-0-0, $2,409,830.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mage, 122, c, 3, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($235,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $290,000 2yo '22 EASMAY).
O-OGMA Investments, LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing
LLC and CMNWLTH; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Gustavo
Delgado. $186,000.
3–Cyclone Mischief, 122, c, 3, Into
Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini. 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC
and Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY);
T-Dale L. Romans. $93,000.
Margins: 1, 2, 2. Odds: 0.30, 4.70, 13.10.
Also Ran: Mr. Ripple, Fort Bragg, Il Miracolo, West Coast Cowboy, Jungfrau, Nautical Star, Mr. Peeks, Dubyuhnell, Shaq Diesel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Sioux Nation Represented By First U.S. Stakes Winner in Cutler Bay

When the markets opened for Saturday's Cutler Bay S. at Gulfstream Park, the tote read 1-9 on the U.S.-debuting Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) and the early action proved spot on, as the bay enjoyed a smooth trip and pounced late to become the first American stakes winner–and fifth overall–for his successful young sire (by Scat Daddy).

Last seen dominating a Dundalk all-weather maiden for Joseph O'Brien and previous owner Justin Casse, Behind Enemy Lines was a bit tardy from the stalls, but recovered to race on the back of pacesetting Drinking Problem (Gormley) and nicely covered up down the backstretch. Going comfortably into the final three furlongs, he was steered out and around favored Harry Time (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) nearing the stretch and kicked home smartly to score cozily at final odds of 16-5.

Behind Enemy Lines went through the Tattersalls sales ring on two occasions, selling for 88,000gns as a weanling in late 2020 and for 90,000gns during Book 2 of the auction house's October Yearling Sale the following October. He was among the first group of horses ticketed for the inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale last March (see below for under-tack video), but was led out unsold on a bid of just over €173,000. He was a well-beaten ninth in a six-furlong grass maiden at the Curragh last August before breaking through last time. Behind Enemy Lines is the second black-type winner to emerge from the 2022 Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up, joining this year's Listed Al Bastakiya S. winner Go Soldier Go (Tapiture).

From the extended female family of Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and SW & MGSP Modern News (GB) (Shamardal), the winner is kin to the 2-year-old colt Looking Bere (Fr) (Le Brivido {Fr}) and a yearling colt by Whitecliffsofdover (War Front). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

CUTLER BAY S., $145,000, Gulfstream, 4-1, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 1:30.35, fm.
1–BEHIND ENEMY LINES (GB), 118, c, 3, by Sioux Nation
1st Dam: Autumn Snow (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Epic Similie (GB), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Epitome (Ire), by Nashwan
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (88,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 90,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; €173,228 RNA 2yo '22 GOFDUB). O-Rockingham Ranch, Talla Racing LLC & David A Bernsen; B-The Brigadier Partnership (GB); T-Jack Sisterson; J-Jose L Ortiz. $87,203. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $94,672.
2–Anglophile, 118, c, 3, English Channel–Trustmore Lovemore, by Kitten's Joy. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-LFG Racing, LLC; B-Upson Downs Farm & Louie W Wright (KY); T-Brian A Lynch. $28,130.
3–Dunedin, 120, c, 3, Munnings–Faith in Cathy, by Hold Me Back. ($140,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-NBS Stable; B-Parkway Farm Inc. (KY); T-Kelsey Danner. $14,065.
Margins: 2, NK, 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 16.60, 3.70.

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Karakontie Filly Off The Mark on FL Derby Day Debut

1st-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 4-1, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.29, fm, 1 1/4 lengths.
SPANSIVE (f, 3, Karakontie {Jpn}–Fleur de Cerise, by Bernardini), off as the 2-1 favorite from a morning line of 6-1, was given a well-judged ride from the front by Jose Ortiz and had something left late to graduate nicely on debut in the Curlin Florida Derby day lid-lifter. Nicely into stride and asked for just enough speed to make the lead, the dark bay took them through an opening quarter in a modest :25.27 and controlled things through a half in :49.50 while taking token pressure from Millennium Park (Curlin), a Glen Hill-homebred daughter of turf MSW/MGSP Compelled (War Front) who was trying the turf for the first time. Fellow firster Gloria's Princess (Cairo Prince), a half-sister to GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup heroine Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah) and bet in half from her morning line of 12-1, rolled up outside the top two in upper stretch after stalking the pace from third and looked to have all the momentum, but given the race shape, Spansive had plenty to offer in the final furlong and reported home a 1 1/4-length winner. Spansive is out of a daughter of former Dogwood Stables runner Cotton Blossom (Broken Vow), who was trained by this conditioner to win the 2007 GI Acorn S. A $20,000 Keeneland September yearling, Spansive was knocked down to West Bloodstock on behalf of Mike Repole for $145,000 at last year's OBS June Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. Fleur de Cerise is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Tapwrit, a yearling filly by McKinzie and foaled a colt by Raging Bull (Fr) on St. Patrick's Day. Sales history: $20,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $145,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Repole Stable; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

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