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Quality Road ‘Rising Star’ Makes Amends in Gun Runner

'TDN Rising Star' Jace's Road (Quality Road) took advantage of a bit of a stumbling start from favored Determinedly (Cairo Prince) to lead past every pole for a maiden stakes success in Monday's Gun Runner S. at the Fair Grounds.

Sent off the 14-5 second favorite off a forgettable and forgivable eighth-place effort as the favorite in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs Oct. 30, the $510,000 Keeneland September graduate found his way to the front as Determinedly–off at 4-5–bobbled slightly and though pressured, was able to race well within himself for the opening three-quarters of a mile. Narrowly in front as they reached the long Fair Grounds straight, he responded to a vigorous Florent Geroux drive from and kept finding through the final furlong to score nicely by five lengths. Raise Cain (Violence) was up on the line to touch the odds-on pop out of second.

Named a 'Rising Star' on Ellis debut back in August, Jace's Road was an educational third in the GIII Iroquois S. Sept. 17, but was reportedly out of sorts from as early as the paddock prior to the Street Sense, was rambunctious and dropped Geroux at the gates pre-start, caught a sloppy track to boot and did no running whatsoever.

The 65th stakes winner for Quality Road, Jace's Road hails from the female family of champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy) and GISW Forest Secrets (Forest Wildcat) and has a weanling half-sister by Curlin. Out Post was barren to Quality Road for 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

GUN RUNNER S., $98,000, Fair Grounds, 12-26, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.85, ft.
1–JACE'S ROAD, 122, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Out Post (MSP, $203,690), by Silver Deputy
2nd Dam: Secret Wildcat, by Forest Wildcat
3rd Dam: Garden Secrets, by Time for a Change
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($510,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $126,800.
2–Raise Cain, 122, c, 2, Violence–Lemon Belle, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($180,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $65,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Andrew N & Rania Warren; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Ben Colebrook. $20,000.
3–Determinedly, 122, c, 2, Cairo Prince–Bailzee, by Grand Slam. ($80,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-John C Oxley; B-Bedouin Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Mark E Casse. $10,000.
Margins: 5HF, HD, 3. Odds: 2.40, 23.60, 0.90.
Also Ran: Hayes Strike, Andthewinneris, Old Alliance, Mazing Mark.

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Country Grammer Wins San Antonio With Authority

Country Grammer, reunited with Frankie Dettori for the first time since winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, strode home an easy winner of the GII San Antonio S. at Santa Anita Monday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Country Grammer was hustled from his outside post by Dettori, but was unable to match the speed of his inside rivals and was caught four wide into the first turn as Hopkins (Quality Road) took the early lead and was in front through fractions of :22.76 and :46.16. Country Grammar rolled up three wide into the far turn and grabbed the lead into the stretch before bursting clear to an easy victory.

“I'm spending the winter here and on day one riding here, on one of the best horses in the world, the pressure was on,” Dettori admitted. “I felt it but the horse was in great form, and I was able to enjoy the scream of the crowd and it is nice to be back at Santa Anita. What a place! What a crowd, it's amazing.”

Dettori has announced 2023 will be his final year in the saddle.

“Thirty five years went like a flash,” the Italian said. “I've got to make these last 12 months the best that I can and enjoy it. Most of all I've had a great career, and this is where it all started, and this is where it will finish.”

Country Grammer, purchased as a 4-year-old by WinStar Farm from the dispersal of the late Paul Pompa for $110,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale, ended his 2021 campaign with a win in May 31 GI Hollywood Gold Cup. He resurfaced nine months later to finish second in the Feb. 26 G1 Saudi Cup and went one better in the World Cup at Meydan a month later. The 5-year-old returned stateside to be second in the July 30 GII San Diego H. and was beaten 19 lengths when second behind Flightline (Tapit) in the Sept. 3 GI TVG Pacific Classic. He was making his first start since finishing second in the Oct. 1GI Aweso me Again S.

“This horse is training better than he ever has, and he likes a deeper racetrack,” winning trainer Bob Baffert said. “This horse has brought us so much joy when things were down. He always shows up. It was nice of Frankie Dettori to win one like that. He's such a great rider, and it's his last year to be part of it. I'm just blessed the owners gave me the horse to train, and I have a great staff backing me.”

Pedigree Notes:

Arabian Song, in foal to Wicked Strong, sold for $5,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale and was exported to Saudi Arabia. She has a 3-year-old filly by that sire racing in Saudi Arabia and has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Saint Anddan. Under Country Grammar's third dam, Willstar, is Group 1 winner Etoile Montante (Miswaki), as well as the dams of Grade I winner Obligatory (Curlin) and multiple graded winner Bonny South (Munnings).

Monday, Santa Anita
SAN ANTONIO S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.45, ft.
1–COUNTRY GRAMMER, 123, h, 5, by Tonalist
                1st Dam: Arabian Song, by Forestry
                2nd Dam: Prima Centauri, by Distant View
                3rd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR; $110,000
4yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC,
Winstar Farm LLC and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Scott
& Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Lanfranco Dettori.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 14-5-5-1, $11,277,320. *1/2 to
Joyful Cadence (Runhappy), SW & MGSP, $546,155. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
   Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stilleto Boy, 123, g, 4, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $40,000.
3–Heywoods Beach, 123, h, 5, Speightstown–Unfold the Rose,
by Catienus. ($150,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $190,000 RNA 2yo '19
FTFMAR; $180,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-Hronis Racing LLC;
B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $24,000.
Margins: 4HF, 3HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.60, 5.00, 9.30.
Also Ran: Breakfast Ride, Hudson Ridge, Hopkins.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Immaculately Bred Curlin Firster Gets ‘Rising Star’ Nod

Things didn't look especially promising for those who crunched Michael Lund Petersen's Faustin (c, 2, Curlin–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun) into 90 cents on the dollar in the early stages of the first juvenile test of the new meet at Santa Anita Monday afternoon. But the gunmetal gray colt did his best work through the line to graduate by open lengths and become a new 'TDN Rising Star.'

The March foal was not off to the most alert of beginnings and was no better than midfield and under a very busy ride from Ramon Vazquez as the quarter went up in :21.67. Still cajoled along on the turn, but able to make some headway towards the inside, Faustin advanced to be fourth behind a wall of three rivals as they hit the top of the lane. Hooked wide, with stablemate Sonoran (Ride On Curlin) to catch entering the final furlong, he raced a bit greenly while gathering that one up and strode home to score by a widening 2 3/4-length margin.

Led out unsold on a bid of $285,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, Faustin breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was hammered down to Petersen's agent Donato Lanni for $800,000 at OBS this past April. Faustin, who outworked 99 others to earn the half-mile bullet (:46 4/5 from the gate) Dec. 10, is the 23rd 'Rising Star' for Curlin.

A homebred for Hillsbrook Farm and trained by Michael Matz, Hard Not to Like upset the 2014 GI Jenny Wiley S. and was purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.5 million out of that year's Keeneland November sale. Turned over to Christophe Clement, she thrived at five, winning this track's GI Gamely S. and the GI Diana S. before DATTT Farm purchased her for $2.2 million at KEENOV in 2016. Hard Not to Like's foals have been market darlings, her last four having sold for at least a half-million dollars, including her yearling filly by Quality Road that was purchased by Japan's Koji Maeda for $500,000 at Keeneland this past September. Her last listed produce is a weanling colt by Constitution.

Faustin is bred on the exact same cross as champion and successful young sire Good Magic and additional graded winners Irish War Cry and Cordmaker.

4th-Santa Anita, $68,500, Msw, 12-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.08, ft, 2 3/4 lengths.
FAUSTIN, c, 2, by Curlin
1st Dam: Hard Not to Like (MGISW-US, SW-Can, $1,262,171), by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Like A Gem, by Tactical Cat
3rd Dam: It's a Ruby, by Rubiano
Sales history: $285,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-DATTT Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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Corona Bolt A Sixth SW for Bolt d’Oro in Sugar Bowl S.

Off as the heavy chalk in Monday's $97,000 Sugar Bowl S., Stonestreet Stables LLC's Corona Bolt (Bolt d'Oro) led not long after the start and kicked away in the final furlong to become a sixth black-type winner for his leading freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro).

Adding Lasix off strong one-length debut score at Churchill Downs Nov. 19 (82 Beyer Speed Figure), the $225,000 Keeneland November weanling speared through from between rivals to lead and covered the opening couple of furlongs :22.24 under an easy Florent Geroux hold and turned them in after a half in :45.92. Slipped a bit of rein as Toddchero (Bucchero) loomed a momentary threat at midstretch, Corona Bolt opened up while scarcely asked and came home 6 3/4 lengths to the good. Minnesota-bred Distorted Pro (Distorted Humor) was up for second ahead of Toddchero, who was earning black-type for the fifth time in his young career.

Summerfield Sales acquired Corona Bolt's dam for $16,000 at Keeneland January in 2016 and she was bred to Sky Mesa for a foal carrying the wonderfully productive cross of A.P. Indy and Quiet American. The result was Proven Strategies, a stakes winner and twice graded-placed on the turf with earnings in excess of $355,000. The mare, a half-sister to Canadian Classic winner Cool Catomine (Spring At Ladt) and SW Wild Catomine (Milwaukee Brew), is represented by a yearling filly by the late Flatter that fetched $90,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale. Her weanling colt by War at Will was a $70,000 buyback at Keeneland November last month and she most recently visited Yaupon. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

SUGAR BOWL S., $97,000, Fair Grounds, 12-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.96, ft.
1–CORONA BOLT, 116, c, 2, by Bolt d'Oro
1st Dam: Stormbeforethecalm, by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Smart Catomine, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Gather the Storm, by Storm Cat
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($225,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Summerfield Sales Agency Inc & Etarip Stables (FL); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $102,000. *1/2 to Proven Strategies (Sky Mesa), SW & GSP-Can, GSP-USA, $355,787. **Sixth stakes winner for freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro).
2–Distorted Pro, 118, c, 2, Distorted Humor–Pro Pink, by Touch Gold. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O/B-Novogratz Racing Stables Inc (MN); T-Brad H Cox. $20,000.
3–Toddchero, 116, c, 2, Bucchero–French Politics, by Political Force. ($77,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Mark Norman & Norman Stables LLC; B-GDS Racing Stable (FL); T-Jayde J Gelner. $10,000.
Margins: 6 3/4, NO, 4HF. Odds: 0.50, 5.30, 16.10.

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