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Practical Joke Filly Upsets Stablemate In Del Mar Opener

1st-Del Mar, $81,000, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:03.59, ft, 6 3/4 lengths.
HUNTINGCOCO (f, 2, Practical Joke–Sulis, by Maria's Mon) was dismissed at odds of 36-5, largely due to the presence of $950,000 Keeneland September grad and 1-2 chalk Carla (Medaglia d'Oro), slipped through inside entering the final eighth of a mile and kicked away to best her heavily favored stable companion by a convincing margin in Sunday's opener from Del Mar. Away without incident, Huntingcoco showed ample speed and chased from along the inside in second as She's Inthearmynow (Army Mule) had the most early interest from her outside draw. Asked to come after the pacesetter with 2 1/2 furlongs to travel, Huntingcoco took full advantage when the front-runner rolled away from the fence in upper stretch and powered home to score with good-looking strides. Carla was beaten for speed and had her momentum interrupted when having to steady slightly off the heels of She's Inthearmynow approaching the half-mile marker. Under the bat nearing the stretch, she raced on her incorrect lead, but managed to grind it out for second. A Pennsylvania-bred, Huntingcoco is a veteran of three sales rings, having matured from a $45,000 KEENOV weanling into a $110,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling. She was last seen going through the latter auction house's Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where she fetched $200,000 after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5. Out of a half-sister to the stakes-winning dam of GISW I'm the Tiger (Siphon {Brz}), Huntingcoco has a yearling half-brother by Classic Empire and a foal half-sister by American Freedom. Sulis visited Instagrand this term. Sales history: $45,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Villa Rosa Farm & Harlo Racing; B-HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC (PA); T-Bob Baffert.

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Five of Six Have Hopeful Claims

The curtain falls on the 40-day Saratoga meeting Monday afternoon with a field of six set to head to the post for the GI Hopeful S. And a legitimate case can be made for all but one of the juvenile colts signed on.

Half of the Hopeful field have already been accorded 'TDN Rising Star' honors and Gulfport (Uncle Mo) could well go favored for Steve Asmussen and the Heiligbrodts. The $275,000 Fasig-Tipton July purchased could not have looked better in his first two career outings–a seven-length debut at 1-2 at Churchill June 10 followed by a 12 1/4-length tour-de-force at 20 cents on the dollar in the July 4 Bashford Manor S. Odds-on yet again in the Aug. 13 GII Saratoga Special S., the bay found enough trouble 2 1/2 furlongs out to allow fellow 'Rising Star' Damon's Mound (Girvin) to get the jump and was forced to settle for second.

Mo Strike (Uncle Mo) is not a 'Rising Star' but holds the distinction of being the lone previous graded winner in the field, having stalked and pounced to a 3 1/2-length tally in the GIII Sanford S. July 16. Andiamo a Firenze (Speightstown), third home that day, has since returned to wallop state-breds in the Funny Cide S.

“He's doing great. He's been feeling really good and came out of the Sanford in good order,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He's been working every seven days.”

A subpar fourth in Sanford was Forte (Violence), who streaked home by nearly eight on his downstate debut May 27 to earn his 'Rising Star', but never got untracked last time, finishing an even fourth. Trainer Todd Pletcher is willing to give his charge the benefit of the doubt.

“The track was probably a little deep for his liking [in the Sanford]. The pace didn't come back much,” said Pletcher. “I think he should appreciate the added distance.”

Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) also caught what appeared to be a heavy track on his July 24, earning an 85 Beyer when covering six furlongs in 1:13.34 to defeat re-opposing next-out maiden romper Bourbon Bash (City of Light) by 6 1/4 lengths.

“The form looked good in his last race,” said trainer Chad Brown. “He had his last breeze [on Sunday] for the Hopeful, so we'll see.”

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Sunday Insights: Debuting Carla Bred On Wildly Successful Cross

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-DMR, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Michael Petersen and Willow Grace Farm, who campaign last year's GI Del Mar Debutante winner Grace Adler (Curlin) in partnership, team up for the Sunday opener at Del Mar with $950K Keeneland September acquisition CARLA (Medaglia d'Oro). The February foal is the first produce from Naples Princess (Distorted Humor), a full-sister to SW Banker's Buy and a half to SW City Dweller (Carson City) and SW Glacken's Gal (Smoke Glacken), the dam of GII Davona Dale S. victress Live Lively (Medaglia d'Oro). The hugely productive cross of Medaglia d'Oro over Distorted Humor mares has yielded the likes of two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) and additional Grade I winners Elate and New Money Honey, while extending to Forty Niner-line dams brings in the likes of multiple champion Songbird and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. TJCIS PPs

2nd-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, post time: 1:58 p.m. ET
The debuting Carnaby Street got American Pharoah on the board in the opening race of the meet Thursday afternoon and ON THE TEAR looks to continue the momentum here. A $350K KEESEP purchase, the Springhouse Farm-bred is a half-brother to this year's Star Shoot S. heroine Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire) and his dam, purchased by Springhouse for $260K in foal to Shanghai Bobby at Fasig-Tipton November in 2016, is a half-sister to successful young sire Practical Joke (Into Mischief). Life At Sea (West Coast) is the third foal to race out of Irish Jasper (First Defence), three times a graded winner sprinting on the main track. TJCIS PPs

6th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, post time: 3:20 p.m. ET
It's been an outstanding meet for Curlin and Stonestreet homebred PURE PAULINE will attempt to open her account at first asking Sunday. Inheriting the chestnut coloring of both her sire and of her GII Black-Eyed Susan S.-winning dam Keen Pauline (Pulpit), the Apr. 24 is bred on a variant of the cross over A.P. Indy-line mares that has tossed up Malathaat, Nest and Cody's Wish, each a Grade I winner during the current meet at Saratoga. Curlin is also represented by the rail-drawn third-time starter Take Charge Briana, whose dam Take Charge Tressa is a full-sister to MGISW and Spendthrift sire Omaha Beach (War Front). TJCIS PPs

7th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, post time: 3:53 p.m. ET
PROUVER (Justify), a $310K graduate of last year's Keeneland September sale, is a daughter of Ready to Act (More Than Ready), who won her maiden at first asking sprinting over the local turf course and was well on her way to victory in the 2013 GII Natalma S. when she abruptly ducked in and unseated jockey Rajiv Maragh. The gray filly would go on to win the 2014 Sweetest Chant S. over the Gulfstream turf course and the GII Beaumont S. at Keeneland when the race was contested on the Polytrack. This is the extended female family of GI Hollywood Gold Cup hero and GI Pacific Classic third Mast Track (Mizzen Mast). Writteninthestars (Malibu Moon), a $110K KEESEP yearling turned $500K Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile (:10 2/5, see below), is out of a half-sister to GSW Sparky Ville (Candy Ride {Arg}) and hails from the family of GISWs Harmony Lodge and Pinehurst and MGSW Graeme Hall. TJCIS PPs

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Op/Ed: Opportunity to Make a Difference

This weekend the baton will be handed off from our traditional summer focal points of Del Mar and Saratoga to Franklin Kentucky and the Kentucky Downs meet. Full fields, big crowds, and a vibrant atmosphere made possible by Historic Horse Racing (HHR) machines, and an ownership group willing to invest in its potential. Kentucky Downs embodies great hope for Kentucky racing and our industry's future, and it was almost taken away Feb. 10, 2021.

It was a cold, nasty February evening in Kentucky, when the Kentucky House of Representatives took up debate on Senate Bill 120, the legalization of HHR machines. The intellectual property argument, which created HHR, was brilliant as it guaranteed revenue generated from the machines would flow through the Horsemen's purse account to supplement purse money. Lessons learned from other state's “racino” experiments were applied in Kentucky and masterly played by our industry leaders, to whom I am forever grateful.

It goes without saying, we are enjoying a boom period since the passage of HHR. Purse money is sky rocketing, handle increasing with more full fields, and investments being made around the commonwealth in our racing product. This boom period is thanks to our industry leaders and lobbying organizations who spent time in Frankfort, and across Kentucky, to secure HHR's passage, and it was not a small feat.

If you recall that night, many floor speeches were given from various representatives around the commonwealth, and many were not in favor of support. Many opposing our industry, took the opportunity to declare to their constituents why they “could not support” our industry. Many who supported the passage of HHR have since been voted out by their constituents. Let me say that again…many who voted to support HHR have since been voted OUT by their constituents. I would bet that if HHR was brought to the floor today, it would not pass…how's that for sobering.

In Kentucky alone, there are dozens of newly elected people who ultimately make the rules for our industry: HHR, taxes, workers comp, etc. Expect them to support us because “we are Kentucky's signature industry,” and know this “boom period” will quickly bust. Many who supported us, in Frankfort, have been voted out. We cannot sit idly and expect their replacements to make their same choices.

We are enjoying this period of incredible growth thanks to the tireless work of our industry leaders, however, for many years we have let too few carry our water. We are harvesting their hard work and it's time for more of us to engage. We are responsible for our future. Now is the moment to get involved. Please join us at Midway University in Midway Kentucky on Tuesday Sept. 6, to learn how we continue to step forward towards a bright future.

To learn more please click here and RSVP to brittany@horseswork.com.

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