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Gamine All The Way in Derby City Distaff

Maybe it wasn't the electric performance that everyone was expecting, but nonetheless, 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) added her fourth career top-level win in game fashion in Saturday's GI Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill Downs.

Hammered into 1-5 favoritism, last year's champion female sprinter bobbled slightly beneath Johnny Velazquez at the start. Undeterred, she recovered quickly to show the way through surprisingly easy opening fractions of :23.15 and :46.08 while traveling several paths off the inside down the backstretch.

Last year's GII Eight Belles S. heroine Sconsin (Include) made a menacing four-wide move approaching the quarter pole and it briefly appeared that Gamine could be in deep water as she cornered wide. The $1.8-million EASMAY topper showed her class down the lane, however, racing down the center of the course, to repel that foe by 1 1/2 lengths and provide Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with a record 220th Grade I victory.

“I didn't know I was that close to the record until a month ago,” Baffert said. “To do it here on this big day is very special. I'm just happy for Gamine. She got the job done. I told Johnny that this was the first time she's run before a crowd. She was looking around. So many things can go wrong, but once I saw her down the backside, I knew we were in the clear.”

Velazquez added, “She didn't get the break I hoped for but she bounced back really quickly and ran really easy in the early going. She showed what a champion she was and I was very proud of my filly.”

Gamine's championship season in 2020 included jaw-dropping wins in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint versus older fillies and mares at Keeneland, the GI Longines Acorn S. at Belmont and GI Longines Test S. at Saratoga. She kicked off her 4-year-old season with a facile win over three rivals in Santa Anita's GIII Las Flores S. Apr. 4.

Third across the wire as the favorite after setting the pace in last year's GI Kentucky Oaks–the lone blemish on her record (now that an Oaklawn DQ was overturned last month)–she was subsequently disqualified from the purse money for a medication positive.

Pedigree Notes:

Gamine is one of nine Grade I/94 black-type/40 graded winners for superstar sire Into Mischief.

The flashy bay topped the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale, bringing $1.8 million. Purchased by Brad Grady's Grand Oaks for $220,000 at Keeneland September as a yearling, she blossomed into a seven-figure juvenile after breezing in :10 flat for Bobby Dodd in Timonium.

Gamine is out of the stakes-placed mare Peggy Jane (Kafwain) and hails from the family of Canadian champion Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa). Peggy Jane is also responsible for the unraced 3-year-old colt Splashtown (Speightstown) ($300,000 FTKOCT yearling purchase by Frankie Brothers), a 2-year-old filly by Ghostzapper; a yearling colt by Kantharos; and an Into Mischief colt of this year.

Peggy Jane, a two-time winner, was a $200,000 OBS April 2-year-old purchase by Barbara Banke's Grace Stables in 2011.

Broodmare sire Kafwain is responsible for nine stakes/four graded winners, including Grade I winner Paola Queen (Flatter).

Saturday, Churchill Downs
DERBY CITY DISTAFF S. PRESENTED BY KENDALL-JACKSON WINERY-GI, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.50, ft.
1–GAMINE, 123, f, 4, by Into Mischief
               1st Dam: Peggy Jane (SP, $102,050), by Kafwain
                2nd Dam: Seattle Splash, by Chief Seattle
                3rd Dam: Grand Splash, by Bucksplasher
($220,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $1,800,000 2yo '19 EASMAY).
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Grace Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $306,900. Lifetime
Record: Ch. Female Sprinter, 8-7-0-0, $1,286,500.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sconsin, 118, f, 4, by Include
                1st Dam: Sconnie, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: In the Wild, by Forest Wildcat
                3rd Dam: Askrania, by Afleet
O/B-Lloyd Madison Farms LLC (KY); T-Gregory D. Foley.
$99,000.
3–Estilo Talentoso, 118, f, 4, by Maclean's Music
                1st Dam: Bazinga Baby, by Afleet Alex
                2nd Dam: Elizaveta, by Quiet American
                3rd Dam: Carezza, by Caro (Ire)
($77,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT; $95,000 RNA 2yo '19 OBSAPR;
$15,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O/T-Juan Arriagada; B-Mile High
Bloodstock LLC (KY).$49,500.
Margins: 1HF, 1, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 11.00, 15.40.
Also Ran: Bell's the One, Hibiscus Punch, Unique Factor.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Gamine All The Way in Derby City Distaff appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Blowout Breaks Through In Distaff Turf Mile

After four straight tough beats, speedster Blowout opened up a big lead early and dug down late to belatedly make the grade. A two-time listed winner at three, Blowout was also either second or third that year–always beaten less than a length–in the GIII Florida Oaks, GIII Lake George S., GII Lake Placid S. and GIII Valley View S. Second again in a Saratoga allowance last August, the bay was beaten that margin by stablemate Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 26, and by just a nose in the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar Nov. 29.

Piloted for the second-straight time by California-based Flavien Prat, the Chad Brown trainee glided to the front with no resistance, immediately opening up some five lengths into the first turn. She seemed keen, but wasn't going overly quick through splits of :24.28, :48.39 and 1:12.99. The cavalry charge drew closer in the stretch, and Blowout looked to be in deep water, but she kept finding a little bit more to hold on.

“She was running so easy up front and I thought the times were not that fast, so I was very happy,{ Prat said. “Then when we came to the eighth pole, they all came after me and it looked like they might go by. But when she saw them, she regrouped and fired up again and we won it.”

Brown added, “She has a tendency to wait on horses and we preferred to have a target but when [Jakarta] scratched she found herself on the lead. I thought Flavien did an excellent job settling her down, as you can see, she can be a little difficult to handle. I thought once they turned for home they were going to close in again and she was going to wait for horses but he said when she had the horses behind her, she kicked in again, thankfully. It's very rare for me [to have a horse build a big lead], as you know a lot of my horses come from off the pace, but we learned with this horse to let her do her thing and that's where she wants to be.”

The GI Just a Game S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 5 will be next.

“[Owner Peter] Brant was really determined to get a Grade I with her, it's a wonderful family; he owns the mother. She was so close in the Matriarch and she did what Blowout does when she makes the lead, she waits on horses. A lot of her defeats are not due to fatigue it's that she likes to wait on horses. She can be difficult; she wants to be forward, and she pulls, but she's actually better with a target. And it's hard to find two-turn races for her with a target because she's so fast.”

Saturday, Churchill Downs
LONGINES CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE S.-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:36.30, fm.
1–BLOWOUT (GB), 118, m, 5, by Dansili (GB)
1st Dam: Beauty Parlour (GB) (G1SW-Fr, $713,308), by Deep Impact (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Bastet (Ire), by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Benediction (Ire), by Day Is Done (Ire)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€450,000 Wlg '16 GOFNOV).
O-Peter M. Brant; B-Dayton Investments Ltd. (GB); T-Chad C.
Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $306,900. Lifetime Record: 12-4-7-1,
$718,600. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–New York Girl (Ire), 118, f, 4, New Approach (Ire)–Annee
Lumiere (Ire), by Giant's Causeway. (32,000gns Wlg '17
TATFOA). O-R Unicorn Stable; B-P. F. Kelly & Peter Kelly (IRE);
T-William I. Mott. $99,000.
3–Zofelle (Ire), 118, m, 5, Zoffany (Ire)–Height of Elegance (Ire),
by Galileo (Ire). (27,000gns 3yo '19 TATJUL). O-Heider Family
Stables LLC; B-Fullbury & Minch Bloodstock (IRE); T-Brendan P.
Walsh. $49,500.
Margins: HF, HD, NO. Odds: 1.90, 8.20, 2.50.
Also Ran: Abscond, Got Stormy, She's Got You (GB). Scratched: Jakarta.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Blowout is the 86th grade/group winner for pensioned super sire Dansili; and 10th, of what will be many more, for late Deep Impact as a broodmare sire. Dam Beauty Parlour took the 2012 G1 French One Thousand Guineas and was second in the G1 French Oaks. The daughter of French SW/MGSP Bastet and full to SW/MGSP Barocci (Jpn) topped the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale at €1.6 million, selling to Brant while in foal to Kingman (GB) and as part of the Wildenstein Stables dispersal. Brant's White Birch purchased Blowout for €450,000 during the foal portion of the same auction. Beauty Parlour produced Galileo fillies in both 2019 and 2020. She hails from the extended female family of champions Might and Power (NZ) and Lucky Owners (NZ).

The post Blowout Breaks Through In Distaff Turf Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Third-Highest Turnover At Strong Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale

The Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale concluded with the third-highest turnover in the sale's history with 150 2-year-olds changing hands for just short of 4.5 million guineas, an average of almost 30,000 guineas, a median of 24,500 guineas and a clearance rate of 82 percent. The Guineas Horses in Training Sale had earlier seen 24 horses in training exchange hands for 262,500 guineas.

Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown secured the top-priced lot of the Guineas Breeze Up Sale when going to 135,000 guineas to land the son of the first crop sire and multiple Group 1 winner Postponed. The colt is out of the Malibu Moon mare Micalea's Moon, a half-sister to the dam of Champion 2-year-old and exciting stallion No Nay Never. Brown secured the colt despite the persistence of underbidder Anthony Bromley, stood alongside trainer Alan King.

“He is for my resale syndicate Never Say Die, and will be trained by David Simcock,” said Brown. “A client bred Postponed so I have followed him all the way through and I am giving him a big chance.

“I don't see this horse running until August or September, he is a horse for the future. I just thought he is a smashing horse.”

Explaining the ownership syndicate, Brown said: “The syndicate is all about resale. We aim to sell as 3-year-olds. There are great people involved in the syndicate and I think they will be really excited with this horse.”

Of the colt's breeze, Brown enthused: “He did a cracking breeze. He just showed a great action, it wasn't a speedy breeze but it was the style he did it in, he has a good attitude.”

The sale represented a great success for Glending Stables' Roderick Kavanagh, with the colt having been purchased at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for just 20,000 guineas.

“He was bought by my Dad (Peter Kavanagh) and Michael Downey, and we've always really liked him,” recalled Kavanagh. “He's a racehorse and he was such a good pull-out outside the boxes. He did an impressive breeze for his size and the date of birth he has, and he really fills the eye. He was very popular and he never let us down from start to finish.”

He added of the son of Postponed: “He is a lovely horse and all the agents were on him, all the big dogs as you'd expect. I think there were five or six bidders on him.”

The Mehmas colt out of the Milk It Mick mare Cheworee for was the second lot to sell for a six-figure value when knocked down to David Redvers for 105,000 guineas on behalf of Sheikh Fahad.

The colt's sire, who stands at Tally Ho Stud, has enjoyed a sensational start to his stud career and the successful purchaser David Redvers said of his plans: “He will be trained in Newmarket, Sheikh Fahad [who lives in Newmarket] wants to see him trained locally and close by. The horse did a very good time, he is by a very good sire and he is a lovely model, it is a great touch for the vendor.”

The vendor was Irish-based National Hunt jockey Ian McCarthy who owned him with two friends, the trio purchasing him as a foal for €3,000 as a yearling pinhook prospect but that plan failed to come to fruition.

“Gerry McCormack pinhooked him as a foal for €3,000, it is lucky enough now that he was not sold as a yearling!” smiled McCarthy. “I prepped him for us, he has been very straightforward. As time went on he just developed, he got much stronger and through the last eight weeks he has really turned a corner – he takes his work well.”

“He is a horse who has had a great preparation and we've liked him all along,” continued McCarthy. “We've had plenty of interest in the last couple of days, he did a lovely breeze ridden by Micky Cleere and he is by the right sire, isn't he?”

At the conclusion of the 2021 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“A median bettered only once this decade at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale combined with an average and turnover which both compare favorably with the 2019 and 2020 renewals are all positives to take from today's sale, as has been the consistent domestic demand at all levels of the market. Similarly, while not quite matching the unprecedented levels at the recent Craven Breeze Up Sale, the clearance rate has also held up well, especially considering a significantly larger catalogue than usual and the disruption to overseas participation owing to the current widespread travel restrictions.

“We can also reflect on a Guineas Breeze Up Sale which has produced numerous impressive pinhooking triumphs, as ever reflecting the expertise of the consignors, and another sale which has underlined the importance of the Tattersalls live internet bidding platform which has yet again proved to be invaluable, particularly for overseas buyers unable to attend the sale. COVID continues to test us all, but once more we have experienced trade of remarkable resilience and a collective determination from all involved to explore every avenue to provide as vibrant a market as possible in the face of considerable obstacles.”

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Shedaresthedevil Refuses To Lose In La Troienne Stakes Triumph

The last time Shedaresthedevil entered the starting gate at Churchill Downs, she was a longshot who was forwardly placed and fought doggedly to win the Kentucky Oaks. Seven months later in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes, Shedaresthedevil was now the giant to slay, but everything else remained the same.

The 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil was put on the lead coming out of the gate by jockey Florent Geroux on Friday afternoon, followed closely on the rail by Envoutante, and on the outside by Bajan Girl. Shedaresthedevil held a one-length advantage over her closest rivals through the first turn, and went through the opening quarter-mile in :23.99 seconds.

Bajan Girl, an 18-1 longshot, remained on the outside hip of the favorite across the backstretch, while jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., settled Envoutante a bit on the rail through the straightaway, another length behind the first two. Under a restrained trip by Geroux, Shedaresthedevil entered the final turn after a half-mile in :47.94 seconds.

Geroux started to give his mount a little more rein through the turn, as others moved up to challenge, including Envoutante on the inside and Dunbar Road and Bajan Girl in the middle of the track. After going six furlongs in 1:11.71, it appeared as though the momentum belonged to any number of challengers to the leader, particularly Envoutante moving through the rail path.

Envoutante drew about even with Shedaresthedevil with about a furlong to go, but the pacesetter never let the challenger pass her as they separated from the rest of the field. Under aggressive riding and a left-handed crop from Geroux, Shedaresthedevil dug in to snuff the bid attempt from Envoutante, and draw off to win by a length.

Finite looped around the also-rans to finish a distant third, about a half-length ahead of Bajan Girl.

Shedaresthedevil completed the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:42.69, and she paid $5.40 to win as the 8-5 favorite.

This is the second consecutive year that Geroux has teamed up with trainer Brad Cox to win the La Troienne, after booting home champion Monomoy Girl for the Eclipse Award-winning trainer in 2020. Geroux also won the La Troienne in 2017 aboard Tom Amoss trainee Big World.

Shedaresthedevil is owned by the partnership of Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Ltd. and Big Aut Farms. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, out of the Congrats mare Sharship Warpspeed.

Friday's victory improves Shedaresthedevil's record to seven wins in 13 starts for earnings of $1,807,318. The La Troienne was her fifth career graded stakes victory, and her second against Grade 1 competition.

The filly is now a perfect three-for-three at Churchill Downs. In addition to her triumph in last year's rescheduled Kentucky Oaks, she won her debut start at the Louisville track as a juvenile in June 2019.

To view the Equibase chart, click here.

Shedaresthedevil triumphs in the G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Florent Geroux (Jockey, Shedaresthedevil, winner) – “She loves to race at Churchill; she showed it again today. They made me work hard for this. When we turned for home, she kept her head up and I could tell she was digging in. Those other fillies came to her but she showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit and I knew she wasn't going to let them by.”

Brad Cox (Trainer, Shedaresthedevil, winner) – “This is huge. She has been training really well coming up to this. We freshened her up after the Spinster last year. We didn't want to try and chase the Breeders' Cup Distaff. It was obviously the right move. She's moved forward at four. She's shown that in her two starts. She has a lot of fight and determination down the lane. She showed that again today down the lane. She's now a Grade 1 winner at 4. We'll target the Breeders' Cup Distaff and work our way back from that. There are some obvious races in New York and one at Del Mar we are thinking about.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. (Jockey, Envoutante, runner-up) – “She ran hard. Turning for home when it opened up, I thought 'Oh good, I'm going to get through and win.' She spurted for me but the other filly just had more. On paper it looked like there would be a little more speed than they showed. I thought for sure somebody was going to press her, but the one filly that tried just wasn't good enough. She went for a half but that was it. The winner is a fighter and she got a breather out there and that made it tough.”

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