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Friday Insights: Maiden Fillies Kick Off Keeneland Opening Day

2nd-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:32 p.m.

Drawn inside facing a field of 12, ROYAL SLIPPER (Uncle Mo) for Wesley Ward is out of $1.5m Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale pick up Laffina (Arch), making her a full-sister to MGISW and $4.2m FTKNOV purchase Bast. The dam is a half to GSW/GISP Mananan Mclir (Royal Academy) and to the dam of GISW Fault (Blame), another FTKNOV spotlight at $1.2m.

Lady Chai (Kantharos), a $570,000 Keeneland September buy, is a half-sister to GSW/GISP Shivaji (First Samurai) and to SW/MGISP Tarabi (First Samuari). Cherie Devaux trains for an ownership group that includes CHC INC., Hinkle Farms, David Ingordo and LBD Stable LLC.

Making her second start is $1,000,000 FTSAUG yearling Charlottesapproval (Into Mischief) who needs to improve in this spot after a well-beaten eighth on debut at Ellis Park Aug. 18. TJCIS PPS

7th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:48 p.m.

In a race redrawn from last Friday's rain out, Digital Ops (Nyquist) is the second foal out of MSW/GISP Flora Dora (First Dude). Picked up on a final bid of $600,000 at this Spring's OBS March sale, the colt is a half-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' Spun Intended (Hard Spun).

Drawn outside is fellow first timer and stablemate Unique Insight (Gun Runner). This one, a $360,000 Fasig-Tipton October pickup by Klaravich Stables, is a half to runaway Albany S. winner Drake's Passage (Tonalist).

To graduate, that pair will have to face a trio of salty second-time starters paced by the half-brother to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in Hunt Ball (Into Mischief). The Bill Mott trainee and Godolphin homebred stayed on to be second in his Saratoga debut Aug. 19 behind next-out GIII Iroquois S. runner up Risk It (Gun Runner).

Enlighten (City of Light), a $450,000 yearling, finished the best of the debuting runners in his own Saratoga race Sept. 2 but was ultimately fourth through a speedy seven furlongs.

Arguably the best-bred colt of the bunch, Pentathlon (Speightstown) adds blinkers for his second start after managing sixth behind Just Steel (Justify) and 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) at the Spa Aug. 5. The Phipps Stable-bred counts MGISW My Flag as his third dam with family members such as champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat). TJCIS PPS

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Bullet Drill for Scotland Ahead of Travers

LNJ Foxwoods' Scotland (Good Magic), last-out winner of the July 21 Curlin S., tuned up for Saturday's GI Travers S. with a four-furlong move in :47.60 (1/68) over the Oklahoma training track Sunday in Saratoga.

“It was a good, useful work,” said trainer Bill Mott. “He galloped out well and seemed to have good energy and to be moving well. It was fast enough. I think we're fit enough.”

A debut winner at Gulfstream in March, Scotland was nosed out of an allowance victory at Keeneland in April before taking a one-mile optional claimer at Churchill June 3. He was making his two-turn debut when scoring a 3 1/4-length victory in the nine-furlong Curlin last time out.

Also working for Mott Sunday, champions Elite Power (Curlin) and Channel Maker (English Channel) worked four furlongs in company over the Oklahoma training track. Elite Power, targeting next week's GI Forego S., covered the distance in :49.55 (28/68), while Channel Maker, aiming for the GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S., went in :49.75 (31/68).

“They both looked good and it was normal for them,” Mott said of the works.

On Saturday, Mott saddled firster Hunt Ball (Into Mischief), a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin), to a solid runner-up debut effort behind Risk It (Gun Runner).

Mott said the effort was educational for the juvenile, who split rivals from off the pace at the top of the lane and ran on well to be defeated 4 1/2 lengths in the six-furlong maiden race.

“We'll probably stretch him out a little bit and we found out he's pretty game,” Mott said of the Godolphin homebred. “He was willing to run through horses and he didn't seem intimidated by it.”

Meanwhile, with his debut victory, Risk It punched his ticket to the Sept. 16 one-mile GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.

“That's what we were hoping for and we were thinking about it,” Asmussen said. “He's trained like he'll get a mile. Obviously with his pedigree and what he's shown to this point, we're going to continue to dream.”

Trainer John Ortiz sent GIII Adirondack S. winner Brightwork (Outwork) out to work four furlongs in :52.11 (137/139) over the main track at Saratoga Sunday morning in preparation for the Sept. 3 GI Spinaway S.

“We gave her an interval workout in preparation to stretch her out. She worked a half-mile, but she galloped out another half mile,” Ortiz explained. “From the pole to the wire, they got her in about :52, but if you clocked from the quarter-pole and just follow her gallop out, she galloped out in :49 flat. So, she basically did two workouts.

“I told Irad [Ortiz] I wanted her to go nice and easy, and get her to relax and let her listen to you,” added Ortiz. “When she got to the top of the stretch, I wanted her to stride out. I wanted him to let her gallop out as far as she wants and she took him all the way back to the half-mile pole. We basically went about seven furlongs and she stayed consistent on it.”

Unbeaten in three starts, Brightwork graduated first time out going 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 26. She won the six-furlong Debutante S. at Ellis Park July 2 before her five-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack Aug. 6.

Brightwork will be stretching out to seven furlongs for the Spinaway, but Ortiz is confident she will handle the extra distance.

“We use Equimetre to monitor her heart rate and stride length and I'm very, very in love with the data shown to me this morning. It looks like the further we go, the better with her,” Ortiz said.

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Saturday Insights: Big Pedigrees On Display In Saturday Action

7th-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 8:15 p.m.

A filly whose pedigree needs no introduction, TAMARA (Bolt d'Oro) is the latest foal out of MGISW Beholder to make the races for Spendthrift Farm and trainer Richard Mandella. Beholder, now a graded-stakes producer with Teena Ella (War Front), saw her youngest foal by Curlin bring a sale-topping $4,000,000 at last week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Out of blue hen Leslie's Lady, she is of course a half-sister to GISW Mendelssohn and leading general sire Into Mischief. Drawn on the rail, Tamara picks up veteran Mike Smith for her debut.

Further outside for Mandella, Flynn's Chance (Medaglia d'Oro) brought $675,000 as a yearling out of Keeneland September last year and is a full-sister to GSW Moonlight d'Oro. This is the family of champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman (Quality Road).

A filly making her second start for trainer John Sadler, Hope Road (Quality Road) dead-heated for second by just a half-length at Del Mar July 22. She is the first foal out of GISW Marley's Freedom (Blame). TJCIS PPS

1st-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:10 p.m.

On the East Coast, Hunt Ball (Into Mischief) debuts for Godolphin and trainer Bill Mott. Out of the Tapit mare Dance Card, herself a Grade I winner, he is a half-brother to MGISW Cody's Wish (Curlin) and MGSW Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro).

Act of Mutiny (Quality Road), a Will Farish homebred, is a half to GSW/GISP Eagle (Candy Ride {Arg}), MGSW and freshman sire Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), and MGSW Royal Flag (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Against the rail, Risk It (Gun Runner) debuts for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm and was a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling. TJCIS PPS

7th-ELP, $70K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 4:00 p.m.

Making a belated debut for Shadwell Stables is Sahalat (Speightstown), a 4-year-old colt who brought $800,000 as a yearling back in 2020. He is a full-brother to MGISP Dawn the Destroyer. TJCIS PPS

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