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Repole Purchases Minority Interest in Mo Donegal

Owner Mike Repole purchased a minority interest in GI Kentucky Derby contender and GII Wood Memorial S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), ownership group Donegal Racing announced Friday. The price and ownership stake were not disclosed.

Mo Donegal, a $250,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, captured Aqueduct's GII Remsen S. over future GI Toyota Blue Grass winner Zandon (Upstart). Third in the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S. behind White Abarrio (Race Day) and Simplification (Not This Time), he returned to New York Apr. 9 for the Wood Memorial S., rallying over a speed-favoring track to prevail by a head over Early Voting (Gun Runner).

The Todd Pletcher trainee has won three of five starts for earnings of $621,800. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the saddle on Derby day.

“I am excited to be part of Mo Donegal with Jerry Crawford and the partners of Donegal Racing,” Repole said. “In my 15 years of racing, this will be the first time I am partners with someone who has a bigger entourage than my own. While having some great conversations with Jerry, this partnership made so much sense for Repole Stable. Being trained by Todd Pletcher, being ridden by Irad Ortiz and most special, being a son of my sire Uncle Mo. As a racing fan, I have been incredibly impressed by Mo Donegal, and I am so excited to watch him and his brilliance as an owner.”

Mike Repole is also a partner on top GI Longines Kentucky Oaks contender, and Mo Donegal's stablemate, Nest (Curlin).

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Thursday Racing Insights: Mopotism Full-Brother Debuts at Keeneland

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

5th-KEE, $100K, MSW, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 3:08 p.m.

Trainer Chad Brown brings NABOKOV (Uncle Mo) to Keeneland on Thursday for his career debut. The chestnut son of Peppy Rafaela (Bernardini) is a full-brother to GSW & MGSP Mopotism who earned over $876k in her career. Purchased for $775,000 by Peter Brant from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Nabokov has been working consistently in preparation for his debut including four-furlongs in :49 2/5 Mar. 26 (12/63) and a more recent four-furlongs on the track at Keeneland in :48 3/5 Apr. 8 (21/85). He gets Lasix for his first start and picks up jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Also making his belated career debut is East to the Dawn (Empire Maker) for trainer Shug McGaughey. The four-year-old gelding, bought for $450,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of a stakes-placed mare who has produced three other winners on debut including GSW Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow). He also receives Lasix for his first-time and jockey Declan Cannon rides. TJCIS PPs

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Provocateur Keeps His Cool in Hutcheson Win

Provocateur came home strongest of six in his first career stakes victory for the partnership of MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm. Steadily improving since his eighth place career debut over a mile on the grass at Belmont Park Oct. 10, he weakened to fourth after dueling through six panels over the main track at the venue. Finding the winner's circle Dec. 23 down at Tampa Bay by 4 1/2 lengths as the 4-5 favorite, his connections opted to try their colt in the Jan. 15 Pasco S. for a 3-year-old bow with first-time Lasix, and he was outkicked late in the lane, finishing second by 2 1/2 lengths.

Coming off the diuretic for this contest, Provocateur overcame an early bump after the start to cruise from third behind early leader Golden Juan and 1-2 favorite Nitrous Channel. First to striking coming through the far turn, Irad Ortiz Jr. forced his rivals' hands and it was a three horse line at the top of the stretch. Kicking clear of the pacesetter, Provocateur and Nitrous Channel locked horns for the duel to the wire and the former kicked clear in the final sixteenth to win by two lengths. It was Todd Pletcher's eighth win in the race. “We were a little confused about what he wanted to do early on. He wasn't training as promisingly as we had hoped. We thought he would improve a little bit on the grass,” Pletcher said in the post-race interview. “After that experience he seemed to improve in his dirt training and recently has really come around.”

Dam Cayala had shown an affinity for Into Mischief with all four of her offspring by him ending up winners and three earning black-type including GIII Southwest S. winner One Liner. She has five winners from five to race. There is a 2-year-old filly by Flatter on record and the mare is expecting a foal by Authentic this season.

HUTCHESON S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 3-19, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.60, ft.
1–PROVOCATEUR, 118, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Cayala, by Cherokee Run
                2nd Dam: Chasethegold, by Touch Gold
                3rd Dam: Chasethewildwind, by Forty Niner
($600,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Kingswood Farm & David Egan (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $61,380. Lifetime Record: SP, 5-2-1-0, $92,205. *Full to One Liner, GSW, $475,250.
2–Nitrous Channel, 118, c, 3, Nyquist–Laurenmychanelgirl, by Afleet Alex. ($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $625,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Spedale Family Racing, LLC; B-VinLaur Racing Stable, LLC (KY); T-George Weaver. $19,800.
3–Golden Juan, 118, c, 3, Fed Biz–Penumbra Moon, by Malibu Moon. ($1,500 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). O-R.T Racing Stable; B-Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) (KY); T-Rafael Ramos. $9,900.
Margins: 2, 6 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.50, 0.50, 26.10.
Also Ran: American Sanctuary, Sport Pepper, Desert Ruler. Scratched: Cattin.

Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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How ‘Sweet’ It Is For Dolce Zel in Florida Oaks

Making her U.S. debut as the 3-1 second-elect, Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) fell into a golden trip from a perfect draw and pounced late to narrowly defeat stablemate Spicer (Quality Road) in Saturday's GIII Florida Oaks. It was a second straight Florida Oaks winner saddled by trainer Chad Brown and keyed a one-two finish for the second time in the day's graded events.

Away without incident from the three hole, the bay filly–adding Lasix for her first stateside appearance–secured a cozy spot at the fence as Spicer prompted soft fractions from the outside. Traveling with a fistful of horse as they raced into the final three furlongs, Irad Ortiz, Jr. eased Dolce Zel off the inside and into the two path at the quarter pole and slipstreamed Spicer off the home corner. Pulled out three deep to deliver her challenge in earnest with three-sixteenths of a mile to race, Dolce Zel collared Spicer under whipless encouragement and was punched out to score by a slim margin, albeit in reasonably comfortable fashion. On Alert (Medaglia d'Oro) caboosed the field after angling over at the break, came with a no-straw-in-her-path run around the second turn and finished with good energy for third.

Previously trained by Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti, Dolce Zel was 14th of 15 behind the Peter Brant-owned Spanish Baroque (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in 1400-meter maiden in soft ground at Dieppe on the north coast of France July 26 and made just one subsequent appearance, a 3/4-length upset on a sounder surface at ParisLongchamp Oct. 14.

Pedigree Notes:

Dolce Zel is the second graded winner and third stakes winner from the first crop of her sire, a son of Sea The Stars (Ire) who resides at the stallion arm of Al Shaqab Racing, Haras de Bouquetot in France. The stallion's daughter Ouraika (Fr) took out this year's GIII Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for Sheikh Fahad's operation, Zelzal posted his biggest career victory in the G1 Prix Jean Prat in 2016 and made a single appearance in this country, finishing sixth, beaten less than two lengths, behind champion World Approval (Northern Afleet) in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar.

A half-sister to SW & MGSP Pure Zen, Dolce Zel is out of a winning daughter of 1999 Bassinet S. heroine Lady Gin, herself the dam of SW Queen Amira (GB) (Forestry). Dolce Attesa is the dam of a now 2-year-old filly by the promising Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) that was knocked down to Alessandro Botti and Meridian International for €47,000 from the Grandcamp consignment at the Arqana October Yearling Sale in Deauville.

Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
FLORIDA OAKS-GIII, $151,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 3-12, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.18, gd.
1–DOLCE ZEL (FR), 118, f, 3, by Zelzal (Fr)
                1st Dam: Dolce Attesa (GB), by Dr Fong
                2nd Dam: Lady Gin, by Saint Ballado
                3rd Dam: Romantic Dinner, by Who's for Dinner
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Michael
Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC & Robert V LaPenta; B-Scuderia
Micolo Di Nicola Galli & C SNC (FR); T-Chad C Brown; J-Irad
Ortiz Jr. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $105,655. *1/2 to
Pure Zen (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Fr, $112,606. Werk
Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spicer, 118, f, 3, Quality Road–Moulin de Mougin, by Curlin.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-Jeff Drown & Don Rachel; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc
(KY); T-Chad C Brown. $30,000.
3–On Alert, 118, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Darling's Darling, by
Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($500,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam);
B-Debby M Oxley (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III. $15,000.
Margins: HD, 1HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.00, 2.20, 12.70.
Also Ran: Mrs. Barbara, Sweet Dutchess, Alittleloveandluck, Roughly a Diamond, Princess Elin, Ambitieuse.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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