Private Mission Shortens Up, Will Attempt To Rebound In La Brea

Two-time graded stakes winner Private Mission cuts back in distance and heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going seven furlongs in Sunday's Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita. One of six graded stakes, three of them Grade 1's, the La Brea will no doubt command considerable attention on Santa Anita's Winter Spring Opening Day card, which is comprised of 11 races. With admission gates opening at 9 a.m., first post time on Sunday is at 11 a.m.

Although she showed good early speed, Private Mission tired badly to be distanced by 37 ¼ lengths at odds of 10-1 in her most recent start, the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at a mile and one eighth on Nov. 6. A two-time winner sprinting, Private Mission, who is trained by Bob Baffert, was on a three-game roll heading into the Breeders' Cup, having won the G2 Zenyatta Stakes here on Oct. 3 and the G3 Torrey Pines at Del Mar Aug. 21.

Buy red-hot sire Into Mischief, Private Mission is owned by Baoma Corporation and will be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by Flavien Prat. A first-out winner sprinting at two, Private Mission has four wins from six starts and has earnings of $256,800.

John Sadler's Livingmybestlife is a front-running sort who comes off a pair of ungraded stakes wins, her most recent the one mile Seashell Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 3. Owned by Hronis Racing, Livingmybestlife registered an 88 Beyer Speed Figure in taking the six furlong Lucky Spell Stakes at Los Alamitos two starts back on Sept. 24 and earned an 85 Beyer in winning the Seashell.

A Florida-bred by the Yes It's True stallion The Big Beast, Livingmybestlife was claimed by Sadler out of her first start, a second place finish for maiden $50,000 at Oaklawn Park on April 8. With three sprint wins to her credit, Livingmybestlife has four wins and a two seconds from seven overall starts as she tackles graded company for the first time with regular rider Juan Hernandez up.

In addition to Private Mission, Baffert will also send out Kalypso, a winner of the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes here in her first start of the year four starts back on Jan. 3. Idle since well beaten in the G2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs April 30, this daughter of Brody's Cause will no doubt show good speed off the bench. Owned by David Bernsen, LLC and Gainesway Farm, Kalypso will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

THE GRADE 1 LA BREA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

  1. Canoodling—Roimes Chirinos—120
  2. Eddie's New Dream—Mario Gutierrez—120
  3. Kalypso—John Velazquez—122
  4. Private Mission—Flavien Prat—122
  5. Missy P.—Mike Smith—120
  6. Brilliant Cut—Jose Ortiz–120
  7. Livingmybestlife—Juan Hernandez—120

First post time for an 11-race card on Opening Day, Sunday is at 11 a.m.

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Spendthrift’s Young Guns at F-T July

Generally well-represented at most sales venues throughout the yearling season, Spendthrift Farm offers a sextet of homebred youngsters, dominated by the offspring of a trio of the nursery's fledgling stallions, at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, set to take place July 13. And while the operation has reached great heights with its marquee stallions–the late Malibu Moon and Into Mischief–the basis of Spendthrift's program has been largely built upon the continuous replenishment of young stallions offered at affordable fees.

“We want breeding to work for everybody involved,” explained Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “Of course, we are always looking for the caliber of superstars of the late Malibu Moon and Into Mischief, but we haven't forgotten that Into Mischief initially stood for $12,500 and, in his second year, he stood for $6,500. We also appreciate the fact that good horses can come from anywhere. Fasig-Tipton has always had a long tradition of showcasing new sires and we think this is a great place to try to introduce our young stallions and to show the buyers and the breeders what kind of horses these sires are able to produce. And that is very much what this group of yearlings is there to do.”

Case in point, Spendthrift's stallion roster is represented at the July sale by a pair of Grade I-winning stallions who are represented by their first yearlings in 2021: Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) and Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), in addition to freshman sire Lord Nelson (Pulpit).

Among those represented by first yearlings this season is GI Los Alamitos and GI Met Mile winner Mor Spirit. A $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida graduate, he also won the GIII Robert Lewis S. and GIII Sexton Mile. A total of eight yearlings by the sire are on offer in this season's July catalog, and Spendthrift's homebred duo consists of a pair of colts: Hip 44, out of Malibu Cove (Malibu Moon); and Hip 62, out of Palmilla Moon (Malibu Moon). The former, consigned by Eaton Sales, is a half-brother to GSW and GISP Kalypso (Brody's Cause). Out of a full-sister to Grade III scorer Prospective, the Jan. 29 foal is from the extended family of champion North Sider.

“He is out of a mare that is the dam of Kalypso, from the first crop of [Spendthrift sire] Brody's Cause,” offered Toffey. “We think this is an exceptional individual. Physically speaking, this colt takes a backseat to nobody. We think he's very much what buyers will like. He's got good size, but he's not too big. He has very good bone and is correct. He's also beautifully muscled. And he looks very fast. We think he's a horse that will really appeal to buyers.”

Spendthrift also serves up hip 62–consigned by Scott Mallory–the second foal out of 6-year-old Palmilla Moon. A $180,000 KEESEP yearling purchase in 2016, the mare is a granddaughter of the prolific Aletta Maria (Diesis {GB}), who is responsible for Grade I-scoring turfers Cetewayo and Dynaforce, in addition to Grade II winner Bowman Mill. Covering over 300 mares in his first two seasons at stud, Mor Spirit stands for $5,000 S&N this year.

“This colt is very a strong, well balanced and really sturdy individual,” said Toffey. “He has tremendous bone and very athletic. He's just one of those horses who has always done everything right for us. We think he is a very good example of what this sire is throwing.”

Also standing for the same advertised fee in 2021, Free Drop Billy recorded his most important career victory at two, taking the GI Breeders' Futurity. Appearing early in the catalog under the Scott Mallory banner is Hip 5, a filly out of SP Cedar Summer (Souvenir Copy). The Feb. 26 foal is a half-sister to MSW and GSP Populist Politics (Don't Get Mad).

“This is a very fast, athletic looking filly,” Toffey said.

Outlining the sire's attributes, Toffey added, “He is a beautifully made, compact horse. He's a beautifully-bred horse and we're really seeing that in this offspring. He tends to throw more size than he has himself. They have a lot of substance and a lot of bone and classy looking animals. You are seeing the depth of his pedigree come out.”

Hip 91, who also represents the young stallion in this year's catalog, will be precluded from the sale, confirmed Toffey. Out of the Tiznow mare Tiz the Key, the filly hails from the family of European champion juvenile filly Gay Gallanta (Fr).

“We have an absolute monster of a physical by Free Drop Billy out of Tiz the Key that has to come out because of a minor issue coming along at the wrong time,” he said. “But we expect to have her in Fasig-Tipon's October sale.”

A stakes winner at two, Lord Nelson won the GII San Vincente S. the following season, although he enjoyed his best season at four, annexing a trio of Grade I sprints–the Santa Anita Championship, Bing Crosby S. and Triple Bend S. With six yearlings by the sire catalogued for July, Spendthrift is represented by Hip 114, a colt out of Bonita Mia (Warrior's Reward) who is also consigned by Scott Mallory. The colt's unraced dam is out of Miss Simpatia (Arg)–a sister to Argentine Champion Miss Linda (Arg)–making her a half-sister to GI Acorn S. winner Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) and Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner), victorious in the GI Santa Margarita invitational S. as well as the G1 Argentine Oaks.

“We felt this was a very quick-looking and athletic colt,” stated Toffey. “The pinhookers appeared to do well with the Lord Nelsons this year. And we felt they would be more than willing to go back to the well on him. His 2-year-olds have been very promising so far and we're excited about his chances this year.”

In 2020, a total of 37 yearlings by Lord Nelson sold for an average of $84,972, including a half-brother to Spendthrift resident sire Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) who realized $460,000 at Keeneland last September. This season, 26 juveniles by Lord Nelson sold for an average of $99,903, headed by a $385,000 OBSMAR purchase out of Luna Dorada (Seeking the Gold). The stallion was advertised at $10,000 S&N for 2021.

“His horses are really developing beautifully,” Toffey opined. “They are good, medium sized horses that are very athletic and well balanced. And they look quick.”

Rounding out Spendthrift's offering at July are a pair of yearlings by the operation's marquee stallions. Consigned by Four Star Sales, Hip 339 is by the nation's leading sire Into Mischief and out of MSP Anahauc (Henny Hughes), a sister to stakes winners Gangbuster and Dreamcall. Recently deceased sire Malibu Moon is also represented by seven yearlings in the catalog, including Spendthrift's Hip 141. Consigned by Scott Mallory, the colt is out of GSW Daring Kathy (Wildcat Heir).

“Any stud farm is so fortunate when they can get a stallion of the caliber of Malibu Moon or Into Mischief, but you always know that you have to continue to be looking for the next one,” said Toffey. “They don't come along that often. There will be a lot of stallions that are given a shot at stud and that just don't make it, so there are no guarantees. It's an ongoing process to find the next good horse. And any farm that gets a horse like Malibu Moon at all is very fortunate, and you'd like not one but two, but that is very difficult to do so you always have to keep looking. In this game, whether it's stallions, racehorses or mares, you're always looking for the next big horse. And that's what we're trying to do.”

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Dayoutoftheoffice Back for Eight Belles

Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) makes her belated seasonal debut in the GII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday. A romping winner of the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga last July, the dark bay added a two-length tally in the one-turn-mile GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, but she settled for second when Frizette runner-up Vequist (Nyquist) turned the tables on her in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Tim Hamm pupil recorded a couple breezes at Tampa in January, but there was a gap in her tab after that and she was eventually taken out of consideration for the Oaks. Dayoufotheoffice fired a sharp :58 flat bullet from the gate at Keeneland for this last Friday, however, and is expected to use this as a springboard for the GI Acorn S. June 5.

Bob Baffert seeks a third win in this event with the cutting back Kalypso (Brody's Cause), winner of the GII Santa Ynez S. going this seven-furlong trip at Santa Anita Jan. 3. She was second in the Feb. 6 GIII Las Virgenes S. and third in the Mar. 7 GIII Santa Ysabel S., both at odds-on.

Fellow Hall of Famer Bill Mott also owns two prior victories in this race, which was previously the La Troienne, and has an intriguing two-pronged attack this time around. Juddmonte homebred Obligatory (Curlin) impressed when breaking her maiden going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Feb. 7, and was most recently fourth in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks–one spot behind 'TDN Rising Star' Souper Sensational (Curlin). Mott's other runner is Godolphin homebred Caramel Swirl (Union Rags), who had been on the board behind some tough foes in her first four outings before breaking through by 10 1/4 lengths at Keeneland Apr. 9, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

   'Rising Star' Slumber Party (Malibu Moon) was second in Keeneland's GIII Beaumont S. after an impressive unveiling at Gulfstream in January. Abrogate (Outwork) and Windmill (Street Sense) traded decisions in the Feb. 28 Dixie Belle S. and Apr. 3 Purple Martin S. at Oaklawn.

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Baffert vs. McCarthy in Santa Ysabel

Sunday's five-horse GIII Santa Ysabel S. features runners from just two barns, with Hall of Famer Bob Baffert represented by three fillies and Mike McCarthy saddling the other two. Baffert-trained Kalypso (Brody's Cause) stands out on speed figures, and boasts a two-back victory in the GII Santa Ynez S. sprinting here Jan. 3. Also a winner of the six-panel Anoakia S. here last October, the $240,000 Fasig-Tipton July buy was last seen finishing second as a front-running favorite in the one-mile GIII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 6. Baoma Corp. homebred Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) was third, one spot behind Kalypso, in a Del Mar maiden special weight in September. She's been off since breaking through over track and trip Oct. 23. Heels Up (Twirling Candy) most recently finished third in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. sprinting in November.

McCarthy pupil Moraz (Empire Maker) aired by 11 lengths over this strip at second asking Jan. 8, and was one spot behind Kalypso in the Las Virgenes. A Real Hero (Exaggerator) adds blinkers off a third-out Golden Gate graduation going two turns Feb. 15.

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