Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Persian Force Has Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint In His Sights

Group 2 winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is pointing to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian announced on Sunday. A winner of the G2 July S. at Newmarket in July, the colt has been placed in three successive Group 1 races since–second in both the Phoenix S. at the Curragh on Aug. 6, and the Prix Morny at Deauville on Aug. 21–and third in the Middle Park S. at Newmarket on Sept. 24.

“He'll go to the Breeders' Cup and then we'll make a decision after that,” said Joorabchian “He'll go for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. I think he has enough speed. Frankie [Dettori] rode him in the Prix Morny and said he has a lot of speed and even when Rossa [Ryan] rode him in the Middle Park he said the speed is right there.

“He has been unlucky, I think. The horse deserves to have won a Group 1, but he has finished second in all of them and has never really run a bad race the entire year. He has done everything his father [Mehmas] has done plus more. He has just been a trooper for us, incredible, he's been a fantastic little horse and never stops.”

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Annapolis Defeats Elders in Coolmore Turf Mile

Bass Racing LLC's 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) would have been one of the chief protagonists in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, but was forced to miss the race after the injury bug bit. Twelve months on, connections have their collective minds set on making up for that missed opportunity, as the colt secured the gun run beneath an in-form Irad Ortiz, Jr. and outsprinted arguably the deepest turf Grade I field of 2022 to become the first 3-year-old since Aussie Rules (Danehill) in 2006 to defeat his elder rivals in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile, a 'Win and You're In' springboard to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile over the same course and trip Nov. 5.

“[This win is] the pinnacle,” said Perry Bass, who races Annapolis with mother Ramona. “[My mother and I] talk about [the racehorses] daily. We fret daily. The lows are the worst, and the highs…I've never experienced a high like this.”

Venturing out of age-restricted competition for the first time in his career, Annapolis secured a foothold at the fence on the back of this year's GI Maker's Mark Mile runner-up Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who pulled fairly hard against Flavien Prat through quick fractions of :23.58 and an even more testing :46.60 with pressure to his outside from longshot Atone (Into Mischief) and Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown). On hold as he continued to slipstream Masen around the turn and into the stretch, Annapolis was momentarily short of room at about the three-sixteenths as Atone did his best to string him up in some traffic, but he went through his gears once into the clear and prevailed comfortably in the finish. Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}), winner of this two years ago and fourth in 2021, raced behind midfield and in the two-wide line trailing last-out GI Fourstardave H. hero Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) and got home well down the center of the course to just touch 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Mile upsetter Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) out of second. Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) closed stoutly from the tail to round out the super.

Forced to miss early-season stakes in Florida and at this venue, Annapolis made his seasonal reappearance in the GIII Penn Mile S. June 3, fighting on bravely to be second to longshot Wow Whata Summer (Summer Front) over boggy ground that was clearly not to his liking. Back to winning ways from off the speed over a sounder surface in the July 4 Manila S. at Belmont, the homebred was an excellent runner-up to the Breeders' Cup-bound Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the stamina-testing GI Saratoga Derby Invitational over a mile and three-sixteenths Aug. 6, but doled out a soft pace when last seen in the Sept. 3 GIII Saranac S. at the Spa and bolted up by 5 1/2 lengths at skinny odds.

“He is very tactical–he can do anything,” said Ortiz, Jr., who rode 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence) to victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity one race prior. Last time [in the Saranac], there wasn't too much speed in the race so we decided to let him do his thing. It was a slow pace..and he was going relaxed; it was pretty much an easy win. But before, in the race at Belmont, he was right in behind the speed and on the bridle and he responded really well with a good turn of foot coming home.

Pedigree Notes:

A 24th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for his outstanding Claiborne-based sire, Annapolis is the second foal from his talented dam, a $260,000 Keeneland September purchase by Mathis Stable, who won the 2014 GII Gazelle S. and was second to Untapable (Tapit) in that year's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, then was acquired by Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stable for $2.15 million at Fasig-Tipton November in late 2014. Kept in training at four, the filly was third to Hall of Famer Tepin (Bernstein) in the 2015 GI First Lady S. She was unplaced in two starts in 2016 and produced the stakes-placed Nevisian Sunrise (War Front) before selling to the Basses' bloodstock agent Steve Young for $4 million with Annapolis in utero at Keeneland November in 2018, second only to the $4.2-million Lady Eli.

A half-sister to former Grade I-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet Alex) and from the family of Grade I winners Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) and Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), My Miss Sophia is the dam of a yearling full-brother to Annapolis and visited Gun Runner earlier this season.

Saturday, Keeneland
COOLMORE TURF MILE S.-GI, $1,000,000, Keeneland, 10-8, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.29, fm.
1–ANNAPOLIS, 123, c, 3, by War Front
                1st Dam: My Miss Sophia (GSW & MGISP, $605,040),
                                by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
                3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $573,500. Lifetime Record:
7-5-2-0, $1,166,100. *Full to Nevisian Sunrise, SP, $196,180.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ivar (Brz), 126, h, 6, Agnes Gold (Jpn)–May Be Now, by Smart
Strike. O-Bonne Chance Farm, LLC and Stud R D I, LLC.; B-Stud
Rio Dois Irmaos (BRZ); T-Paulo H. Lobo. $185,000.
3–Order of Australia (Ire), 126, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Senta's
Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier,
Michael Tabor & Anne Marie O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading
Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $92,500.
Margins: 1HF, NO, NK. Odds: 6.35, 5.27, 6.01.
Also Ran: Set Piece (GB), Casa Creed, Masen (GB), Classic Causeway, Atone, Santin, Gray's Fable, Somelikeithotbrown. Scratched: Dark Shift (GB), Emaraaty (GB), Greyes Creek, Natural Power (Ire), Smooth Like Strait. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Violence’s Forte Comes Out on Top of Breeders’ Futurity Battle

'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) launched a powerful move on the far turn, outbattled fellow 'Rising Star' and ultra-game pacesetter Loggins (Ghostzapper) and survived an objection in a thrilling renewal of Keeneland's 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

The last-out GI Hopeful S. winner, who was further flattered when third-place finisher and 'Rising Star' Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) resurfaced to take the GI Champagne S., sat a good trip in seventh in this first foray around two turns as runaway Churchill Downs debut winner and highly regarded 3-2 favorite Loggins was hounded on the inside through fractions of :22.94 and :46.36.

Forte, off at odds of 4-1, was shifted out four wide on the far turn and looked like he was on his way to a runaway victory with a sweeping blitz as they approached the short stretch. Loggins and jockey Florent Geroux, however, just kept on battling along the rail while Forte's rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. kept that foe in very tight quarters. After appearing to brush in deep stretch, Forte wanted it just a little bit more and fought his way to a well-earned neck victory. It was a long way back to longshot Red Route One (Gun Runner) in third. Geroux's claim of foul was disallowed by the stewards.

Forte, a runaway debut winner at Belmont May 27, was a disappointing fourth as the favorite in Saratoga's GIII Sanford S. July 16. He got back on track with a three-length tally at 6-1 in the slop in the seven-furlong Hopeful at the Spa Sept. 5.

“At the turn, he was still figuring it out,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “He's a young horse, and I had to start working really hard on him. He started doing it little by little, but by the time I got there and hit the lead he started acting a little green and laying in a little bit. I had to take a big hold of him the whole stretch. He didn't even let me ride him that well. The whole time I had to hold him and, that horse inside of me, take care of him at the same time as I win the race.”

Geroux added, “It was a good race. I got squeezed a little at the eighth pole. [Forte] came in a little bit on me and my horse was shifting, and I think it cost me the win.”

Pedigree Notes:

Forte, a $110,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, is one of six Grade I winners for Violence, who is also responsible for 39 stakes/14 graded winners. Both Forte and runner-up Loggins are out of mares by Blame. Winning owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, partners on GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and young Spendthrift Farm stallion Vino Rosso (Curlin), teamed up on 31 yearlings for $12.84 million at last month's Keeneland September sale. Forte's dam Queen Caroline was purchased by Amy Moore of South Gate Farm for $170,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September sale. The mare went on to win four stakes in Moore's colors before becoming one of the Virginia farm's first broodmares. Forte is the mare's first foal. She has a yearling colt by Uncle Mo, who brought $850,000 from Mayberry Farm at Keeneland September. She was bred to Not This Time for 2023. This is the extended female family of champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (Tiznow).

Saturday, Keeneland
CLAIBORNE BREEDERS' FUTURITY-GI, $600,000, Keeneland, 10-8, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.74, ft.
1–FORTE, 122, c, 2, by Violence
                1st Dam: Queen Caroline (MSW, $401,608), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Queens Plaza, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Kew Garden, by Seattle Slew
'TDN Rising Star'. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable; B-Southgate Farm
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $330,150. Lifetime
Record: 4-3-0-0, $555,150. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Loggins, 122, c, 2, Ghostzapper–Beyond Blame, by Blame.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($460,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC,
Steve Landers Racing LLC, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb,
Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber
Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC & Winners Win; B-Popatop,
LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $106,500.
3–Red Route One, 122, c, 2, Gun Runner–Red House, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $53,250.
Margins: NK, 6 3/4, HD. Odds: 4.43, 1.50, 59.79.
Also Ran: Instant Coffee, Newgate, Lost Ark, Two Phil's, Honed, Funtastic Again, Frosted Departure, Powerful, Bourbon Bash, Carmel Road, Good Heart. Scratched: Confidence Game, Jin Tong.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Brant and Brown Represented by First TWO Ladies at Keeneland

'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) capped a monumental week both at the track and in the Tattersalls sales ring for her world-renowned sire, with a front-running defeat of her commonly owned 'Rising Star' stablemate Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in Saturday's GI First Lady S. at Keeneland. It was a second straight First Lady for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown, who saddled Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to defeat Regal Glory 12 months back. In Italian is a sixth winner of the First Lady for Brown and fifth in a row.

“It means I've had a lot of good horses sent to me by good owners and great people I'm working with. That's what it comes down to,” said Brown.

Just the third most-fancied of the conditioner's triumvirate, In Italian stumbled noticeably at the break, but she quickly recovered and led them under the line and into the first turn, chased from the rail by Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d'Oro) and stable companion Technical Analysis (GB) (Kingman {GB}) punching the breeze from up close. From there it was a gap off to Regal Glory, with Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}) and Market Rumor (Afleet Alex) the joint back markers.

In Italian continued to show the way while under an easy hold from Joel Rosario entering the final half-mile, at which point Regal Glory was allowed to tack on to the first flight of horses, poised to strike when the real running began. In Italian was asked to sprint in upper stretch, pinched a break and held sway to the wire, as Regal Glory–fastest home in :22.65 and having covered an additional 20 feet (about two lengths)–made belated progress. In Italian covered her final quarter-mile in :22.80.

Named a 'Rising Star' at second asking last May, In Italian–a 475,000gns graduate of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale–was shelved, returning to take a Tampa allowance Jan. 12. Wire-to-wire winner of Gulfstream's GIII Honey Fox S. Mar. 5, the chestnut was runner-up behind a spectacular performance from stablemate Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the GII Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill May 7 and was third to Regal Glory in the GI Just A Game S. June 11 ahead of an 8-1 surprise in the GI Diana S. at Saratoga July 16.

“She's developed–we got her out there on the lead, letting her do what she wants to do,” Brown replied when asked by Scott Hazelton what has led to In Italian's improvement. “We really like to come to this race. The only thing I was worried about was the layoff. Mr. Brant and I got together, and I wanted to run her in between, but he wanted a fresh horse for the Breeders' Cup, and that decision proved right. She overcame the layoff today and got a good prep she needed going forward.”

Two of Brown's previous First Lady winners have gone on to next-out glory at the Breeders' Cup. Dayatthespa (City Zip) scored in 2014 en route to victory in the Filly & Mare Turf, while Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) followed her win here in 2019 with another in the Mile. Brant also campaigned former 'Rising Star' Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who holds court at Claiborne Farm.

Pedigree Notes:

A half-sister to Villa Carlotta (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), GSP-Aus; and Fasano (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), SP-Aus, In Italian was bred by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds and her dam Florentina was bred back Southern Hemisphere time to Juddmonte stallion Kingman (GB) in September 2018 before returning to Australia. That produce, a colt foaled Aug. 2, 2019 now named Spanish Empire (GB), sold to Tom Magnier for A$1.8m at the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale in 2021. Florentina returned to Banstead Manor to visit Kingman in the Northern Hemisphere autumn in 2019 and, returned to Australia, she was subsequently sold for A$650,000 at the 2020 Inglis Chairman's Sale.

Florentina produced a filly in September 2020, a newly turned 2-year-old now named Fiorenza (Aus) that RNAd for A$550,000 at this year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, but missed the last two seasons to 2019 The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes (Aus), a son of former 'TDN Rising Star' Rubick (Aus).

Camilleri, a successful Australian businessman, has had much success breeding horses, but none more so than the irrepressible Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), who coincidentally gave birth to her first foal–a filly by Pierro (Aus)–Oct. 7.

Dubawi was represented by no fewer than eight million-guinea yearlings during Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, topped by a pair of colts that each fetched 1.6-million gns from Godolphin and Japan's JS Company, respectively.

Saturday, Keeneland
FIRST LADY S. PRESENTED BY UK HEALTHCARE-GI, $683,837, Keeneland, 10-8, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:33.22, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 124, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958),
                                by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
                3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
'TDN Rising Star' (475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Joel
Rosario. $397,963. Lifetime Record: 8-5-2-1, $989,183. Click
   for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk
   Nick Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Regal Glory, 124, m, 6, by Animal Kingdom
                1st Dam: Mary's Follies (MGSW, $338,889),
                                by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Catch the Queen, by Miswaki
                3rd Dam: Wave to the Queen, by Wavering Monarch
'TDN Rising Star' ($925,000 5yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Peter Brant;
B-Paul P Pompa (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $148,125.
3–Princess Grace, 124, m, 5, by Karakontie (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Masquerade (MSP, $233,873),
                                by Silent Name (Jpn)
                2nd Dam: Present Colors, by Prized
                3rd Dam: Blue and Green, by Miswaki
O/B-John Moore & Susan Moore (KY); T-Michael Stidham.
$74,063.
Margins: 1, 3 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.87, 1.05, 10.06.
Also Ran: Technical Analysis (Ire), Market Rumor, Vigilantes Way. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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