Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Insight Outcomes: Mendez Upsets Well-Bet Ward Baby in Keeneland Debut

On an action-packed stakes weekend, insights were relatively light, featuring an upset of perennial 2-year-old powerhouse Wesley Ward in the Keeneland meet opener Friday and the unveiling of a $1.25-million purchase on the Aqueduct turf Saturday.

Friday's Insights: Laoban Full-Sister Debuts at Keeneland

1st-Keeneland, $60,904, Msw, 4-8, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :53.16, ft, 5 lengths.

The annual tradition of Wesley Ward dominating Keeneland's April 2-year-old races early and often was immediately interrupted by emerging California juvenile trainer Luis Mendez–starting his first-ever horse at Keeneland–and Flavien Prat thanks to five-length winner KING ADROCK (c, 2, Uncaptured–Gardening Leave, by Colonel John) in Friday's meet opener. The $25,000 Fasig-Tipton October buy prompted the pace, took over early in the stretch and kicked away smartly as the clear 51-10 second choice behind 2-5 Ward baby Dominicana (Uncle Mo). Favored as a filly facing males, the $300,000 Keeneland September buy wasn't away all that great and showed brief speed before retreating to finish sixth. Dominicana still possesses plenty of upside, as a full-sister to Laoban, who broke his maiden in his eighth start–at 27-1 in the GII Jim Dandy S. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Saturday's Insights: $1.25-Million American Pharoah Colt Debuts

3rd-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 4-9, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:39.96, gd, 1 length.
Speedway Stables' Colton Charlemagne (American Pharoah) brought intrigue to this Big A turf mile as a $1.25-million Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling buy and half-brother to MGSW/GISP Travel Column (Frosted), but the dark bay broke several lengths behind the field and never got involved as BAY STREET MONEY (g, 5, Street Sense–Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer) broke through in his ninth career start. One to watch coming out of this race is 16-1 runner-up Howe Street (Honor Code) for trainer Jorge Abreu. Breaking from the outside post in a 12-horse field, the John Gunther homebred was second-last out of the stalls, got carried wide into the clubhouse turn and bravely weaved through traffic in the stretch to finish a fast-closing second before blowing by the winner in the gallop-out. The dark bay earned an 81 Beyer for the effort. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Pioneerof the Nile’s Matareya Cruises in Beaumont

Godolphin's Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile), bet hard throughout, ran to the money in Sunday's GIII Beaumont S. at Keeneland, picking up her first stakes win with a daylight romp against six overmatched rivals.

Debuting with a smooth 4 1/2-length wire-to-wire score while geared down late Aug. 20 at Ellis, the homebred disappointed a bit when flattening out to fifth in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. on this strip Oct. 8. Finishing second as the favorite in the Fern Creek S. Nov. 27 at Churchill, the bay was a distant runner-up to sensation Secret Oath (Arrogate) in an Oaklawn allowance on New Year's Eve before putting forth a career-best 91 Beyer when rolling home by 5 1/4 lengths over allowance company Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds.

Hammered down to a smidge above even-money returning to graded stakes waters here, Matareya broke sweetly from her outside draw under Flavien Prat and led in the opening strides before deferring to rail-drawn Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) leaving the chute and heading onto the backstretch. Settling off that rival through a reasonable :22.87 quarter, the chalk began to put more pressure on the pacesetter midway around the turn and neared the stretch menacingly as Prat looked behind him for late runners. Taking control shortly after straightening for home, Matareya drew off powerfully in the final furlong, cruising past the wire 8 1/2 lengths to the good of Radio Days (Gun Runner).

“She broke really well and rated nice,” said Prat. “I was on cruise control all the way around. [Trainer] Brad [Cox] told me this morning that he really liked her, and he was right.”

Asked the key to Matareya's blossoming as a 3-year-old, Cox said, “I'd have to say the cutback [in distance of her races]. We were hoping she'd go long. She trained like she would. Flavien made the comment that he didn't see why she wouldn't. But she's kind of shown us she enjoys the cutback, so we'll probably stick to one turn for now.”

“It's huge for the pedigree,” Cox added of the win. “And huge for the broodmare band at Godolphin, which is one of the best in the world. It was a big win, so we'll let the dust settle and see how she comes out of it, but [the GII Eight Belles S. and GI Test S.] are obviously races we'll look forward to and try to work back from, and–who knows?–maybe try to get her to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here at Keeneland this fall.”

Pedigree Notes:
With the victory, Matareya becomes the 43rd stakes winner and 20th graded stakes winner for star sire Pioneerof the Nile, who died at age 13 in 2019. From the final crop of that stallion, she is the second foal to race out of Godolphin's Grade III winner Innovative Idea, a half-sister to GSW Lucullan (Hard Spun) out of MGSW/GISP Golden Velvet (Seeking the Gold), herself a half-sister to GISW and sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit) out of MGSW Caress (Storm Cat). Innovative Idea is responsible for a juvenile Uncle Mo filly and foaled a colt by the same sire last season before returning to the Ashford superstar once more.

Sunday, Keeneland
BEAUMONT S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT-GIII, $400,000, Keeneland, 4-10, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:27.55, ft.
1–MATAREYA, 118, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
                1st Dam: Innovative Idea (GSW, $229,343), by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $241,800. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, $374,267. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Radio Days, 118, f, 3, Gun Runner–Remembered, by Sky Mesa. ($750,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Joseph Allen LLC; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $78,000.
3–Reagan's Decision, 118, f, 3, Unified–Twisted Decision, by Old Fashioned. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV). O-Lael Stables; B-Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) & Parker Place Breeding (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $39,000.
Margins: 8HF, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 3.40, 16.00.
Also Ran: Lady Scarlet, Majestic d'Oro, Gina Romantica, Chi Town Lady.
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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Slipstream Bests Twilight Gleaming in Palisades

Slipstream (More Than Ready) could do no better than sixth in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, but closed furiously up the rail to best favored Stonestreet filly Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) in Sunday's Listed Palisades S. at Keeneland.

Quickly into stride from an outside alley, 'TDN Rising Star' Twilight Gleaming outsprinted her male rivals and galloped them along on a drying-out turf course as Slipstream, last year's GIII Futurity S. hero, bided his time at the tail of the field. As her stablemate Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) did in Saturday's GII Shakertown S., Twilight Gleaming was kept well off the rail in upper stretch, and that presented an inviting inside opening for Slipstream, who first rallied underneath Pure Panic in upper stretch and quickened home impressively to post a comfortable victory.

Slipstream defeated future GIII Kitten's Joy S. winner Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) by 5 1/2 lengths to break his maiden over seven furlongs Sept. 18, then cut back in trip to annex the Futurity by a tight length after racing freely in the early stages. It wasn't the cleanest of trips in the Juvenile Turf Nov. 5 and by the time he could let down, Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had put the race to bed and Slipstream was forced to settle for a close sixth.

One of two winners from the stakes-placed Cake Baby, both black-type winners, Slipstream has a yearling half-brother by Catalina Cruiser and his dam was most recently covered by Game Winner. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

PALISADES S., $188,788, Keeneland, 4-10, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.80, gd.
1–SLIPSTREAM, 120, c, 3, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Cake Baby (SP), by Stormy Atlantic
2nd Dam: Dharma Girl, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Cashelmara, by Key to the Mint
($170,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jump Sucker Stable; B-Burleson Farm & McKenzie Bloodstock (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Joel Rosario. $120,900. Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-1, $288,500. *1/2 to Too Sexy (Quality Road), SW, $319,635.
2–Twilight Gleaming (Ire), 118, f, 3, National Defense (GB)–
Thames Pageant (GB), by Dansili (GB). (£75,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Pier House Stud (IRE); T-Wesley A Ward. $29,250.
3–Pure Panic, 118, c, 3, Summer Front–Shock the World, by Hansen. ($24,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $42,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $170,000 RNA 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Pravin A Patel; B-Kendall E Hansen MD Racing LLC (KY); T-Juan Munoz Cano. $19,500.
Margins: 3/4, 5HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.70, 0.90, 34.90.
Also Ran: Circle Back Jack, No Nay Franklin (Ire), Classicstateofmind, Baytown Frosty. Scratched: Kaufymaker.

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Grade I-Placed Curlin Filly Graduates at Keeneland

3rd-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 4-10, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.99, ft, 1 1/4 lengths.
DISTINCTLYPOSSIBLE (f, 3, Curlin–Funny Proposition {GSW, $230,295}, by Medaglia d'Oro) closed off nicely to be second on her six-furlong debut at Saratoga last August and was last seen finishing runner-up to Juju's Map (Liam's Map) when last seen in this track's GI Darley Alcibiades S. in October. A slight drift in the markets saw the bay jump at a fairly generous even money Sunday and she hit the ground running before being securing a rail-skimming spot by the time they reached the first turn. Nursed along while drafting in behind pacesetting Al Qahira (Cairo Prince) down the backstretch, Distinctlypossible pushed away from the fence to deliver her challenge three abreast at the entrance to the short stretch. Though she began looking for the wire passing the sixteenth pole, she kept on well enough to best the running-on Miss Yearwood (Will Take Charge) by 1 1/4 lengths. A $200,000 Keeneland September yearling, Distinctlypossible was hammered down to Pete Bradley's Bradley Thoroughbreds for $670,000 at last year's OBS April Sale after working an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 while never switching her leads. The winner's dam was a $275,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate and went on to win the GII Fleur de Lis H. in the John Oxley yellow and pale blue colors. She is the dam of four winners from as many to race and foaled a colt by Oxley's Darby Dan-based Flameaway (Scat Daddy) in 2021 before returning to that stallion. Sales history: $200,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $670,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISP, 3-1-2-0, $157,350. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Gary Finder, Belmar Racing & Breeding LLC, Tim and Anna Cambron & Team Hanley; B-John C Oxley (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

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