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Obligatory From Out of the Clouds in Derby City Distaff

In another zip code at the top of the stretch, Juddmonte homebred Obligatory (Curlin) turned in a furious stretch rally to record a career high in Saturday's GI Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill Downs.

Favored Just One Time (Not This Time), a last out winner of Keeneland's GI Madison S., showed the way through fractions of :22.36 and :44.95 and hit the quarter pole as the one to catch. Obligatory, meanwhile, last of seven throughout, tipped out six wide beneath Jose Ortiz for the stretch run. Longshot Four Graces (Majesticperfection) took over from the pacesetter in deep stretch, but couldn't withstand the streaking gray, who came rolling over the top to get up by 3/4 of a length. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to Just One Time in third.

“The only thing I reminded Jose [Ortiz] about beforehand was something he knew: her stretch run is her weapon,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “The goal with a filly like this is to get her a Grade I. She loves Churchill; for whatever reason she just really does well at this track. She's won a Grade II and a Grade III here, so we pointed for this race to get her her Grade I. Glad she got it.”

A 16-1 upset winner from out of the clouds in the GII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard last year, Obligatory's sophomore campaign also included second-place finishes in the GI Acorn S. June 5 and GI Cotillion S. Sept. 25. She entered the Derby City Distaff riding a two-race winning streak, capturing the GIII Chilukki S. in her season finale beneath the Twin Spires Nov. 20 and the GIII Hurricane Bertie S. at Gulfstream Mar. 12. She is now three-for-three at Churchill Downs.

“She's a very nice mare,” Ortiz said. “I feel like she's getting better and better. I just waited and let her get into her own rhythm. They were going very fast on the front end. I was sitting at the back of the pack. I didn't want to sweep her off her feet to get a good finish. I was very happy with the trip I had. I swung a little wide because I felt like I had enough [horse].”

Pedigree Notes:

Obligatory becomes the 18th Grade I winner for Hill 'n' Dale's leading sire Curlin. He has sired 47 graded winners. Macho Uno is the broodmare sire of six graded winners, including GI Kentucky Derby starter Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile). This is his first Grade I winner in North America. Obligatory is a third-generation Juddmonte homebred. Juddmonte bought her unraced third dam, Nijinsky Star, for $700,000 at the 1987 Keeneland November sale. Among the three stakes winners Nijinsky Star produced were Juddmonte's Viviana (Nureyev), who produced seven-time GISW Sightseek (Distant View) and dual GISW Tates Creek (Rahy). Another daughter was the conduit for Juddmonte's recent MGSW & MGISP Bonny South (Munnings) and Obligatory's dam is a half sister to French G1SW Etoile Montante (Miswaki). Obligatory's fourth dam is Hall of Famer Chris Evert (Swoon's Son), whose descendants include champion Chief's Crown (Danzig). The extended family is positively bursting with stakes performers, including recent G1 Saudi Cup runner-up Country Grammer (Tonalist). Uno Duo has a 2-year-old colt by Juddmonte's late Arrogate named Treble Clef and a yearling filly by Into Mischief. She was bred to Speightstown for this season.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
DERBY CITY DISTAFF S. PRESENTED BY KENDALL-JACKSON WINERY-GI, $750,000, Churchill Downs, 5-7, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.17, ft.
1–OBLIGATORY, 123, f, 4, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Uno Duo (SW, $171,300), by Macho Uno
                2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $455,700. Lifetime Record: 11-5-2-0, $1,228,594. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Four Graces, 123, m, 5, by Majesticperfection
               1st Dam: Ivory Empress (GSP, $189,402), by Seeking    the Gold
                2nd Dam: Madame Pandit, by Wild Again
                3rd Dam: Tuesday Evening, by Nodouble
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $147,000.
3–Just One Time, 123, f, 4, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Ida Clark, by Speightstown
                2nd Dam: Eliza Donner, by Oh Say
                3rd Dam: Witch Wabbit, by Salem
O-Warriors Reward, LLC and Commonwealth New Era Racing; B-Warrior's Reward LLC (PA); T-Brad H. Cox. $73,500.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, NK. Odds: 3.80, 16.20, 1.50.
Also Ran: Bell's the One, Kimari, Edgeway, Center Aisle. Scratched: Lady Rocket.
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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Pricey Arqana Buy Speak of the Devil Leads Home Brant and Brown 1-2 at Churchill

Peter Brant's €$1.95-million investment at last year's Arqana December sale to acquire Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) looks like it might be paying off as the even-money favorite in Saturday's GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. showed off an uncommon turn-of-foot to blow away fellow Brant/Chad Brown representative and 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian. The victory came almost exactly 24 hours after Brant and Brown celebrated another victory with a fast-finishing female in still-unbeaten GIII Modesty S. heroine Bleecker Street (Quality Road). Brown saddled the exacta in that event as well, and Brown and Brant also took last year's Distaff Turf Mile.

Having previously carried the colors of Rashit Shaykhutdinov, Speak of the Devil's career highlights in her native country included a nose second in the 2020 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for Fabrice Chappet and a head third in last August's G1 Prix Rothschild after being transferred to Frederic Rossi. She returned to winning ways with victories in Saint-Cloud's Oct. 31 Prix Isola Bella and Nov. 16 Prix Tantieme before heading off to auction.

Entering with plenty of buzz off a sharp-looking worktab mostly at Payson Park, the bay sat at the back early as In Italian cleared off easily and doled out splits of :24.86 and :49.70 while kept off the fence. With second trailer Wakanaka also traveling well off the inside, pilot Flavien Prat on the eventual winner opted for an early move entering the home bend. Slicing inside of Wakanaka and then out into the clear, Speak of the Devil and Prat were all the way up to challenge In Italian in a practical blink of an eye. In Italian punched back along the fence as Speak of the Devil continued on far out in the course, but the latter ultimately had an extra gear or two and scampered home much the best.

“I thought I was in some good holes, but for some reason she was not progressing down the backside,” said Prat. “So I decided to drop down to the inside, and as soon as I called on her she cut really well. The track feels very good after all the rain.”

“So lucky to have this filly,” Brown said. “She was turned her over to us last fall. Every week she kept getting better and indicated everything you want to see. You hate to run these fillies against each other, but really there's not a lot of options out there at a mile right now, so we let them settle it on the racetrack and today Speak of the Devil was better.”

Speak of the Devil was not the first 2021 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale seven-figure alumni to succeed on the racecourse in recent days–€2.5-million buy Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) took the May 1 G3 Prix Allex France Longines at ParisLongchamp in the colors of Haras de Hus.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
LONGINES CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE S.-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-7, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:37.47, fm.
1–SPEAK OF THE DEVIL (FR), 118, m, 5, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
                1st Dam: Moranda (Fr), by Indian Rocket (GB)
                2nd Dam: Spain, by Bering (GB)
                3rd Dam: Sevilliana (GB), by General Holme
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€45,000 Wlg '17 ARQDE; €62,000
Ylg '18 AROYRG; €1,950,000 4yo '21 ARQDEC). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Herve Viallon (FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat.
$306,900. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Mare-Fr at 7-9.5f, MSW
& MG1SP-Fr 15-6-3-2, $604,576. *1/2 to Morando (FR)
(Kendargent (FR)), MGSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $374,805. Werk Nick
Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–In Italian (GB), 118, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Florentina (Aus), by
Redoute's Choice (Aus). 'TDN Rising Star' (475,000gns Ylg '19
TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB);
T-Chad C. Brown. $99,000.
3–Wakanaka (Ire), 118, f, 4, Power (GB)–Storyline (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (£3,500 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Team Valor
International & Gary Barber; B-Mrs Jean Brennan (IRE);
T-William I. Mott. $49,500.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3, 3. Odds: 1.10, 2.20, 4.50.
Also Ran: Lady Speightspeare, Flower Point, Abscond. Scratched: Mona Stella, She Can't Sing. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Speak of the Devil is the 17th group/graded winner for her sire, and eighth out of a mare by Indian Rocket. Her dam is a half to MGSW winner Myasun (Fr) (Panis) and a full to SW Matwan (Fr), who is the dam of a group winner, a stakes winner, a group-placed runner and a stakes-placed runner. Moranda has a 2-year-old filly by Anodin (Ire) and a yearling colt by Best Solution (Ire).

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With Murky Pace Scenario, Churchill Downs Stakes Looks Wide Open

It's not often you come across a 13-horse Grade I sprint with no confirmed frontrunner, but the Churchill Downs S. Saturday is just that, with only lightly raced 20-1 shot Get the Prize (Candy Ride {Arg}) having gotten the first call last out. Stalker Flagstaff (Speightstown) gets the tepid 3-1 nod on the morning line coming off a victory over three of these foes in Keeneland's GIII Commonwealth S. going the same distance Apr. 3. He shipped into Oaklawn after that to fire a pair of quick bullet breezes, and he probably has the speed to lead if aggressive rider Luis Saez decides to go for it.

One who will need a set-up is ageless fan favorite Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect). Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner is likely better at six furlongs than seven, and was fourth here in 2018 and fifth in 2019. He enters off back-to-back runner-up finishes in Oaklawn's Mar. 13 Hot Springs S. and Apr. 10 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H.

Phat Man (Munnings) owns the field's best last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 103, which was earned when defeating Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) in a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 28.

MGISW Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) was second to divisional leader Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) in the GI Carter H. at Aqueduct Apr. 3, while Grade I-winning juvenile Basin (Liam's Map) returned to winning ways in the Sir Shackleton S. in Hallandale Mar. 27. Tapit to Win (Tapit), who possesses tactical speed, may be among the most intriguing contenders at a price. Last year's GI H. Allen Jerkens S. Presented by Runhappy runner-up and GII Pat Day Mile third finisher was sharp in a state-bred stakes tally at Tampa Mar. 28.

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Cali Invader Seeks Third ‘Strait’ in American Turf

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) seeks his third consecutive victory as he returns to Churchill Downs for the $500,000 GII American Turf S. Saturday. A winner of last December’s GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. Dec. 1 at Del Mar, the bay returned to winning ways three starts later in the War Chant S. going a sixteenth shorter here May 23. He was last seen annexing the GIII La Jolla H. back in San Diego Aug. 9 over champion juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby entrant Storm the Court (Court Vision). The 8-5 morning line choice will have to avoid getting caught up in a hot pace. One of the likely other pace players is Fancy Liquor (Lookin At Lucky). Third in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks behind stablemate Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) on Turfway Poly off just a maiden win Mar. 14, the Mike Maker pupil was a close second in a course-and-distance allowance June 11. Third again by just a neck, and again behind Field Pass, in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland July 12, he was ultra game when taking the Caesars S. at Indiana Downs a month later. Field Pass rallied from very far back when third in the War Chant, but took the local Audubon S. June 20 on the front end. He closed from off the pace to get up in the Transylvania, but was seventh after a rough start in the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. Aug. 15.

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