Ward Workers Highlight Keeneland Tab

By all accounts, trainer Wesley Ward is planning on coming out full force when Keeneland opens the doors on its spring meeting Friday, Apr. 8. To that end, four of the stable's stars tuned up for opening weekend stakes engagements Saturday morning in Lexington.

Happy Soul (Runhappy) is set to represent Ward in the GI Central Bank Ashland S., her first try around two turns, and the Gayla Rankin-owned filly blitzed six furlongs in a race-like 1:11.20 Saturday morning. Since dropping her career debut at Keeneland last April, Happy Soul has won three straight including the Feb. 19 Dixie Belle S. at Oaklawn Park. John Velazquez has the call in the Ashland.

Working on a Keeneland turf course with a bit of give in it were Ward's two 2021 Breeders' Cup winners, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and 'TDN Rising Star' Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}). Winner of last year's GI Turf Sprint to go along with his victory in the 2020 GII Juvenile Turf Sprint, Golden Pal makes his 4-year-old debut in the GII Shakertown S. Apr. 9 and covered the distance in 1:01.20. Twilight Gleaming, who took out last year's Juvenile Turf Sprint, was timed in 1:01.40 and goes in the Listed Palisades S. Apr. 10.

Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), whose two wins at Royal Ascot include the 2021 G1 Commonwealth Cup, galloped five furlongs on turf in 1:02.40.

“I'm feeling great,” said Ward, in search of a fourth consecutive spring title at Keeneland. “We've got a lot of horses in various different categories–a lot of nice stakes horses. The 2-year-olds are always fun to see which ones blossom. This is the highlight of opening up my year to see how we're going to progress. We're really looking forward to it–as is everyone who comes to Keeneland in the spring. It's a great place to be–the only place to be.”

Ward is also set to saddle defending champ and 'Rising Star' Kimari (Munnings) in Saturday's GI Madison S. and one of her chief adversaries, Bell's the One (Majesticperfection), got her final tune up Saturday in Lexington. A dead-heat second last year, the 6-year-old went an easy half-mile in :49.60.

“I didn't want anything real fast,” trainer Neil Pessin said. “All of her major work was done at Fair Grounds [where she had eight works following a 2 1/2-month break].”

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Insight Outcomes: Kimari and Prevalence Win, Taiba Is a ‘Rising Star’

Welcome to Insight Outcomes, where we take a look at how the previous week's “Insighted” horses fared. Insights generally focus on well-bred and/or well-sold horses early in their careers, but occasionally we also have a returning older horse that's made a splash. That was the case this week.

Thursday's Insights: GISW Kimari Looms Large in Gulfstream Allowance

3rd-Gulfstream, $55,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-3, 4yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.10, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.

If her 5 1/4-length tour de force in this Gulfstream allowance is any indication, 'TDN Rising Star' and GISW KIMARI (m, 5, Munnings–Cozze Up Lady {GSW, $407,169}, by Cozzene) has the potential for a big year ahead. Making her first start since for her new connections since being purchased for $2.7 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale, Kimari was hard held early, merely got the whip waved at her in what was the most serene of hand rides, and pricked her ears as she crossed the wire. The bay won last April's GI Madison S. on the dirt at Keeneland, but has also been runner-up twice at Royal Ascot on the lawn (the 2020 G1 Commonwealth Cup and the 2019 G2 Queen Mary S.).

“She's been doing great,” trainer Wesley Ward said immediately after the race. “She's an immensely talented horse that's been plagued by physical injuries throughout her career and always overcame them. [Lately] she's been very, very sound.”

Ward has been Kimari's trainer from the outset, first for Ten Broeck Farm and now for the partnership of Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Westerberg Limited, and Jonathan Poulin. He indicated the team was leaning toward a defense of her Madison title for Kimari's next start. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

 

Saturday's Insights: Well-Bred Siblings to Graded Winners Debut

2nd-Gulfstream, $53,000, Msw, 3-5, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.38, ft, head.

There can be only one winner and it was the George Arnold trainee VETERANS HIGHWAY (f, 3, Quality Road–New Wave {SP, $122,423}, by Tale of the Cat), featured back in a January Insights on debut, who broke her maiden by a head with Todd Pletcher's $250,000 Keeneland September buy Falconet (Uncle Mo), the first foal for 2015 GI La Brea S. winner Birdatthewire (Summer Bird), filling out the exacta. Veterans Highway's dam is a half to dual surface GISW General Quarters (Sky Mesa) and a full-sister to Japanese MGSW A Shin Top (Tale of the Cat). The homebred winner hails from the always-prominent team of G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. and W. S. Farish. Other highlighted firsters in the race got some education, including Tiffany's Mo (Uncle Mo), Blini (Tapit), and Peligroso (Honor Code), while Signal from Noise (Arrogate) scratched. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

4th-Gulfstream, $53,000, Msw, 3-5, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.63, ft, neck.

It was Oak Ridge Farm's homebred FELIX (c, 3, Cupid–City by the Bay {MSW, $172,240}, by City Zip) who put his December second-place finish behind Saturday's GIII Gotham S. runner-up Dean's List (Speightstown) to good use as he bested a field of well-regarded debuters, including Town Branch (Street Sense), whose older full-brother Speaker's Corner would win the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. impressively later on the card with a 106 Beyer Speed Figure. For the record, like Town Branch, MGSW Speaker's Corner didn't win his unveiling either. Hidden Plan (Street Sense), Mendenhall (Pioneerof the Nile), and Super Quality (Competitive Edge) each got some experience in their first outing. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

8th-Gulfstream, $55,700, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-5, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:34.94, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.

PREVALENCE (c, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Enrichment, by Ghostzapper), a Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' last year who dabbled in graded company early in his career, came back after a freshening, shook off the rust, and got a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in an uber-impressive 4 3/4-length score. His lovely family includes his great-granddam Desert Stormer (Storm Cat), who beat the boys in the 1995 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. His own dam is a half-sister to GSW Sahara Gold (Seeking the Gold), herself the dam of MGISW Better Lucky (Ghostzapper). Also returning from the bench was another 'TDN Rising Star' in Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile), a half to Triple Crown hero Justify (Scat Daddy). Stage Raider had the misfortune of stumbling at the start and has only lost two races, both to Prevalence. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

2nd-Santa Anita, $68,000, Msw, 3-5, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.97, ft, 7 1/2 lengths.

TAIBA (c, 3, Gun Runner–Needmore Flattery {MSW, $732,103}, by Flatter) had the sort of debut that keeps dreams alive and drives big auction prices. The colt was a $1.7-million Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old (:10 1/5) for Zedan Racing Stables, worked smartly last spring and summer, then went to the sidelines for five months before making a start. He returned to the worktab in November, cranked up with a bullet 1:12 3/5 six-furlong move (1/12) Feb. 27 at Santa Anita, and registered a powerhouse 7 1/2-length win Saturday to be named Gun Runner's latest 'TDN Rising Star'. The romp was good for a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, co-highest for a 3-year-old to date in 2022. Debuting in the same race was Tenth Street Don (Practical Joke), who raced wide. He was also a 2-year-old purchase, going to Holly and David Wilson for $240,000 at OBS April after working a furlong in :10 1/5. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

2nd-Aqueduct, $77,600, Msw, 3-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.59, ft, 1/2 length.

Chad Brown stablemates bookended the field, with $300,000 Keeneland November weanling buy and last August's 'Insighted' ELECTABILITY (g, 3, Quality Road–Spindle, by Hard Spun) prevailing to win his second start while Don the Jeweler (Into Mischief) settled at the back of the pack and drifted out late. Electability is from the same family as MGISW Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat). Don the Jeweler was an $875,000 Keeneland September yearling whose dam is a half-sister to GISWs Include Me Out (Include) and Check the Label (Stormin Fever). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Kimari Returns to Winning Ways at Gulfstream

3rd-Gulfstream, $55,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-3, 4yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.10, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.

KIMARI (m, 5, Munnings–Cozze Up Lady {GSW, $407,169}, by Cozzene), tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant debut back in 2019, was a close second in that year's G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and won two other stakes. Second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup when returning to the royal meeting in 2020, she captured a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's Spring Fever S. in February of 2020. Following suit with a win in Keeneland's GI Madison S. in April, she was sent to the sidelines for seven months and made an ambitious return in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. Nov. 6, but could only manage seventh for Ten Broeck Farm. Sent to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Kimari was purchased by Coolmore's M.V. Magnier for $2.7 million and returned to trainer Wesley Ward's care. Hammered down to 1-20 favoritism in this five-horse affair, the bay broke with the field, but settled back into fourth through the initial stages. Swung out three wide by Joel Rosario, Kimari hustled up the outside to take control after an opening quarter in :22.41. Confronted by Liberty M D (Constitution) as the half went in :45.66, the chalk shook free of that foe at the top of the lane and it was clear sailing from there. Kimari powered clear under a hand ride to win as she pleased by 5 1/4 lengths. Liberty M D held second. China Horse Club purchased GSW Cozze Up Lady for $300,000 at the 2014 FTKNOV sale and Kimari was her second foal. She had a Quality Road colt named Imola in 2019 and a Constitution colt in 2021. Cozze Up Lady is currentlyexpecting a foal by Tiz the Law. Sales history: $152,000 Ylg '18 FTKJUL; $2,700,000 4yo '21 FTKNOV.  Lifetime Record: GISW, 12-7-2-1, $801,777. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Smith, Derrick, Magnier, Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B., Westerberg Limited and Poulin, Jonathan; B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.

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GISW Kimari to Bypass Honorable Miss

Trainer Wesley Ward said he will skip Wednesday's GII Honorable Miss S. with Ten Broeck Farm's Kimari (Munnings). The 4-year-old has not run since capturing the GI Madison at Keeneland Apr. 3. According to Ward, the filly wasn't showing the energy she previously had shown during morning training.

“She's doing well, just not quite as good as she was previously, so I thought we should err on the side of caution,” Ward explained. “We did some X-rays and according to Dr. [Luis] Castro, she was perfect. But visually, she wasn't quite kicking the same way she had. We gave her a break because she ran such a big race at Keeneland. When I lead her over there, I would want her to 100%.”

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