Rushie’s ‘Natural Speed’ Will Play To His Advantage In Blue Grass

Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie, third behind Honor A. P. in the June 6 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his most recent start, drew post 10 in the 13-horse field for Saturday's $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland.

“I'm fine with the draw,” trainer Michael McCarthy said Wednesday afternoon from his base at Del Mar. “He's very tactical. He's got plenty of natural ability and natural speed. I would imagine he'd probably be laying somewhere in that first group of horses going into the first turn.”

Rushie will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who won the 2019 Toyota Blue Grass aboard Vekoma.

McCarthy has had only two starters at Keeneland, and Rushie will become his first runner in the Toyota Blue Grass. The colt is a member of the first crop of Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Liam's Map is the sire of another Toyota Blue Grass hopeful, Basin.

Rushie is out of the Colonel John mare Conquest Angel, whose half-sister Peace and War won Keeneland's Darley Alcibiades (G1) in 2014. His family also includes last year's Darley Alcibiades winner, champion British Idiom.

Rushie is not nominated to the Triple Crown, but his performance in the Toyota Blue Grass might change that status.

“We're going to let him earn his way to the first Saturday in September – that sounds strange to say that,” McCarthy said about the rescheduled Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). “If he were to run well, it's something that the Daniells and myself would go ahead and think about. There are plenty of races out there later in the summer and in the fall all over the country that will be worth taking a look at, so let's see what happens.

“If he jumps up and runs well, I guess we have to think about something like that. It's a good problem to have.”

McCarthy has entered Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Speech in both Friday's $100,000 Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select and Saturday's $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1). In her last race, Speech was second to Swiss Skydiver in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2). Swiss Skydiver will face Rushie in the Toyota Blue Grass.

“I like the idea of the Beaumont, the one turn on the Beard Course,” he said referring to the stakes' distance of 7 furlongs, 184 feet. “Just thought it would be a good idea for insurance to go ahead and enter in the Ashland just in case something crazy happened over the next 48 hours.”

So he's leaning toward the Beaumont for Speech?

“Ah …… Not sure yet.”

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‘Stronger And Thicker’ Basin Ready To Take the Next Step In Blue Grass Stakes

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when he covered a half-mile in :50.20 around 5:45 a.m. The breeze was the second consecutive move at Keeneland for last year's Hopeful (G1) winner, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 a week ago.

In his most recent race, Basin was second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The colt, which has won two of six races and earned $471,000, is ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

“In the last nine weeks he's gotten stronger and thicker; he's a happy, happy horse right now,” Jackpot's Ryne Poncik said on an NTRA conference call Tuesday afternoon. “I was talking to (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) yesterday, and I guess the kickback at Keeneland is rather hard. So, we definitely want to be forwardly placed and in the clear, so he doesn't have to worry about any kick back. With a good post and him being forwardly placed, I think we've got a good shot.”

In his three starts this season, Basin has been no worse than fourth. The colt ran third in the G2 Rebel, then fourth in the listed Oaklawn Stakes. Basin chased Charlatan home, beaten six lengths when second in the Arkansas Derby in early May; Poncik has always been impressed by the colt's hard-trying nature.

“His heart is bigger than his body,” Poncik said. “He's not a big, big colt, but he'll never give up until the end. He won't give up until he passes the wire, for sure.”

Basin is a member of the first crop by Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Jackpot purchased the colt for $150,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for breeder Cottonwood Stables.

Asmussen, North America's second-leading all-time trainer by wins (8,896) and earnings ($333,188,601), has started five horses in the Toyota Blue Grass with his best finish a runner-up effort by Storm Treasure in 2006. He sent out Jackpot's Zing Zang to a ninth-place finish in the 2018 Toyota Blue Grass.

Entries for the 96th running Toyota Blue Grass and five other stakes will be taken Wednesday. The Toyota Blue Grass carries 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

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Liam’s Map Colt Clocks Fastest Quarter During First Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Under Tack Session

The first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale's under tack show kicked off on Wednesday with a Liam's Map colt taking the spotlight among the juveniles working a quarter-mile.

The gray or roan colt, offered as Hip 151, covered the distance in :20 4/5 seconds over the Maryland State Fairgrounds' dirt surface in Timonium, Md. Consigned by All Dreams Equine, agent, the colt is out of the placed Big Brown mare One Foxy Grey, whose first foal to race is a winner. His second dam is the Grade 1 winner Irish Smoke, with an extended family that includes Grade 1 winner Book Review and Grade 2 winner Instagrand.

Two horses clocked quarters in :21 2/5 seconds on Wednesday:

  • Hip 39, Ours Forever, a Louisiana-bred Half Ours filly out of the stakes-placed Dayjur mare Illustrious Dream, whose three foals to race are all winners. Consigned by Kirkwood Stables, agent, she hails from the family of champion Answer Lively.
  • Hip 132, a first-crop Nyquist filly out of the unraced Silver Deputy mare Mother's Milk, whose runners include the Grade 3-placed Sheza Milky Way. Grade 2 winner Varenka is in the family of this filly, who is consigned by Hoby and Layna Kight, agent.

The honors for fastest eighth of a mile were shared by four juveniles during the first breeze session:

  • Hip 51, a first-crop Speightster colt out of the unplaced Mizzen Mast mare Izzy Izzy, whose three foals to race are all winners, including stakes winner En Hanse. Soaring Free, Canada's 2004 Horse of the Year, can be found in this colt's page, along with Canadian champion Regal Intention. He is consigned by L.G., agent.
  • Hip 106, a first-crop Outwork colt out of the unraced Maria's Mon mare Marialua, who is the dam of five winners from eight foals to race. The New York-bred is from the extended family of Triple Crown winner Affirmed, and he is consigned by Wolf Creek Farms, agent.
  • Hip 118, a Virginia-bred Uncle Mo colt out of the winning Mineshaft mare Miss Ocean City, whose runners include Grade 2 winner Azar. Belmont Stakes winner Go and Go is on the page of this colt, who is consigned by Pike Racing, agent.
  • Hip 173, a Maryland-bred first-crop Upstart filly out of the stakes-winning Pure Prize mare Plum, who is the dam of two winners from three runners. Cary Frommer consigns the filly, as agent.

The second of three under tack sessions at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale commences Thursday, beginning at 8 a.m. Eastern. The auction will take place June 29-30, with each session beginning at 11 a.m.

To view the full breeze show results, click here.

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Liam’s Map Colt Zips Fastest Quarter at Midlantic Breeze Show Wednesday

The three-day under-tack show ahead of next week’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale kicked off Wednesday under picture perfect conditions with temperatures hovering in the low 70s as the first of seven sets hit the track shortly after 8 a.m. Originally scheduled for May, the breeze show attracted a good-sized crowd to the Maryland State Fairgrounds, with bloodstock agents such as Liz Crow, Patti Miller, David Ingordo, Donato Lanni, Gary Young, Tom McGreevy, Steve Young, Gary Contessa, Joe Brocklebank and Alan Quartucci in attendance, as well as trainers like Linda Gaudet, Mike Trombetta and Ron Moquett.

A colt by Liam’s Map (hip 151) worked the day’s fastest quarter-mile of :20 4/5. The gray colt RNA’d for $290,000 at the OBS March sale following a :20 3/5 work.

“He’s a fast horse anywhere on any surface. He’s a special horse,” said Juan Centeno, whose All Dreams Equine consigns the colt on behalf of a client. “Anywhere you go, he would do the same thing. He’s been training on dirt and he’s been training excellent. He performed very well on synthetic, but I wanted to show that he can do it on dirt.  If he gets into good hands, I think he has a bright future.”

Bred by Nancy Shuford, the colt is out of One Foxy Grey (Big Brown), a daughter of Grade I winner Irish Smoke (Smoke Glacken). He sold to Superfine Farms for $67,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November sale and he RNA’d for $88,000 at Keeneland last September.

Four horses shared the day’s fastest furlong work of :10 flat.

A filly from the first crop of graded winner Upstart (hip 173), the first horse on the track Wednesday morning, turned in the :10 flat work for consignor Cary Frommer. Frommer purchased the dark bay juvenile for $120,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale.

“I never expect a bullet work, but I was expecting her to work well. And we weren’t disappointed,” Frommer said. “I’ve loved her since the day we bought her from this sale in October. Everybody who has been around her has loved her.”

The Maryland-bred filly, bred by Dark Hollow Farm, is out of stakes winner Plum (Pure Prize).

Of the decision to send the filly out first thing, Frommer explained, “We thought about it, we talked about it, we debated about it, but in the end we said she is going to do her best no matter what. High or low, she was going to do her best.”

Frommer purchased 15 yearlings at the 2019 Fall Yearling Sale and admitted it was a relief to see the Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training sale, forced to cancel its May date due to the pandemic, return to the schedule.

“This is a very important sale,” Frommer said. “Because it’s so different from the Florida sales, you draw a different crowd. A lot of people don’t want to go down there, so you get a lot of New York people here and you get a lot of Maryland people. I have a lot of friends here in Maryland, so this is a really good sale for me.”

During the day’s second set, consignor Al Pike sent out an Uncle Mo colt (hip 118) to work the furlong in :10 flat.

“He’s worked like a really good horse all year,” Pike said of the juvenile. “He’s kind of a natural. He came to hand quick. We haven’t had any problems with him at all. He’s never had a bad day.”

The dark bay colt is out of Miss Ocean City (Mineshaft) and is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Azar (Scat Daddy). Purchased in utero for $450,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale, the youngster was purchased privately by Pike after he RNA’d for $185,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.

“He was a well-bred Uncle Mo who had a lot of presence about him. He was a beautiful horse,” Pike said of the colt’s appeal last year.

The colt was consigned to the Saratoga sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency and Pike admitted, “Actually Frank Taylor talked me into buying him. He promised me he was a good horse and he’ll probably bust me from now on because he was absolutely correct.”

Of the track conditions during the first of three days of breezes, Pike said, “I think it played pretty well. Naturally when it gets hot it gets a little slower, but I think they did a heck of a job on it.”

Troy Winfrey’s Wolf Creek Farms mostly concentrates on selling weanling-to-yearling pinhooks, but makes the occasional stop at the juvenile sales. The operation was represented by one of the furlong bullet workers when a colt by Outwork (hip 106) covered the distance in :10 flat during Wednesday’s second set.

The bay colt is out of the unraced Marialua (Maria’s Mon), a half-sister to multiple graded placed Honolua Storm (Old Trieste). Wolf Creek purchased the juvenile for $40,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale. He RNA’d for $80,000 at last summer’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-Bred Yearlings sale.

“We’ve always liked him. He’s a big, pretty horse and he looks like he’s fast,” Winfrey said of the colt. “He’s a New York-bred and this is a good place to sell a New York-bred.”

Of his five-horse consignment at the Midlantic sale, Winfrey added, “We do come up here occasionally. We had some horses we didn’t get sold as yearlings and then a couple client horses needed to come here. We mostly try to sell as yearlings. We have a small group of clients or partners that we’ve had for 15 years, so we don’t do a lot. We do eight or 10 a year.”

While the market was difficult earlier in the month at the OBS Spring Sale, Winfrey is hoping the Timonium sale’s close proximity to several racing jurisdictions will prove fruitful when bidding starts next Monday.

“I think this will be a better place maybe because people won’t have to drive so far to go to OBS,” he said. “Maybe the local guys from New York will come here. I think it will be a better sale. I hope it will be a better sale.”

Wednesday’s final :10 flat work was turned in by hip 51, a son of Speightster, during the fourth set. The gray colt is out of Izzy Izzy (Mizzen Mast) and is a half to stakes winner En Hanse (Hansen).

“I was really happy with the work,” said consignor Luis Garcia. “I know the horse can run, but this is a little track and he’s a big horse. So I was kind of worried about what would happen. But he’s pretty smart and he went around the track pretty good.”

Speightster, represented by his first crop to race this year, has gotten off to a quick start on the racetrack and in the sales ring. A colt by the WinStar stallion sold for $1.1 million at the OBS Spring sale and he had his first winner when Queen Arella scored on debut at Gulfstream May 29.

“The Speightsters have been selling good and people are looking for them,” Garcia said. “I think he’s going to be a nice horse and I think Speightster is going to be a nice stallion.”

Garcia, in partnership with Gina Fennell, purchased the colt for

$50,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale.

“From his ears to his tail, he’s nice,” Garcia said

Despite a few recent rainy days in the area, Garcia was happy with the condition of the Timonium track.

“We had a lot of rain in the past couple of days, but these people take care of the track really good,” he said. “So I am happy with the track. It seemed like horses moved nice over it today.”

The under-tack show continues Thursday morning at 8 a.m. and concludes with a third session Friday. The Midlantic sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday with bidding beginning each day at 11 a.m.

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