Lea’s Nagirroc Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth with Futurity Win

Nagirroc got up late to win the GIII Futurity S. at Aqueduct Sunday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The 7-2 shot sat just in behind the battling Gaslight Dancer and Vacation Dance who contested the pace through fractions of :22.09 and :44.78. Tipped out four wide into the lane, he reeled in the pacesetters in the dying strides to just get the best of a blanket finish.

“The main thing was trying to break clean,” said winning rider Manny Franco. “That was what we did, and after that, I don't want my horse to do too much [going] six furlongs. I think the speed is good on the outer track. My horse pulled me right into the race behind the speed and I think that was the key.”

Ian Wilson, assistant to winning trainer Graham Motion, added, “Last time, he was on the lead and we didn't feel like he needed to be on the lead [today]. Manny got him settled behind horses and once he got some space to go, he went. Once he tipped him out and got somewhere to go, it seemed like he was moving well and moving comfortably. He got there and that's all that matters.”

Nagirroc closed to second in his five-furlong debut over the turf at Indianapolis Horseshoe Aug. 22 for owners Corrigan Racing Stable and Tom Campbell and trainer Jim Corrigan. He came back to break his maiden over the Futurity's course and distance in his first start for trainer Graham Motion and new owners Madaket Stables, Little Red Feather Racing and William Strauss.

“In his first start, which wasn't for us, he broke pretty poorly and it probably cost him,” said Wilson. “So, last race, we wanted Manny to get him out of the gate. Today, we weren't as worried. He showed professionalism from start to finish. He's a classy horse.”

Pedigree Notes:

Nagirroc has a weanling half-sister by More Than Ready. His dam, Emma Spencer, was bred back to Audible this year. The mare is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-placed Johann Strauss (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Group 1-placed Mythical (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) and graded-placed Inchargeofme (High Chaparral {Ire}).

Nagirroc is the third graded winner for Claiborne stallion Lea, who has also been represented by last year's GIII Turnback the Alarm H. winner Gibberish and 2020 GIII Ontario Colleen S. winner Chart. He is the sire of 10 stakes winners.

Sunday, Belmont at the Big A
FUTURITY S.-GIII, $150,000, Belmont at the Big A, 10-9, 2yo, 6fT, 1:09.36, fm.
1–NAGIRROC, 120, c, 2, by Lea
               1st Dam: Emma Spencer (Ire), by Zamindar
               2nd Dam: Inchmina (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire)
               3rd Dam: Incheni (Ire), by Nashwan
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Madaket Stables LLC, Little Red Feather Racing & William
Strauss; B-Chervenell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-H. Graham
Motion; J-Manuel Franco. $82,500. Lifetime Record:
3-2-1-0, $141,550. Werk Nick Rating: B
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gaslight Dancer, 120, c, 2, City of Light–Raindrops
Droptops, by Medaglia d'Oro. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST
GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($80,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $260,000
2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Paradise Farms Corp., David
Staudacher, Skychai Racing LLC & Angelo Carlesimo;
B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $30,000.
3–Vacation Dance, 120, c, 2, The Lieutenant–Matinee
Express, by Zensational. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED
BLACK TYPE. ($45,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT; $140,000 RNA 2yo
'22 OBSMAR; $90,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Sleeping Giant
Stables, LLC, America's Pastime Stables & KimDon Racing,
LLC; B-Harry Landry & James Hogan (NY); T-John C. Kimmel.
$18,000.
Margins: NK, HD, HD. Odds: 3.60, 1.75, 11.50.
Also Ran: Inflation Nation (Ire), Dunedin, Determined Jester, Power Attack. Scratched: Bourbon Therapy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Elm Drive Cruises to Angels Flight Victory

Elm Drive took command of the Angels Flight S. and never looked like anything but the winner in an eye-catching 3-year-old bow reminiscent of her early juvenile form.

As brilliant as she was on unveiling June 26 at Los Alamitos, where she dominated a five furlong field of maidens by eight easy lengths, and then a head victorious in Del Mar's GII Sorrento S. Aug. 6 over eventual GISW Eda (Munnings), she was as uncharacteristically dull in her prior two starts. Eased to a distant seventh in the GI Del Mar Debutante Sept. 5 and last Oct. 10 in the 1 1/16m GII Chandelier S. at the Great Race Place, Elm Drive wasn't seen again until this return to one turn contests.

With the scratch of old foe Eda, overcoming a bumper car start to speed to the lead was a breeze; the 2-1 co-second choice had everything her own way as she cruised through a :23.59 opening quarter and a :46.66 half. The big white blaze emerged first into the lane, three on top and going well, and Elm Drive comfortably held off a late rally by Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute).

“She broke sharp and just showed she was in command every step of the way and a had a little extra to kick away in the stretch,” said trainer Philip D'Amato, the current leader in trainer standings with 38 wins and one more than Bob Baffert for the lead in stakes victories, with 12. “I'm very happy with her comeback. Seven eighths is a tricky distance to win at off the bench and I'm glad we did it. I think she'll get a lot out of this race.”

Elm Drive is her dam's second black-type runner and fifth winner from five older offspring to survive. The mare has a yearling colt by Accelerate and a 2022 colt by Volatile. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

ANGELS FLIGHT S., $79,400, Santa Anita, 5-8, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.97, ft.
1–ELM DRIVE, 124, f, 3, by Mohaymen
                1st Dam: Lets Dance Charlie, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Dance Darling, by Devil's Bag
                3rd Dam: Danzig Darling, by Danzig
($40,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT; $165,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Little Red Feather Racing; B-Kenneth D'Oyen (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Ricardo Gonzalez. $47,640. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-0, $195,640. *1/2 to Mother of Dragons (First Dude), MSW, $153,995.
2–Kirstenbosch, 120, f, 3, Midnight Lute–Llandudno, by Belong to Me. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Keith Abrahams (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $15,880.
3–Empire Gal, 120, f, 3, Empire Maker–Double Tapped, by Tapit. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Bridlewood Farm (FL); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $9,528.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 2.00, 2.00, 1.80.
Also Ran: Unsolved Mystery, Classical Romance. Scratched: Eda.

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Elm Drive, Eda Face Off Again in Del Mar Debutante

Little Red Feather Racing's Elm Drive (Mohaymen) and Baoma Corporation's Eda (Munnings), who were separated by just a head after battling the length of the stretch in the GIII Sorrento S. Aug. 6, renew their rivalry in the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante Sunday. Elm Drive, trained by Phil D'Amato, romped by eight lengths in her five-furlong debut at Los Alamitos June 26 and refused to let Eda by when winning the six-furlong Sorrento.

Eda has yet to finish in front in her two-race career. The Bob Baffert trainee inherited the victory via disqualification after finishing a nose runner-up in her June 19 debut and couldn't get by a determined Elm Drive in the Sorrento.

Michael Lund Petersen, who enjoyed Grade I success at Saratoga last weekend when his champion Gamine (Into Mischief) won the GI Ballerina S., will look to double up on the West Coast when Grace Adler (Curlin) goes postward Sunday at Del Mar. Co-owned with Willow Grace Farm and trained by Baffert, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase battled to a 3/4-length debut score going five furlongs at Del Mar July 31. She enters the seven-furlong Debutante off six-furlong drills Aug. 23 and Aug. 30.

Baffert has won the last two runnings of the Debutante, with Bast in 2019 and Princess Noor in 2020, and has won the race nine times since 1995.

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Del Mar and LRF Cares Contest to Benefit Aftercare

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC), and LRF Cares, a 501(c)(3) sponsored charity and arm of Little Red Feather Racing, will host a live money on-track or online contest at Del Mar Saturday, Sept. 4. Benefitting Thoroughbred aftercare, the contest will allow a maximum of 150 players, each receiving a $250 live bankroll with the “takeout” going to guaranteed prizes and LRF Cares. Guaranteed prizes include 2021 $4,000–plus $1,000 travel–Del Mar Summer Handicapping Challenge entries and two 2022 National Horseplayer Championship (NHC) entries.

Click here for more information and here to sign up.

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