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Damon’s Mound Cruises To Saratoga Special Win

'TDN Rising Star' Damon's Mound (Girvin) backed up his jaw-dropping, double-digit debut victory at Churchill Downs with an impressive, 3 1/4-length decision over favored 'Rising Star' Gulfport (Uncle Mo) in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S.

Facing just three rivals here, the 9-5 second-choice trailed the closely bunched quartet in the garden spot as Gulfstream debut winner Super Chow (Lord Nelson) flew through an opening quarter in :21.94. Gulfport, a perfect two-for-two to begin his career, led by a 12 1/4-length win in the Bashford Manor S., was forced to check dramatically beneath Joel Rosario as the pacesetter drifted out approaching the quarter pole. Damon's Mound, meanwhile, was out in the clear while three wide and beginning to make a menacing move to challenge for command.

Damon's Mound hit the top of the stretch in the four path under confident handling by Gabriel Saez, switched to his right lead as they straightened and left the pacesetter in the dust from there to win for fun. Gulfport re-rallied after his aforementioned trouble on the far turn to finish with interest without threatening the winner.

Michelle Lovell, who finished second three times at Saratoga as a jockey in 1993, was saddling her first Saratoga starter as a trainer Saturday. She began training in 2003.

“It was perfect. I was so happy where we were laying where we were tracking,” said Lovell. “And then Gabe couldn't hold him any longer and he just let him creep on up there and make his little move. He did his job.”

Damon's Mound has plenty of options going forward, per Lovell, including the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 5 at the Spa, the GI Breeders' Futurity Oct. 8 at Keeneland and the GIII Iroquois S. Sept. 17 at Churchill Downs.

“It's incredible. All props to the horse,” Lovell said. “He's just awesome and he proved it and spoke for himself. I couldn't be happier for his owners. They're breeders, they [didn't sell him], and they got rewarded for it. I wouldn't have traded him for any horse. I thought he had an awesome chance, and he showed it. I'm glad he did.”

Click here for a recent interview with Lovell discussing Damon's Mound following his 'Rising Star' maiden win beneath the Twin Spires July 2.

Pedigree Notes:

Damon's Mound becomes the second black-type winner and first graded winner for promising freshman sire Girvin. Stroll is now represented by four black-type and four graded winners as a broodmare sire. Damon's Mound is a homebred for the Texas-based Cliff and Michele Love. The Florida-bred is the first foal out of their multiple stakes-placed mare San Antonio Stroll (Stroll). A filly by Girvin of 2021 and a colt of this year by the GI betfair.com Haskell Invitational S. winner are in the pipeline. She was bred back to Girvin for 2023.

Saturday, Saratoga
SARATOGA SPECIAL S.-GII, $186,000, Saratoga, 8-13, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:17.94, ft.
1–DAMON'S MOUND, 120, c, 2, by Girvin
                1st Dam: San Antonio Stroll (MSP), by Stroll
                2nd Dam: Twenty Three Red, by The Prime Minister
                3rd Dam: Ruhletta, by Ruhlmann
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. O-Cliff & Michele Love; B-Cliff Love (FL); T-Michelle
Lovell; J-Gabriel Saez. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$145,560. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Gulfport, 122, c, 2, Uncle Mo–Fame and Fortune, by
Unbridled's Song. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'.
($275,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt,
Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm LLC & Coolmore Stud;
B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Super Chow, 120, c, 2, Lord Nelson–Bonita Mia, by
Warrior's Reward. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($70,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $75,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Lea
Farms; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Jorge Delgado. $24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, 7, 11. Odds: 1.85, 0.45, 8.10.
Also Ran: Valenzan Day. Scratched: Owen's Leap.
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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Eight Juveniles Fire Bullets at OBS Wednesday

Five juveniles shared the fastest furlong time of :9 4/5 Wednesday during the fourth session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale breeze show and three others worked a quarter in a bullet :20 3/5.

The quartet of :9 4/5 workers were an Uncle Mo filly from Clary Bloodstock (Hip 537) (video); a Goldencents colt consigned by Eddie Woods (Hip 546) (video); a filly by Street Sense from the Lucan Bloodstock shedrow (Hip 611) (video); a Macho Uno colt consigned by Grassroots Training and Sales (Hip 674) (video); and a Mo Town Filly from Top Line Sales (Hip 687) (video). This is the first crop for Mo Town, who was represented by his first winner Wednesday at Keeneland.

The bullet breeze was an emotional one for Clary Bloodstock principal Jaylyn Clary. The young horsewoman is the daughter of trainer Mike Neathlerin, who passed away in September due to COVID-19. Clary grew up working side-by-side with her father at the track and their training center in Texas. He helped her get her new business off the ground three years ago. Additionally, she trains 15 active racehorses, some for outside owners and some that failed to sell at the juvenile sales.

“My dad already had everything started with our training center in Texas,” Clary said. “About three years ago, we developed Clary Bloodstock and he helped me with that. This will be out first year selling without him. It was bittersweet to work a :9 4/5 without him.”

She continued, “My dad started out training, so if we can't sell them, we train them. The end goal is to always sell, but it doesn't always happen that way. That's how my dad got Kip Deville (a MSW for Neatherlin turned MGISW after a private sale to Rick Dutrow), but then we had [MGSW] Airoforce [an OBSAPR pinhook].”

Clary purchased Hip 537 along with her husband, father and their longtime owner and partner Brad Walker for $80,000 at Keeneland September. Bred by WinStar Farm, the bay is out of MGSW & GISP House Rules (Distorted Humor). Her year-older half-sister Customer Driven (Quality Road) broke her maiden in February.

“We knew she had a really nice pedigree,” Clary said. “We decided if she went for a decent price we would try to get her. She was a really well-balanced filly and she had a presence about her. You could tell she was a very business-oriented filly and that has come through quite a bit. She is all business on the track.”

As for the bullet work, Clary said, “We always knew she was pretty special. She has shown she was fast. She has never backed down from work and always wants to go train. She watches herself and nothing gets her too worked up. She walked up there and showed herself like I knew she would. She laid it out on the track for us.”

Clary added, “She has a good scope, good vet, good breeze and good pedigree. It is all we could ask for.”

Clary's consignment consists of four horses total, including a Dialed In colt, who was he final purchase by her father before his death (Hip 871).

“It is bittersweet, but he would want me to sell the Dialed In,” Clary said. “That's what he would want at the end of the day, so hopefully she works fast and makes some money.”

The trio of :20 3/5 breezers was comprised of a Mizzen Mast filly from Wavertress Stables (Hip 543) (video); a Lord Nelson colt consigned by Jesse Hoppel's Coastal Equine (Hip 548) (video); and a Distorted Humor colt from the Pick View shedrow (Hip 671) (video).

Hip 548 is from the second crop of the late MGISW Lord Nelson. Hoppel acquired the dark bay for $80,000 at the Keeneland September sale. The Arkansas-bred is a half to MSP Macho Miah (Macho Uno).

“He looked like a good individual [at Keeneland] and something that would grow up into the type of horse we want to sell as a 2-year-old,” Hoppel said. “He is one of the better individuals we were bringing out here. I knew he was going to be one of my stars for April back in January. It was becoming pretty apparent that he was going to be a nice horse.”

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Six Share Furlong Bullet, Three Share Quarter Bullet at OBS Under-Tack Opener

A half-dozen juvenile colts and fillies shared the bullet furlong time of :9 4/5 at the first of seven under-tack preview shows for the upcoming OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sunday.

The first to shade 10 seconds in their one-eighth breeze was Hip 87, a filly by Tapiture out of the unraced mare Youngnflashy (Flashy Bull) consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales. The filly was bought for $25,000 at Fasig-Tipton October.

Three more fillies posted :9 4/5 time shortly thereafter–Hip 121, by Speightster, consigned by Randy Miles and bought for $105,000 at Keeneland September, Hip 129, by Mor Spirit, consigned by Kings Equine, agent for Spendthrift Farm and a $25,000 Fasig-Tipton November buy, and Hip 137, by Lord Nelson, consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock and a $37,000 Fasig-Tipton July pickup.

Rounding out the :9 4/5 breezers were Hip 138, an Uncaptured colt named Havnameltdown consigned by Blas Perez Stables bought for $16,000 at OBS October, and Hip 148, a More Than Ready filly consigned by Best A Luck Farm who sold for $75,000 at Keeneland September.

Three 2-year-olds shared the quarter-mile bullet time of :20 3/5, starting with Hip 150, a filly by Bolt d'Oro consigned by Sequel Bloodstock who hammered for $270,000 at Keeneland September. Matching that clocking were Hip 163, a colt by Mendelssohn consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds who was bought for $120,000 at Keeneland September, and the final hip of the showcase, Hip 176, a Bucchero filly named Miss Bellimbusto consigned by Blue River Bloodstock.

The OBS under-tack shows continue daily through Saturday with all sessions starting at 8 a.m. The Spring Sale is set to be held Apr. 19-22.

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Saturday’s Insights: American Pharoah Filly Arrives at Aqueduct

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m.

WITH BELLS ON (American Pharoah) starts her career for owners Bass Stables LLC and Cheyenne Stables after realizing $300,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The dam, a juvenile stakes winner on the turf by Giant's Causeway, has already produced two winners on the dirt including Princess Mo (Uncle Mo). Second dam Marylebone (Unbridled's Song) was also a stakes winning juvenile, taking the GI Matron S. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 11-36 over the last five years with 3-year-old first-time starters on the dirt at Aqueduct and looks to add to that tally here. TJCIS PPs

MILLION-DOLLAR YEARLING FILLY DEBUTS AT TAMPA

6th-TAM, $40K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:44 p.m.

When the hammer finally dropped at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, GINA ROMANTICA (Into Mischief) left the ring for a final bid of $1,025,000, another million-dollar feather in her sire's cap. The filly makes her career debut here for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown after several quick works at Payson Park, including her most recent Mar. 6 where she went four furlongs in :49 4/5 to be the third-fastest of 33 at the distance. Gina Romantica is out of the prolific broodmare Special Me (Unbridled's Song) who, though not a winner herself, has produced the likes of MGSW Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), MGSW Special Forces (Candy Ride) and MGSW and Lane's End stallion Gift Box (Twirling Candy). She picks up Irad Ortiz for the ride. TJCIS PPs

INTO MISCHIEF COLT TAKES ON THE TURF

6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 3:01 p.m.

Bred by Hare Forest Farm, WATASHA (Into Mischief) tries the turf for the first time for trainer Chad Brown. The bay colt realized a final bid of $450,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and returns off an eight-month layoff since making his only start as a juvenile, a distant fifth-place effort on the dirt July 24 at Saratoga. Watasha will seek to be the seventh winner out of the Elusive Quality mare Alwaan. He adds Lasix for the first time here, stretches out the extra furlong and a half, and gets Tyler Gaffalione aboard. TJCIS PPs

SPEEDY LORD NELSON COLT REACHES DEBUT

9th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:38 p.m.

From the first crop of recently deceased stallion Lord Nelson, CAPE TRAFALGAR (Lord Nelson) makes his first start at Gulfstream Park for owner Peachtree Stable. Bred by Spendthrift Farm LLC, the colt brought $325,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale, the second highest price paid for a Lord Nelson yearling that year. Cape Trafalgar is out of Goldrush Girl (Political Force), who placed second in the GII Golden Rod S. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., he comes into this race off a bullet drill Mar. 5 where he worked five furlongs in :59 to be the best of 31 at the distance. TJCIS PPs

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