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Runhappy Colt Runs to ‘TDN Rising Stardom’ at Keeneland

Smile Happy (c, 2, Runhappy–Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap) became the second 'TDN Rising Star' for young sire Runhappy with this visually impressive debut score around two turns at Keeneland Friday.

The dark bay fired a five-furlong bullet in :59 2/5 (1/57) for Ken McPeek at Churchill Downs Oct. 22 and was backed at 3-1 in this 1 1/16-mile affair. He raced in some traffic on the first turn and settled on the inside in sixth. Locked and loaded heading into the far turn, the Lucky Seven Stable colorbearer split horses nearing the three-eighths marker, and was shot out of a cannon from there, making an eye-catching, three-wide run to hit the front at the top of the short stretch. Smile Happy kept on rolling down the lane beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr., and had 5 1/2 lengths to spare over I'm A War Lord (Gun Runner) on the wire.

Smile Happy, a $175,000 KEENOV weanling and $185,000 FTKSEL yearling, was the most expensive yearling of 45 to change hands by his sire in 2020. Smile Happy is the most recent progeny produced by his dam, a half-sister to stakes winner Miracle Mets (Metfield).

2nd-Keeneland, $84,000, Msw, 10-29, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.75, ft, 5 1/2 lengths.
SMILE HAPPY, c, 2, by Runhappy
                1st Dam: Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap
                2nd Dam: Relax and Smile, by Relaunch
                3rd Dam: Bunch of Smiles, by Graustark
Sales history: $175,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $185,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $50,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree, or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Lucky Seven Stable (Mackin); B-Moreau Bloodstock Int'l Inc. & White Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.

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McPeek Considering Options For Rattle N Roll’s Next Start

Trainer Kenny McPeek indicated Sunday morning that Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll, winner of Saturday's Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, might bypass the $2 million Grade 1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Nov. 5 in favor of a race at his Churchill Downs base. The son of Connect earned a fees-paid entry and travel expenses to the Juvenile at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., with yesterday's victory at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“I am not going to commit yet,” McPeek said. “My first instinct is to wait for the (Grade 2) Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 27. The Breeders' Cup is an 'away game,' and I know he likes Churchill a lot.”

Rattle N Roll made his career debut with a third-place finish on June 26 at Churchill and returned in September to win a 1 1/16th-mile maiden race. He was a clear winner at the same distance in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

“This colt wants even more distance,” McPeek said. “I think a mile and a quarter is what he is asking for.”

Rattle N Roll is a two-time graduate of Keeneland auctions. He was sold as a weanling for $55,000 at the 2019 November Breeding Stock Sale and was purchased by McPeek as agent at last year's September Yearling Sale for $210,000. McPeek said he saw a strong resemblance to the colt's paternal grandsire, Curlin, when he saw Rattle N Roll at the September Sale. As agent, McPeek purchased Curlin at the 2005 September Sale.

McPeek said Rattle N Roll also is reminiscent of Tejano Run, who won the 1994 Breeders' Futurity for him. Tejano Run evolved into a graded stakes-winning millionaire and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up.

“Tejano Run was a big, scopey horse – tall with a lot of leg to him,” he said. “Rattle N Roll has a beautiful hip and big, deep shoulder. Beautiful horse overall.”

McPeek's family, crew, and friends had multiple reasons for festivities Saturday night at his traditional semi-annual barbeque and bonfire at his Magdalena Farm in Lexington. About 100 people attended to celebrate the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity triumph, the 21st birthday of McPeek's daughter, Jenna, and the University of Kentucky football team's win over Louisiana State University.

“We had birthday cake, and Jenna had champagne,” he said.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Double Thunder came out of his runner-up effort in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in good order, according to Ginny DePasquale, assistant to Todd Pletcher.

Double Thunder broke last in the field of 13 and rallied to claim the second spot.

“The one hole in a big field; it's tough,” DePasquale said. “I thought he ran well.”

Pletcher said via text that Double Thunder would ship back to Belmont and “we will keep our options open.”

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Speedy Behave Virginia Gets Second Career Win In Debutante At Churchill Downs

Lucky Seven Stable's Behave Virginia ran down swift pacesetter Wicked Halo and out-kicked 7-5 favorite Ontheonesandtwos in deep stretch to win Saturday's 120th running of the $150,000 Debutante Stakes by one length at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. and trained by Kenny McPeek, Behave Virginia ran the first sub-1:10 Debutante since Rated Fiesty's 2007 stakes record of 1:09.27.

The quick final time was the result of a record-setting pace and a fast track. Wicked Halo, who broke from the rail in the field of eight 2-year-old fillies, was rushed to the front with Tizplenty and Mollie Kate just off her hip. Down the backstretch after a first quarter mile in :21.11 and the half in :44.61, Behave Virginia was rated in fourth with Ontheonesandtwos on the outside in the clear. Wicked Halo put away the accompanying speed leaving the turn and was quickly met by the converging Behave Virginia and Ontheonesandtwos at the three-sixteenths pole. Behave Virginia edged clear with a sixteenth of a mile to run and Ontheonesandtwos slipped past an understandably tiring Wicked Halo by a half-length for the place.

“She's a really talented filly to be able to sit behind some pretty good horses like that and win the way she did,” Hernandez said. “When the spot opened up, she went through like an old professional would. It's a testament of how good she is. She answered a lot of questions today and we are very proud of her.”

The victory was worth $90,210 which increased the 2-year-old filly's earnings to $147,698 with a perfect record in two starts. Prior to her Debutante triumph, Behave Virginia broke her maiden at Churchill Downs on May 28 by 5 ¾ lengths at odds of 7-1.

“Typically we don't crank our horses to win first time out,” McPeek said. “Usually when they win first out, it's because they do it on their own talent. That's what she did. She reminds me of Take Charge Lady with her early ability on the racetrack. I think we may have seen a Breeders' Cup contender. I'll point her to the Alcibiades (in the Fall Meet at Keeneland) and go from there. I'll probably take her to Saratoga with me this summer just so I can keep an eye on her.”

Behave Virginia paid $10.20, $4.20, and $3.20 as the 4-1 third betting choice. Ontheonesandtwos, under Florent Geroux, returned $3.20 and $2.40. Wicked Halo, with Ricardo Santana Jr. up, paid $2.80.

Tizplenty, Classiness, Catchusifyoucan, Compressed Energy, and Mollie Kate completed the order of finish.

Behave Virginia is a 2-year-old daughter of Unified out of the Mineshaft mare She's Behaving. She was bred in Kentucky by Khalid Mishref Alkahtani and was purchased as a yearling at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale for Michael J. Mackin's Lucky Seven Stable for $115,000.

The Debutante, first staged in 1895 and one of Churchill Downs' most storied races, was one the second of three stakes races on Saturday's closing day card at Churchill Downs.

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