Madaket Stables | Horse Racing Free Tips

Speech Rallies Past Venetian Harbor To Record First Stakes Victory In Ashland

Getting a perfect trip under Javier Castellano, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' and Madaket Stables Speech ended her bout of seconditis with an emphatic victory over odds-on favorite Venetian Harbor in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday.

The Michael McCarthy-trained daughter of Mr Speaker tracked Venetian Harbor in second throughout, then took command in the stretch to win by three lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.26, a new track record. Venetian Harbor finished second, with Envoutante another 3 3/4 lengths back in third and Bonny South fourth in a race that gave 100-40-20-10 qualifying points for the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks.

Speech paid $10 to win as the second choice in the wagering.

Venetian Harbor, second to division leader Swiss Skydiver in the G3 Fantasy at Oaklawn last out on May 1, set the fractions of :24.04, :47.14 and 1:10.44 for the first six furlongs under Joel Rosario. Castellano had Speech lapped on Venetian Harbor's right hip much of the way, and the filly responded when asked by Castellano, taking command in the stretch after a mile in 1:34.90 and drawing away for the win.

Speech broke her maiden at second asking at Los Alamitos last December, then ran second in four consecutive races, including a hard-fought neck loss to Gamine in a May 2 allowance race at Oaklawn Park. Gamine came out of that race to win the G1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park by 18 3/4 lengths.

Returned to California after that narrow defeat, Gamine finished second to Swiss Skydiver in the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on June 6.

Speech now ranks second, with 160 Kentucky Oaks points, behind Swiss Skydiver. Swiss Skydiver was entered in Saturday's G2 Blue Grass Stakes against males, where she finished second.

Updated Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard

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Fourstardave Possible for Uni

Reigning champion turf mare Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), who finished third in her seasonal debut in the June 27 GI Just A Game S., may make her next start against colts in the GI Fourstardave S. Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course. The Chad Brown trainee, who suffered her only loss of 2019 in last year’s Fourstardave, wrapped up her championship-earning season by taking the GI First Lady S. at Keeneland in course-record time and the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

“The only Grade I going a flat mile on the grass at Saratoga is against boys. Will we try it? Probably,” said Bradley Weisbord of BSW/Crow Bloodstock, who manages Uni on behalf of owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. “She was an unlucky loser last year to Got Stormy. We could take that route again this year and try to protect our title in the First Lady at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup Mile.”

Since joining Brown in 2017, Uni has placed in all but one of her 13 starts for the trainer, including eight stakes wins at six different tracks. In 2018, Uni won twice over soft and yielding turf in Saratoga’s De La Rose S. and the GIII Noble Damsel S. at Belmont. While the turf was listed as “firm” for the Just a Game, there were rain showers in the Elmont area earlier in the day.

“She’s won on soft turf before, but [jockey] Joel [Rosario] said she was struggling with the turf that day,” said Weisbord of the 6-year-old’s latest start. “She probably needed the race. She had a splint issue in April and breezed four or five times heading into the Just a Game, so she wasn’t super cherry heading into the race and you have to be cherry to beat a filly like Newspaperofrecord. Hats off to Chad for getting her back to Grade I form. She’ll be tough the rest of the year.”

Fellow Brown trainee Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), a close second in the GI Manhattan to stable mate Instilled Regard (Arch), could target the Sept. 5 GI Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old is campaigned by Madaket Stable, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Bethlehem Stables.

“It’s hard to know what his best distance his, but a mile and an eighth should hit him right over the head,” Weisbord said. “We’ve gotten beat a lot in stakes, but what made that such a brutal beat [last time] was because he had the horses in front of him collared. I don’t think the horse or Johnny saw Instilled Regard coming.”

Rockemperor has placed in four of his five starts in the United States, including a third in last season’s GI Belmont Derby. He made his seasonal bow in the GII Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds Mar. 21 before being demoted to third in the May 23 GII Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita.

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Midnight Bisou Back to Her Best GII Fleur de Lis

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) was back to her best form Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning the GII Fleur de Lis H. with ease in her first start back on U.S. soil since finishing an ultra-game second in the Saudi Cup in February. GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) jetted straight to the lead, while favored Midnight Bisou bided her time back in mid-pack through a brisk :23.18 first quarter. Inched closer by Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou moved up into third, while still several lengths off the pacesetter, as the half went in :46.15. Charging up on the leader’s outside entering the far turn, the Eclipse winner rocketed past Serengeti Empress at the top of the lane and effortlessly cruised clear under a motionless Smith to win for fun. Motion Emotion (Take Charge Indy) held second with Another Broad (Include) in third and Serengeti Empress faded to fourth. With her victory in the Fleur de Lis, Midnight Bisou secured a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November.

“She’s a really special mare,” said Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. “To come back, in that sort of style, is just tremendous. She has such an amazing talent and such a great relationship with Mike. She beat a wonderful-looking group of mares. We have nothing but respect towards them.”

Smith expressed similar sentiments, saying, “She’s just an amazing mare. I actually had took the lead a little before I wanted to. We were planning on laying a little bit closer but the way Serengeti Empress was winging it on the front end we were a little further back. She’s just incredibly special.”

Midnight Bisou captured six of her seven starts last term, including the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign S. She prepped for the Breeders’ Cup with a facile score in Belmont’s GII Beldame Invitational S. in September and finished 1 1/2 lengths shy of Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) when second in the Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 2. Scratched from the Fasig-Tipton November sale to stay in training another season, Midnight Bisou was a never-in-doubt winner of the Eclipse Award for top older dirt female. Making her seasonal bow in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, the dark bay rallied up the rail to finish a valiant second to fellow champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day).

Pedigree Notes:

Midnight Bisou is the only Eclipse winner by Midnight Lute and is one of four Grade I winners, 13 graded winners and 33 black-type winners for that Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion. Her Grade III-winning dam Diva Delite summoned $1.2 million from David Redvers at last term’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale, carrying a foal by Justify. The 13-year-old mare also has an unraced 3-year-old colt named Warrior in Charge (Warrior’s Reward); a juvenile filly by Wicked Strong; and a yearling colt by Pioneerof the Nile.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
FLEUR DE LIS S.-GII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 6-27, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1–MIDNIGHT BISOU, 124, m, 5, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite (GSW, $300,067), by Repent
2nd Dam: Tour Hostess, by Tour d’Or
3rd Dam: Counsel’s Gal, by High Counsel
($19,000 RNA Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo ’17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable, LLC (Jeffrey Bloom), Madaket Stables
LLC & Allen Racing LLC.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Mike E. Smith. $121,520. Lifetime
Record: Ch. Older Dirt Female & MGISW, 21-13-5-3,
$7,371,520. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Motion Emotion, 120, f, 4, Take Charge Indy–Golden Motion,
by Smart Strike. ($55,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Abbondanza
Racing, LLC, Mark DeDomenico LLC & Medallion Racing;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $39,200.
3–Another Broad, 120, m, 5, Include–Dynamic Deputy, by
Deputy Minister. ($340,000 4yo ’19 KEENOV). O-Farfellow
Farm, Ltd.; B-Fitzhugh, LLC (MD); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $19,600.
Margins: 8 1/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 0.50, 34.00, 25.90.
Also Ran: Serengeti Empress, Red Dane (Ity), Go Google Yourself, Chocolate Kisses.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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