Tag: maidens to watch

Second Chances: Gun Runner Connections ‘Hoping for Another Strike of Lightning’ with Pricey Curlin Colt Gun Party

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

With a ton of steam behind impressive debut winner Just a Touch (Justify) heading into Saturday's GIII Gotham S., the second-place finisher's come-from-behind effort over a sloppy, sealed track that day at Fair Grounds may look even better after this weekend.

Off at debut odds of 10-1 for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Gun Party (c, 3, Curlin–Carina Mia, by Malibu Moon) trailed the field of eight beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the early stages of the six-furlong affair Jan. 27.

Guided to the inside to race in fifth through an opening quarter in :22.25, the Three Chimneys Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer began to wind up with a rail run as Just a Touch gained command approaching the quarter pole.

Gun Party gamely split horses and moved into second as Just a Touch pulled well clear in the stretch. Gun Party finished with interest while posing no threat to the winner to cross the line a geared-down second, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. It was another 5 1/4 lengths back to the third-place finisher.

Gun Party earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. The Brad Cox-trained Just a Touch received an 89 rating.

“That looks like a really legit horse,” Three Chimneys Vice Chairman Doug Cauthen said of Just a Touch, the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Gotham.

“We were very pleased and satisfied with (Gun Party's) effort because we knew that was a tough spot. Steve (Asmussen) had mentioned that he missed some time with him–he had gotten sick–and at this point, you're hoping that you can kick along and get into the big races. But at the end of the day, Steve's just letting the horse lead him. We think a lot of him. It's a great pedigree, a great cross and there's a lot of hope. But time will tell.”

 

Carina Mia | Coady

Produced by 2016 GI Acorn S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Carina Mia (Malibu Moon), Gun Party brought $1.7 million from these connections as a yearling on day one of the 2022 Keeneland September sale to dissolve a partnership.

Gun Party, the third most expensive of 60 yearlings to switch hands by the mighty Curlin in 2022, was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc.

Third carrying the Three Chimneys silks in her career finale in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Carina Mia brought $2.6 million from Japan's Shadai Farm at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Gun Party is bred on the same Curlin x Malibu Moon cross as champion Stellar Wind. He is also bred similarly to fellow Curlin-sired champions Malathaat and Nest as well as Curlin-sired GISWs Clairiere, Global Campaign, Idol and Paris Lights.

“There were a bunch of partnership mares with Hill 'n' Dale, and when that group (of yearlings) went to the sale, he was a key one that was targeted,” Cauthen said. “Ron (Winchell) liked him as well so he came into the partnership. Hopefully, that team will have some more luck.”

That team of Winchell Thoroughbreds, Three Chimneys Farm and Asmussen, of course, also campaigned 2017 Horse of the Year and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}). The leading young sire currently commands a $250,000 stud fee at Goncalo Borges Torrealba's operation.

“Goncalo is very partner-friendly and usually asks the partners to name horses,” Cauthen said. “Ron's team came up with Gun Party. Think he's hoping for another strike of lightning.”

Gun Party has breezed three times since his unveiling, most recently working five furlongs in 1:01 (4/22) at Fair Grounds Feb. 25.

“I think Steve's trying to decide which direction to go,” Cauthen said. “More than likely he's gonna run in the next couple of weeks, but we're letting him decide.”

The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).

The post Second Chances: Gun Runner Connections ‘Hoping for Another Strike of Lightning’ with Pricey Curlin Colt Gun Party appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Second Chances: Cornishman ‘Could Be a Horse That We Can Be Talking About Through the Season’

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Cornishman (c, 3, Curlin–Penwith, by Bernardini) came flashing home to finish a bang-up second sprinting on debut on the GIII Lecomte undercard at Fair Grounds Jan. 20.

Off as the 3-1 second choice with his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Exploration (Curlin) receiving the bulk of the action at 3-2, the Godolphin homebred was bumped from both sides after exiting from post nine and trailed the field of 11 through an opening quarter in :22.40.

Cornishman caught the eye as he began to wind up from far back with a four-wide sweep beneath Florent Geroux on the far turn and was tipped out to the seven path as they straightened. He continued to motor powerfully down the center in the stretch and was clocked in a field-best final furlong of :11.97 to cross the line a length behind the Dallas Stewart-trained newcomer Bee Dancer (Bee Jersey). The aforementioned Exploration, a $900,000 Keeneland September graduate, just got tagged on the line by his stablemate for runner-up honors.

The final time for the six-furlong affair was 1:10.92. Cornishman earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He's a horse that we've liked all along,” Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “Just little juvenile stuff last year and we had to give him some time off. Once Brad (Cox) got him back in there, he was going well for him and he really liked him. We were very much looking forward to his debut and thought that he was a horse that showed plenty of potential in the morning.”

He continued, “He breaks good out of the gate, but that day, Florent (Geroux) said that he couldn't get him settled well enough. He was the last one in the gate, and when they pulled the latches, he wasn't ready for it. Taking all that into consideration–breaking last, having to go wide, etc.–we were extremely happy with the way he ran and how well he finished up with the trip that he had. And that was a race to get him started going three quarters. That's nothing of what he wants to do.”

Cornishman returned to the worktab with a four-furlong move in :49 (23/74) in New Orleans Feb. 2. He could see additional distance in his next start later this month, per Banahan.

“We're very excited about him going forward,” Banahan said. “Hopefully, we get to run maybe in mid-February–maybe Risen Star weekend if they have a one mile and a sixteenth or something (similar) down there. Very much looking forward to stretching him out and seeing what he could do. Very hopeful that he could be a horse that we can be talking about through the season.”

Hailing from a very active and deep female family, Cornishman is out of GSW & MGISP Penwith, a daughter of MGISW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Composure (Touch Gold). The latter brought $3.6 million from Sheikh Mohammed's operation at the 2003 Keeneland November sale.

Penwith | Kenny Martin

Penwith is a full-sister to the unraced dam of last Friday's GIII Bayakoa S. winner Comparative (Street Sense) and MGSW Shared Sense (Street Sense); a half-sister to MGISP Centring (A.P. Indy), the dam of last term's GI Frizette S. runner-up Central Avenue (Street Sense); and a half-sister to GISP Tranquil Manner (A.P. Indy).

The Curlin x Bernardini cross has produced standouts such as MGISW Clairiere, GISW Paris Lights, MGSW Cezanne and GSW & MGISP Point of Honor. Cornishman is also bred similarly to Curlin-sired champions Stellar Wind, Malathaat and Nest.

Godolphin, of course, also bred and raced Curlin's recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish, who is set to begin his first season at stud for a fee of $75,000 at Jonabell Farm.

“He has the pedigree that if he goes on and progresses like we think he will, he'll have a shot at hopefully some nice races down the road,” Banahan said. “But let's get him there first. He has to break his maiden first.”

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Second Chances: ‘Mor’ to Come from Munnings Filly at the Spa

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Lamorna (f, 2, Munnings–Freudie Anne, by Freud) kicked off her career for Hall of Famer Bill Mott with a better-than-it-looked fourth-place finish sprinting over the Saratoga grass July 20.

Last of 10 after getting squeezed at the start, the 7-1 chance was immediately under a ride from jockey Luis Saez and caboosed the field through an opening quarter in a sharp :22.02. She began to catch the eye with a flashy, sweeping move on the far turn and was hung out seven wide as they straightened for home.

The blaze-faced chestnut continued to rally down the stretch, and, despite racing a bit greenly from there with multiple lead changes, finished only 1 1/4 lengths adrift of the very promising Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies S.-bound Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

Campaigned in partnership by Arnmore Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing, Lamorna earned a strong 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“I was so proud of her,” Arnmore Thoroughbreds's Megan Jones said. “She ran a 14 1/4 Ragozin, which is a huge 2-year-old filly number on the grass. I didn't think she had it easy, either. They came in on her at the start and the winner came out on her at the top of the lane.”

Jones, a former vice president of Team Valor International, continued, “As a baby, when they make that big move on the turn and catch up, you expect that they might flatten out and get tired, but she just kept dropping her head down and trying. I would look to see her back here at Saratoga. She came out of the race super, really good energy. And mentally, she figured out what it was all about.”

Bred in Kentucky by Fergus Galvin, Marc Detampel, Jayne Johnson and Adrian Wallace, Lamorna went through the ring twice at Keeneland, bringing $155,000 from Stoneriggs Farm as a KEENOV weanling and $320,000 from Arnmore Thoroughbreds as a KEESEP yearling.

The versatile New York-bred Freudie Anne, a half-sister to MSW Frostie Anne (Frost Giant), won eight of her 25 career starts, including the New York Stallion Series S. over the Saratoga grass and East View S. on dirt at Aqueduct.

The Munnings over Freud cross is responsible for GSW & GISP Catalina Red. Lamorna is also bred similarly to MGSW and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Om (Munnings), who was produced by a Tabasco Cat mare. Leading young Ashford Stud stallion Munnings is the sire of 26 graded winners.

“I think she's gonna be a pretty versatile filly,” Jones said. “Her mother won short and long, turf and dirt. We were just getting her started there. She's just a real pleasure.”

Jones's fledgling partnership has approximately 10 horses in training, including the 4-year-old homebred filly Poppy Flower (Lea), winner of the GIII Intercontinental S. earlier this summer at Belmont Park.

“I buy fillies as yearlings to race and to add to the broodmare band,” Jones said. “It's hard to win first out, but at the end of the day, as long as you come out of that first race feeling like you have a good individual that we can keep with us for years to come, that's what's really important to us. I am really grateful to my partners because I loved her so much (at Keeneland September) last year.”

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Second Chances: Pricey Curlin 2yo “Acts Like a Filly to be Excited About”

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Subsequently flattered by Liguria (War Front)'s impressive performance in last weekend's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar, Erna (f, 2, Curlin–Jumby Bay, by City Zip) will look to go one better at second asking in the nightcap at Gulfstream Park Sunday.

Off at 11-1 going 1 1/16 miles over the grass on debut at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, Erna jumped well from post five and cleared the field of 10 heading into the clubhouse turn. Under a snug hold and in control through fractions of :23.33 and :48.01, the $600,000 OBS April breezer hit the quarter pole as the one to catch and led by a commanding 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch.

The aforementioned Liguria, making her second career start, however, was just getting going down the center. Erna dug down deep and braced for the challenge inside the final sixteenth, but, after swapping to her left lead close to home, just couldn't hold that one off and came up a neck short. Erna received a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

After failing to draw into a pair of spots during Keeneland's fall meeting, Erna made a last-minute trip from trainer Cherie DeVaux's Lexington base to the Big A for her debut.

“I was really impressed with how she ran given the circumstances,” DeVaux said.

“She did not get into either of the races that had overfilled at Keeneland and she had been training there the entire time since she came in after the sale. She had to ship after entries came out on Wednesday to Belmont Park. She arrived Thursday, trained at Belmont on Friday and had to ship over to Aqueduct [to run] on Saturday. So, it was less than ideal circumstances and she ran huge considering all that was thrown at her.”

Erna, the first foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Jumby Bay, brought $600,000 from owner James D. Spry after cruising through a :20 4/5 bullet in Ocala this spring. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and perennial leading sire Curlin was previously a $135,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Lehigh Bloodstock.

Jumby Bay, from the family of grassy GI Garden City Breeders' Cup S. heroine Magnificent Song (Unbridled's Song), brought $510,000 from breeder Don Alberto carrying Erna at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“At the sale, we were really impressed with her breeze and how she moved,” DeVaux said of Erna. “She looked like she was more turf inclined.”

Erna drew post nine going a two-turn mile for her second career try over the Gulfstream lawn Sunday. Luis Saez has the mount aboard the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

“I think if she either runs the race that she ran last time or improves, she's gonna be hard to beat,” DeVaux said. “She acts like she's a filly to be excited about.”

The 'Second Chances' honor roll is headed by two-time Breeders' Cup winner and new Ashford Stud stallion Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and Lane's End stallion Honor A. P. (Honor Code), recent GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) and MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags).

This year's GI Carter H. winner and new Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause), Curlin S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate) and Cinema S. winner and GII Del Mar Derby third War At Sea (War Front) have also been featured in the series.

Other standouts include: GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW & MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); and GISP A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

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